The North Bay Centennials are gone but they certainly aren’t forgotten.
The City of North Bay and the North Bay Battalion have worked together to create a new Centennials Wall which is located in the front foyer of Memorial Gardens.
The wall shows all the team photos from the first Centennials squad in 1982-83, all the way to the final Centennials squad from 2001-2002.
"After the investment we’ve made in the facility, we wanted to ensure that we also honoured the history of the building," said Melinda Fry, Manager of Sports and Events with the City of North Bay.
"One of the initiatives we undertook was to revitalize 20 years of team pictures from the North Bay Centennials, who called Memorial Gardens home from 1982-2002. We also enhanced the wall in the concourse to celebrate local achievements. It is our plan to include other historical items for display within the arena in the future."
BayToday has learned photos of Centennials and Battalion players who have made it in the NHL will also be displayed.
No word on when that display will be complete.
Fans got their first official chance to see the wall during Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win by the Battalion over the Erie Otters.
Photos of the old Centennials teams were previously up on the walls of Memorial Gardens prior to the renovations and the arrival of the Battalion to North Bay in 2013.
The Centennials were sold to businessman Richard Garber in Saginaw and relocated to Michigan in the fall of 2002.
