There were a significant number of interesting North Bay area sports stories in the calendar year of 2021 despite the fact that COVID-19 pretty much shut down most non-professional sports until the late summer and fall of 2021.
Jaimee Bull captured a U21 Waterski world championship this fall, while local goaltender Ben Gaudreau captured gold with Team Canada at the World Under 18 Hockey Championships after spending the entire OHL season on the sidelines due to the cancelled season, and then the Sarnia Sting netminder was selected in the fourth round of the NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks.
Barclay Goodrow netted his second straight Stanley Cup, while Battalion star Brandon Coe went to the end of 2021 as the OHL's leading scorer. Local product Lucas Edmonds was right on Coe's heels putting up impressive numbers with the Frontenacs as an overage OHL rookie.
North Bay's Mike O'Shea captured another Grey Cup as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Mike Yeo moved from assistant to interim head coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.
As for teams, the Chippewa Raiders captured OFSAA AA boys volleyball gold as hosts to the event this fall. Meantime, the North Bay Battalion, who finished last in the OHL in 2019-20, surged into the top of the national rankings making it as high as sixth in the nation in 2021.
The Lakers women's soccer team had a memorable run this fall making it all the way to the OUA semi's.
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