Battalion fans felt the emotion recently when popular Battalion star Dalyn Wakely made his debut in North Bay with his new team the Barrie Colts.
On Thursday night, the Battalion and its fans will once again see two more very well-liked players who were traded to the Barrie Colts prior to the CHL trade deadline.
Former Battalion captain Owen Van Steensel and Anthony Romani were shipped to the Colts for Parker Vaughan and Zach Wigle and draft picks on January 5.
See related: Battalion make another blockbuster trade with Colts
Van Steensel not only had a great start to his hockey career in North Bay, he also got to make the OHL draft call for the Battalion when the organization selected his brother Lucas Van Steensel, who was selected in the 8th round in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection this past spring.
Van Steensel even took the time to make a statement to thank the community.
"North Bay became my home away from home and will always hold a special place in my heart," he said in a statement.
"It was easy to come to the rink every day with the support, encouragement, and love you all showed.
"It was an honour to represent the Battalion as captain and a privilege getting to spend the majority of my junior career in such a great city.
"Thank you North Bay for all the memories and such an unforgettable experience."
Ryan Oulahen, the Battalion's head coach realizes a former Battalion line of Wakely-Romani-Van Steensel reunited in Colts colours on Memorial Gardens ice would be another level of strange.
"I would not sit here and be blind to the fact that it will be different," he admitted.
"When two teams make drastic trades with each other like that, it will be different for multiple players on both sides of it. In saying that, though, and when you grow up as a hockey player, you're just so competitive that once the puck drops, it's going to be two teams fighting for two points.
"I think the lead-up and all that kind of emotions will certainly be there, but I think when the puck drops the Battalion want two points as bad as the Barrie Colts do."
New captain Ethan Procyszyn, expressed the same sentiment.
"Yeah, it's going to be a fun game, it will be fun to play against them, but there are no friends on the ice, but maybe after I'll talk to them a little bit. I'm just going to play my game," he said.
The Troops are fresh off an encouraging 6-5 overtime win over the Brampton Steelheads in Brampton on Saturday.
The Battalion comes into Thursday's game with a won-lost-extended record of 15-20-3 for 33 points, and is fifth in the Central Division.
Barrie, in second place at 24-13-2 for 50 points, has lost four straight games since a 7-4 home-ice win on Dec. 31, 2024, over the Oshawa Generals.
OHL Prospects Success
A trio of Battalion players had a thrilling experience in Brantford Wednesday night as they took part in the inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Prospects Game.
Team East, which the Battalion trio played on, came up with a 5-4 overtime win courtesy of an OT winner by the Steelheads Porter Martone.
Lirim Amidovski led the way with one goal and one assist for Top Prospects East which pulled out a 6-5 overtime win over Top Prospects West.
Shamar Moses also scored a first period goal representing the Battalion. Overage defenceman Jacob LeBlanc was held off the scoresheet.
The Barrie game features Bell Let’s Talk Night, with arriving fans receiving themed toques.
