Ryan Oulahen tried to work the turkey dinner out of his players Friday afternoon as the Battalion returned from Christmas break.
The Troops return looking to break out of a three-game losing streak that finished off with a 6-3 setback at the hands of the Sudbury Wolves on December 20.
"The answer is easier than you think. It is not the time to panic, it is not the time to change a bunch of things," said the Battalion head coach.
"It is not the time to do all that. It is about worrying about your one on one battles, your compete and your work ethic and the rest will take care of itself. I hate to say it but that's the only thing that always gets you out of a jam like this."
Injury bug continues?
Oulahen would not confirm a return for injured forward Ihnat Pazii or Anthony Romani at Friday's media conference at Memorial Gardens.
"Hopefully they can take a step up early in practice for the sake that we have had a week off. We have to get them up to speed and contact practices so nothing imminent now but certainly closer," said Oulahen.
Both Pazii and Romani have not played since they sustained serious shoulder injuries during a game in Erie way back on October 11.
Trade winds blowing
The Ontario Hockey League is on a trade freeze but that has not stopped the trade speculation over the holidays. One rumour involving the Battalion had forwards Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel potentially going to the Barrie Colts to re-unite with ther longtime teammate in Barrie, Dalyn Wakely.
With Oulahen now wearing the assistant general manager hat too, he understands that online speculation is part of junior hockey.
"I think the message is that this is the nature of what we do," said Oulahen addressing the rumours.
"The rumours are always circling there has been for the last how many years. I think as a player you just have to put the noise aside. I really don't look into them, I don't see what is going on. I probably did 10 years ago and it is not the healthiest thing in the world so just know we have got it going on internally. All that noise and all that stuff, people are going to speculate, you just have to put it aside."
Wakely reunion
The North Bay Battalion will be meeting their well liked former teammate Dalyn Wakely for the first time this season since a trade sent the Edmonton Oilers prospect to Barrie in exchange for Shamar Moses back in October.
The Troops travel to Barrie to face the Colts Saturday night, and then return to North Bay for Sunday matinee (2 p.m.) at Memorial Gardens.
While the Colts are led offensively by the former Battalion star Wakely who has 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 24 games, the Barrie squad will be without some of its key horses for the home and home affair.
The World Junior Hockey Championships are impacting the Barrie club.
The Colts will be missing forward and top scorer Cole Beaudoin with Canada, Emil Hemming with Finland and defenceman Beau Akey with Canada.
Oulahen believes despite those missing players, they cannot take the Colts lightly.
"We watched the past couple of games going into the break, they are playing some good hockey," noted Oulahen.
"There's a couple things to it, of course you try to catch them with some of those high powered guys away. At the same time you just notice when guys get opportunity, which some of their roster has, it makes those guys play better sometimes so their team game is very very strong and probably what has been stringing them along here in the last little bit. We know, we play them back to back it is not going to be easy and a difficult challenge but I think maybe one that we need a little bit. I know a lot of guys are excited to be back from the break and guys feel energized and excited so hopefully have that translate onto the ice."
Cali debut
One new name to the Battalion roster for Saturday's post-Christmas contest is Ryder Cali.
The forward, who plays for the Milton Menace of the Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League will join the Troops this weekend. Cali, who is a Harvard commit recently signed with the North Bay Battalion after the landmark NCAA-CHL agreement came into place back in November.
In 32 games this season Cali has netted 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points for the Menage.
Oulahen noted not only has he played games in the OJHL, but he also competed internationally for Team Canada East at the World Junior 'A' Challenge which took place in Calgary earlier in December.
"This is an exciting part for us as coaches; a little bit of a Christmas present here that he and his league are on a break so he is available to us here," Oulahen said about the 2008 birth year forward who was a first round pick of the Soo Greyhounds in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.
"We are just looking to work with him, get a feel for the player, have the player get a feel for us and how we like to do things. I have already had some good meetings with him in terms of video and things that we want to do but this is a high potential player that is going to add to our lineup. We are lucky to have him when we do but for me I just love building the relationship and getting to work with him and I think that is the biggest thing we are going to be able to do here in the short term."
