The North Bay Battalion has signed centre Ryder Cali to an education and development agreement, the Ontario Hockey League club announced.
The Battalion acquired Cali’s OHL rights from the Soo Greyhounds on Sept. 13 for a sixth-round pick in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection and three conditional choices, namely North Bay’s second- and fourth-rounders in 2028 and its seventh-rounder in 2027. The 2025 selection originally belonged to the London Knights.
Cali, the Hounds' first-round choice in April, 18th overall, has made a verbal commitment to Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.
However, the recent milestone announcement of a NCAA/CHL agreement made signing with the Troops a much easier decision for Cali.
The NCAA’s Division I council voted on Nov. 7 to permit former Canadian Hockey League players to compete for Division I schools in the U.S. starting next Aug. 1. Previously, CHL participation ended players’ eligibility.
Cali, who’s playing this season for the Milton Menace of the junior A Ontario Junior Hockey League, is expected to make his Battalion debut when the team resumes play after the OHL’s Christmas hiatus with a Dec. 28 visit to the Barrie Colts, the opener of a home-and-home series that ends the following night.
Cali also played for Team Canada East and recently returned from the World Junior 'A' Challenge which ended last weekend in Calgary.
With Milton idle from next Monday through Jan. 6, 2025, Cali could play as many as five Battalion games in the interim before rejoining the Menace this season.
“We’re pleased to officially welcome Ryder and his family to the North Bay Battalion,” said Adam Dennis, president and director of hockey operations in a release.
“Since the day we made the trade with Soo, we decided it was in everyone’s best interest to allow Ryder space to develop in his first year with Milton and leave OHL discussions to the side. With recent developments to NCAA eligibility, this conversation became a hot topic for everyone involved in junior hockey.
“Through the help of (GM and coach) Dan Del Monte, Ryder has had a great season and developed into a top prospect for his age. We look forward to having him get his feet wet with our club this season on an affiliate basis before he moves over full-time next season.”
In 29 games with Milton, which was to host the Pickering Panthers on Wednesday night, Cali has a team-leading 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points with 18 penalty minutes.
A Penetanguishene, Ont. product who turned 16 on Sept. 6, he played in 2023-24 with the Markham Majors U16s, scoring 19 goals and adding 11 assists for 30 points in 29 regular-season games. The former member of the North Central Predators measures six-foot-two and 201 pounds.
Cali was born in Switzerland, where his mother, Fiona McLeod, played professional hockey with Ladies Team Lugano culminating in 2010-11. He lived in the Cayman Islands, birthplace of Battalion twins Andrew and Jacob LeBlanc, as a youngster before moving to Canada when he was seven.
The Greyhounds will also receive a compensatory pick, 19th overall, in the 2025 Priority Selection for what is deemed a defected player. Cali attended the Soo development camp in May but didn’t report to training camp.
