For the first time since 2001, North Bay will be represented on Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships this Christmas.
Nick Paul was officially named to the team after Friday night's 2-1 overtime loss to Team Russia at the ACC in Toronto.
After the game Team Canada made 4 cuts including forwards Michael Dal Colle (Oshawa), Rourke Chartier (Kelowna WHL), and Guelph's Jason Dickinson.
For North Bay, Paul becomes the first Major Junior Team Canada rep since Centennials netminder Alex Auld in 2001. Ironically, that season in the event which took place in Russia, the team was coached by Stan Butler.
Paul was nervous after Friday's contest knowing that it was decision time.
"It was awesome, I came back after the game we went back to our hotel rooms and if you got a call, it didn’t mean it was a good thing, thankfully my phone didn’t ring. I got a text to come down to the main room and I was met with a bunch of smiles and I was told I made the team," Paul told BayToday.ca Saturday afternoon.
He says making this team is the highlight of his career. Now it's time to focus on the golden task at hand.
"I don’t really feel any pressure I just feel more excited it’s going to be an unreal experience playing at home, we have a great team here and I think we can go all the way here," he said.
Paul spoke about the anxiety of trying to stay focused early in the week.
"Right now you know it’s really nerve-wracking and everything but the best thing I am doing right now is keeping it all in the back of my mind - not thinking about it - just playing hockey and it’s working,” Paul told BayToday.ca on Monday.
“I feel if you dwell too much on it, think to much, you start playing mind games and screw up your game so just keeping it in the back of my mind and playing hockey and having fun and just working my hardest. Whatever happens, happens as long as I give 110% there’s nothing more I can give so I have to leave it all on the table,” added Paul who leads the Battalion in scoring with 19 goals and 15 assists so far this season.
The congratulation tweets started to roll out late on Friday night.
"A massive congratulations to Nick Paul for making the Team Canada World Juniors, we are extremely proud of you Nick," stated Battalion head coach Stan Butler via Twitter Friday night.
Even former Battalion captain and current San Jose Sharks rookie Barclay Goodrow took the time to send congrats to his former linemate.
"Congrats to Nick Paul for making the World Juniors, you have come a long way since grade 9 photo day," Goodrow stated on Twitter.
Paul becomes the first Battalion player to make the Team Canada World Junior team since Cody Hodgson back in 2009.
The Battalion did have representation last year at the World Juniors as Vincent Praplan traveled overseas to Sweden to represent Switzerland at the tournament.
