The wave of USHL players moving towards the OHL continued on Friday, as the North Battalion announced the signing of 2006-born defender Brandt Harper to an education and development agreement. 

"I had some really great conversations with them ahead of signing," said Harper. "I'm a two-way defenseman, I like to play offence without sacrificing defense."

The Tampa, Florida native spent the last two seasons playing in the USHL. He started with the Tri-City Storm during the 2023-24 season before being trade from Tri-City to the Des Moines Buccaneers early in the 2024-25 season. In 58 games between the two teams, Harper scored three goals and added 13 assists last season. 

Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas is the last player to transition from Des Moines directly to the OHL. We all know how well that turned out for Windsor, seeing as Protas ended up scoring more than 100 points this past season. If Herper even has a third of the impact Protas had in his first OHL season, this will end up being a fantastic addition for the rebuilding Battalion. 

"Brandt is a much-needed addition to our back end and will give us a quality right-shot defenseman who we expect to be a key contributor to our team next season," said North Bay Director of Hockey Operations Adam Dennis. "He had options with several other top teams in the OHL but felt North Bay was the best fit for the next step in his career."

Bulldogs Extend Head Coach Jay McKee Yesterday, Brantford Bulldogs GM Spencer Hyman, the brother of Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman, announced the extension of Head Coach Jay McKee through the 2027-28 season. 

Harper is committed to play for the University of Michigan in the NCAA. He is the latest in a wave of USHL players who are making their way to the OHL due to CHL players being eligible to join NCAA teams. 

The 6-foot defender joins a North bay team that was clearly rebuilding last season. Though they made the playoffs, they did so more due to the inability of Ottawa and Peterborough to catch them than any brilliance on the Battalions part. 

The team did make multiple big trades last season that have put it in a position to improve next year. Perhaps the biggest move of the year was acquiring Parker Vaughan from Barrie in exchange for Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel. 

Rangers Sign University of Michigan Commit Yesterday, the Kitchener Rangers announced the signing of Adam Valentini to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Valentini played in the USHL last season after being pick in the first round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. 

They also signed Ryder Cali to a contract midway through the season. The 2008-born forward was a standout in the OJHL playing for the Milton Menace. In 51 games he scored 24 goals and added 30 assists for a total of 54 points.

Between Cali, Vaughan and Ryder Carey, the team has a stable of elite young players who will continue to develop. Harper will likely provide a solid backbone on defense. 

We will see how things fall in September, but it seems likely the Battalion will be ready to take a step forward next season.