Preseason Roster Breakdown: North Bay Battalion

A deeper look at North Bay's preseason roster.

The penultimate breakdown in our preseason roster series belongs to the North Bay Battalion. 

The Battalion finished second in the Eastern Conference with 39 wins and 87 points last season. They finished two points behind the Oshawa Generals who ended the season in first. 

They bulldozed their way past Kingston and Sudbury in the playoffs before meeting Oshawa in the Eastern Conference Finals. They fought bravely, clawing back into the series by winning games four, five and six. They lost game seven 6-1 and were eliminated.

This year's team features far more younger players, as many of the standouts from last year have moved on to their future endeavors in hockey. 

Overage players

Four overage players remain on North Bay's preseason roster. They are Dalyn Wakely, Owen Van Steensel, Andrew Leblanc and Jacob Leblanc. 

The Edmonton Oilers drafted Wakely with their sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Wakely was explosive last season scoring 39 goals and adding 65 assists for 104 points in 66 games. His combined points from the two seasons before(83) do not even come close to matching his output last year. Wakely will be a big part of North Bay's offense next year.

Van Steensel also set career highs in goals (41), assists (45) and points (86) last season. Just like Wakely, his combined point totals from the prior seasons are lower than his output last year. The 5-foot-10 forward will also be an important depth player who can help to develop younger players if he returns. 

The Leblanc twins were traded from Sarnia to North Bay partway through last season. Andrew Leblanc, a forward, scored seven goals and added 18 assists for a total of 25 points in 28 games for North Bay. His brother Jacob, a defenseman, had no goals and 13 assists in 31 games. The pair have always played together during their time in the OHL suggesting they are a package deal. 

While North Bay can keep all four overage players, they can only start three on any given night. If the twins are a package deal it would not be crazy to see them moved to an interested party. Otherwise, there is no real reason for North Bay to move on from these players who can help their young roster.

Import Players 

Natan Teshome and Ihnat Pazii are the two import players on North Bay's preseason roster. 

Teshome, a Finish forward, hails from Lappeenranta Finland. He was drafted 48th overall by North Bay in the 2024 CHL Import Draft. He played 37 games for Jokerit U-20 last season. He recorded four goals and added 10 assists in those games. Teshome will have a role to play in North Bay next season. It remains to be seen just how he will contribute to the roster.

The second import player on the roster is a returner from last year. Pazii scored nine goals and added 15 assists in 63 games. He also played three games for Ukraine's U-20 and tallied two assists in the process. The Ukrainian forward hails from Kharkiv.

Goaltenders

Charlie Larocque, Mike McIvor and Carter Nadon are the three goalies remaining on North Bay's preseason roster. All three are 6-foot-1. 

Larocque, a 2007-born goalie from Kanata played for the Carleton Place Jr. Canadians in the EOJHL last season. In 23 games he recorded a 2.27 goals-against average while maintaining a .929 save percentage. Larocque split time between the pipes with Ty Ferguson who has subsequently moved up to play for Carleton Place in the CCHL. The young tandem was likely the best in the league.  North Bay selected Larocque with the 117th pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection

North Bay drafted McIvor with the 83rd pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. He acted as the backup for North Bay last season after being called up from the Powassan Voodoos in the NOJHL. In 18 games, he averaged 3.78 goals against while maintaining a .876 save percentage. He is the only goaltender out of the trio to have played OHL games. 

Nadon went to North Bay with the 16th pick in the 2024 U-18 OHL Priority Selection. The Sault Ste. Marie native played for the Haliburton County Huskies in the OJHL last season. In only three starts, he averaged 1.78 goals against while maintaining a .939 save percentage. 

Unless he gets outplayed, it seems likely McIvor will return. Without him, North Bay would be starting the season with two rookie goaltenders who are untested at the OHL level. 

2024 Draft Class

Kent Greer and Ryder Carey are the only 2008-born players on the preseason roster. 

Greer signed with the team in May after being selected in the second round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. The young defender from Renfrew played for the Barrie Colts U-16 AAA team last year. In 30 games he scored 14 goals and added 25 assists for a total of 39 points. He showcased his passing abilities at the OHL Cup recording seven assists in five games. At 5-foot-9 he is small for an OHL defender, but his offensive prowess and vision make up for the size deficit. 

The Battalion selected Carey with the 16th pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. The 6-foot forward played for the Oakville Rangers U-16 AAA team last season. In 34 games he scored 24 goals and added 32 assists for 56 points. He also played a game for the Hamilton Kilty B's in the GOJHL and the Georgetown Raiders in the OJHL. The dynamic forward will have a place with the Battalion next season. 

A large portion of North Bay's team consists of 2007 and 2006-born players. They will be young, but they have enough experienced returners to guide the way so that their youth can take over in the second half of the year.