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North Bay Battalion

Forward Green Enlists with Troops

August 13, 2014 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - Forward Owen Green has signed an education contract with the North Bay Battalion, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Tuesday.

A left shot who can play left wing or centre, Green, a resident of Williamsville, N.Y., who turned 17 on March 23, was a ninth-round pick in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.

"I' ve talked to a lot of guys from this area who have played in the OHL, and they' ve told me it' s awesome," Green said via telephone. "I' ve watched a lot of OHL games, and the games have been great to watch."

Among those whom Green consulted was defenceman Dylan Blujus. A resident of Amherst, N.Y., Blujus was a third-round pick of the Brampton Battalion in 2010 who went on to play 256 OHL games over four seasons, culminating in 2013-14. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the National Hockey League Draft in 2012 and signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club last May.

"I' m just like everyone else," said Green. "My dream is to get drafted and play in the NHL. Playing in the OHL is the best way to get there, and seeing the success of guys like Blujus and Patrick Kane is intriguing. Hopefully that happens to me."

Stan Butler, Battalion director of hockey operations and head coach, said he was glad to have Green in the fold.

"We' re happy to sign him. Owen is a good player. He has a chance as he progresses to be a top-six forward on our team. He' s big and strong and skilled. His skating needs some work, but that' s typical for a player his age, and once he gets on the ice every day next season it will come along."

Green, six-foot-four and 200 pounds, scored 23 goals and earned 45 assists for 68 points in 64 games last season with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres under-16 team.

"We had a strong team, and I think I was a big part of that. Hopefully I can transfer that success to the OHL. I' m a power forward who' s a hard-nosed forward who gets in the face of the defenceman. I' m strong defensively, but I can score when I need to."

Green said he has worked hard to prepare for his first season in the OHL.

"Getting used to the strength and speed of the other teams will be an adjustment, but I think I' ll get used to that quickly. I' ve been putting in a lot of work this summer so I can be at that level."

Green got his initial look at North Bay in May, 2013, when he attended the Battalion's first orientation camp in the Gateway City.

"North Bay was beautiful; it was a nice town. Everything about it was great. I'm excited about going there. I' ve talked to some guys about moving away, and they tell me how great it is and how much support you get from the families and your teammates. It'll be tough at first, but I think I' ll get used to it pretty quickly."

Green, who attended the semifinal of the Memorial Cup tournament at London in May as a guest of the Battalion, was an attentive observer of the club's first season in North Bay, which saw the Troops capture the Eastern Conference title and advance to the OHL Championship Series, in which they were defeated by the Guelph Storm.

"The Memorial Cup game was great, and that's something I want to be a part of. I followed North Bay's run in the playoffs very closely, and it was great to see how awesome the fan support was. It' ll be great to have a chance to duplicate what they did last season and hopefully get a chance to play for the Memorial Cup. I' m sure that' s the team goal, and I' m excited to be a part of it."

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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