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OHL North Bay Battalion

Amadio Pursues Record on Three-Game Trip

March 9, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion has three road games looming in as many nights, meaning Mike Amadio may well set the Ontario Hockey League franchise's single-season scoring record away from home.

The Battalion visits the Peterborough Petes at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, the Oshawa Generals on Friday night and the Niagara IceDogs on Saturday night to complete a stretch of five away games.

North Bay opened the road run last weekend, losing 4-2 Saturday night to the Windsor Spitfires before torching the Flint Firebirds 8-2 Sunday as Amadio scored two goals, bringing his season total to 46.

That's one fewer than Wojtek Wolski's franchise record of 47, established in 2005-06.

Centre Amadio, a second-round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection from the Sault Ste. Marie North Stars major midgets, has doubled his goals production in previous OHL seasons, from six in 63 games in 2012-13, the Troops' last campaign in Brampton, to 12 in 64 games in 2013-14 and to 24 in 68 games last season.

It's a good bet that he's now seeking more than another doubling, to 48.

Coach Stan Butler said Wednesday that captain Amadio is the "poster boy" for the Battalion, "a player who was drafted, not in the first round, comes in, develops."

"There are some people who would probably tell you he's the most valuable player to our team. If that's the case, we hope that there's somebody in our young group here that's going to be the same."

The Los Angeles Kings, with Mike Futa as vice-president of hockey operations and director of player personnel, selected Amadio in the third round, 90th overall, of the 2014 National Hockey League Draft. Futa formerly was general manager of the Owen Sound Attack.

"That was a pretty shrewd third-round pick," noted Butler, "because, when he took him in the third round, he only had 12 goals that year, and a lot of guys around were looking at him, going, 'Geez, that's pretty early for him.'

"If they redid the draft today, as 19-year-olds, I think there's a real good chance Mike Amadio would be a top-20 pick."

Amadio, who has 46 assists for 92 points in 62 games, ranked sixth in OHL scoring and was tied for second in goals with Andrew Mangiapane of the Barrie Colts before their visit to Owen Sound on Wednesday night.

"Mike's a really humble person," said Butler. "He's got small-town roots; he's got Northern Ontario roots. He's a quiet person; he's respectful. He just goes out and does his job. I don't think he takes anything for granted. I think he's had to work hard to get to where he's got to.

"He's a good example for all these kids in the North that feel they've got to go to Disney World to become a hockey player, that they can stay in Northern Ontario and develop through the (Northern Ontario Hockey Association) system and get to where they want."

But humility and a quiet demeanour haven't detracted from Amadio's captaincy, said Butler.

"I think the biggest thing for him is that he leads by example. I'm not so sure that a quiet leader's not the best type of leader, because a lot of times, when guys are loud, it's like anybody, the loudest guy in the room everybody hears, but it doesn't mean anybody's listening."

Butler said that defenceman Riley Bruce will sit out the next three games with an upper-body injury, while left winger Daniil Vertiy is week-to-week with a knee injury incurred in a 9-3 home-ice victory Feb. 21 over Peterborough.

Left winger David Sherman, battling a hip flexor, has gone home to Mississauga for the rest of the season to receive therapy.

The Battalion, with a won-lost-extended record of 32-21-9 for 73 points, is second in the Central Division and third in the Eastern Conference. The top four teams get home-ice advantage in the first round of playoffs.

Niagara is fourth in the conference with 68 points, while the Ottawa 67's are fifth with 67. Peterborough and the Mississauga Steelheads are tied for sixth place at 66 points, while Oshawa had 56 points, two more than the Hamilton Bulldogs in the fight for the last conference playoff berth, before hosting the Kingston Frontenacs on Wednesday night.

The game at Peterborough can be seen live in North Bay on CogecoTV Channel 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.

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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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