OHL North Bay Battalion

Battalion Boasts Trio Ready to Return

Published on March 4, 2015 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion may have three players in the lineup at 7 p.m. Thursday against the Belleville Bulls who weren't available for the Troops' last Ontario Hockey League game.

Brenden Miller, Zach Bratina and Mathew Santos are expected to face the Bulls. Miller sat out the three games last week with a sore hip, while Bratina hasn't played since Nov. 21 because of a concussion. Santos was a late scratch with a sore knee before a 5-2 road loss Saturday night to the Niagara IceDogs.

Coach Stan Butler said that left winger Bratina, undergoing "a day-by-day process," practised without problems Wednesday.

"He seemed fine, so as of now he's playing. If he wakes up and has a headache, then he can't play."

Said Butler: "We're not going to rush him into huge minutes right off the bat. He hasn't played for a long time. He'll play on a line with Santos and (Ray) Huether."

Butler said Bratina would be eased into action.

"He probably plays 16 or 17 minutes normally. If we can get him maybe 10 minutes of ice time on just a regular shift and get his timing and confidence up, that would be the best strategy."

Defenceman Miller, who hadn't practised for two weeks, went home to Orangeville, Ont., last Tuesday before returning Monday.

"I think he's well rested," said Butler. "I think he's happy; I think he's relaxed. He just needed time off. He's a warrior out there. He was out there trying to play on one leg, and you just can't do that all the time."

While right winger Santos is ready to return, Butler said, left winger Mike Baird injured a hip in practice Monday and is sidelined for the Belleville game.

Hampus Olsson, who plays both wings, has flu and is day-to-day, but Butler said he expected the Swedish import to be available against the Bulls.

"They're a well balanced team. They're well coached. Obviously, Charlie Graham is an extremely good goalie. They've got a mobile guy like (Jordan) Subban on defence who can create a lot of offence. Up front, they've got a lot of guys who work very hard, and they don't beat themselves."

Subban leads the Bulls' offensive production with 24 goals and 23 assists for 47 points in 57 games.

North Bay has a won-lost-extended record of 30-18-11 for 71 points, second in the Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Belleville, 25-28-7 for 57 points, is third in the East Division and sixth in the conference, one point ahead of the Kingston Frontenacs, who were to host the Mississauga Steelheads on Wednesday night.

The Battalion completes weekend play by visiting the Sudbury Wolves on Saturday night and hosting the Erie Otters on Sunday in a game that is all but sold out. Erie centre Connor McDavid generally is expected to be the first pick in the National Hockey League Draft in June.

"People are going to come watch him," noted Butler. "So they should. He's an outstanding player. Our job is to beat the Erie Otters."

The Troops, who haven't played at Memorial Gardens since a 6-5 loss to Niagara on Feb. 22, won two of three road games last week, defeating the Barrie Colts 4-2 Thursday night and the Kitchener Rangers 5-1 Friday night.

The loss at Niagara completed a stretch of 32 days in which the Battalion played 16 games, going 8-6-2.

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