OHL North Bay Battalion

Kujawinski, Moutrey Bolster Battalion

Published on January 5, 2015 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion made its second trade in less than 24 hours Monday, acquiring centre Ryan Kujawinski from the Kingston Frontenacs, the Ontario Hockey League club announced.

The Battalion sent forward Jared Steege, the rights to defenceman Nathan Billitier and a conditional second-round pick in the 2016 OHL Priority Selection to Kingston for Kujawinski, 19, and a sixth-round pick in 2017.

The trade followed hard on the Sunday night acquisition of right winger Nick Moutrey from the Saginaw Spirit in a deal that saw goaltender Evan Cormier go the other way.

To replace Cormier behind No. 1 goalie Jake Smith, the Troops have signed Jake Kment, a sixth-round pick by the Battalion, then based in Brampton, in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection from the Sault Ste. Marie North Stars midgets.

Both Kujawinski and Moutrey were selected in the 2013 National Hockey League Draft, Kujawinski in the third round, 73rd overall, by the New Jersey Devils and Moutrey in the fourth round, 105th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Kujawinski, a six-foot-two, 207-pound resident of Iroquois Falls, Ont., has scored 13 goals and earned 10 assists for 23 points in 27 games this season while drawing 18 minutes in penalties.

The Sarnia Sting's first-round pick, fourth overall, in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection, Kujawinski has 69 goals and 79 assists for 148 points with 114 penalty minutes in 197 games over three-plus seasons. In 11 Kingston playoff games in the last two years he has three goals and one assist for four points.

"He's a big, strong forward with good skills," said Stan Butler, Battalion director of hockey operations and head coach, who's been busy through the holiday period in advance of the trade deadline Friday. "He upgrades our team."

Steege, who has played left wing and centre, has six goals and six assists for 12 points in 34 games. The Cobden, Ont., resident, who turns 19 on Wednesday, was an eighth-round choice in 2013 from the junior B Arnprior Packers.

He scored five goals and added seven assists for 12 points in 48 games last season.

Defenceman Billitier, 18, is with Notre Dame of South Bend, Ind., in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Battalion took the Spencerport, N.Y., product in the ninth round in 2012 from the Rochester Stars.

North Bay acquired Moutrey, 19, for Cormier and as many as six OHL Priority Selection picks. They are second-rounders in 2015, 2017 and 2019, a fourth-rounder in 2020 and conditional third- and fourth-round selections in 2018.

Left shot Moutrey, six-foot-three and 220 pounds, has scored 15 goals and added 25 assists for 40 points in 36 games this season with 40 penalty minutes.

Moutrey, who served as Saginaw's captain, was the club's first-round pick, 15th overall, in 2011 from the York Simcoe Express minor midgets.

In 235 games in three-plus OHL seasons, he has 48 goals and 85 assists for 133 points with 212 penalty minutes. In 21 playoff games over three years, the Toronto resident has three assists.

Cormier, 17, backed up Smith this season after appearing in three games in 2013-14, when the Bowmanville, Ont., resident played for the North Bay Trappers of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

In eight games this season, Cormier has a won-lost-extended record of 3-2-1, a goals-against average of 2.50, a save percentage of .882 and two shutouts. He was a fifth-round choice in 2013 from the Clarington Toros minor midgets.

Kment, 18, was at home in Sault Ste. Marie this season before arriving in North Bay on Sunday night.

He played last year for the Essex 73's of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League. The six-foot-two, 190-pound Kment posted a 15-2-1 record in the regular season with a 2.45 GAA and .900 save percentage before winning his four playoff decisions as Essex captured the league title.

The Battalion is 18-9-7 for 43 points, second in the Central Division, five points behind the Barrie Colts with three games in hand. The Troops visit the Ottawa 67's at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a game that can be seen live in North Bay on TVCogeco Cable 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 5, 2015


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