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OHL North Bay Battalion

Troops, Sting Swing Swap

January 6, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion has acquired forwards Sandis Vilmanis and Andrew LeBlanc and defenceman Jacob LeBlanc in a trade with the Sarnia Sting, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Saturday.

Sarnia received left winger Carter Kostuch, defenceman Alex Cajkovic and six OHL Priority Selection picks, numbering a second-rounder in 2027, a third-rounder in 2024, fourth-rounders in 2024 and 2025 and fifth-rounders in 2025 and 2026.

Left winger Vilmanis, who turns 20 on Jan. 24, was to arrive in Detroit on Saturday after returning from Sweden, where he played for Latvia in the World Junior Championship for a third straight year. He was expected to get to North Bay either late Sunday or Monday and to make his Battalion debut Thursday night when the Mississauga Steelheads visit Memorial Gardens.

Centre Andrew LeBlanc and right-shot rearguard Jacob LeBlanc, twins from Port Colborne, Ont., who turn 20 on June 3, were due in North Bay late Saturday and may play against the visiting Kitchener Rangers at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Sarnia selected Vilmanis, a Riga resident who measures six-foot-two and 192 pounds, in the first round, 14th overall, of the 2022 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft after he played for the Lulea juniors in Sweden.

A fifth-round pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2022 National Hockey League Draft, Vilmanis has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 30 OHL games this season. In 62 games in 2022-23, he scored 20 goals and earned 25 assists for 45 points.

Both LeBlancs were chosen by Kitchener in the 2020 Priority Selection from the Southern Tier Admirals minor midgets, Andrew in the first round, 17th overall, and Jacob in the third, 42nd overall. They played the 2021-22 season with Kitchener and the 2022-23 campaign with the Niagara IceDogs before joining Sarnia for this season.

Andrew LeBlanc, who stands six-foot-one and weighs 176 pounds, has nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 35 games this season. In two-plus OHL campaigns, he has 28 goals and 56 assists for 84 points while accumulating 90 penalty minutes in 149 games.

Jacob LeBlanc, who measures six-foot-one and 180 pounds, has seven goals and 27 assists for 34 points in 37 games this season. His OHL career totals are 15 goals and 66 assists for 81 points in 171 games with 124 penalty minutes.

"This move gives us a lot of confidence heading into the second half, and we're looking forward to welcoming Sandis, Andrew and Jacob to our team and our community," said general manager Adam Dennis.

Kostuch was the Battalion's first-round choice, 21st overall, in the Priority Selection in April. The Toronto native had two goals and four assists for six points in 34 games with the Troops.

North Bay selected Cajkovic, who turns 19 on July 19, in the second round of the CHL Import Draft in July. The Slovakian, a resident of Bratislava, had 12 assists in 32 games with the Battalion.

"The trade market this year is incredibly competitive with the parity across the league, which is why we were forced to part with two special people today," said Dennis. "Both wore the Battalion green with pride and left an impact in the community despite their short time here. Our entire organization wishes them continued success, and we know they'll thrive with the advanced opportunity they'll receive with the Sting."

Two of the Priority Selection picks received by Sarnia are the Battalion's own. The 2024 third-rounder originally belonged to the Peterborough Petes, the 2024 fourth-rounder to the Saginaw Spirit, the 2025 fifth-rounder to the Windsor Spitfires and the 2026 fifth-rounder to the Barrie Colts.

The OHL trade deadline for overagers is noon Tuesday and for all others noon Wednesday.

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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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