Ryan Oulahen was on the Battalion’s bench in their final game in Brampton – a playoff loss to the Sudbury Wolves that ended an era of Brampton Battalion Hockey Spring 2013.

Fast forward to November 1, 2024 and Oulahen will be back behind the bench for an OHL hockey game in Brampton. However, the former Brampton Battalion forward will now work behind the visitors’ bench as the North Bay Battalion take on the Brampton Steelheads who left Mississauga during the off-season.

It’s part of a home-and-home series between the Central division rivals that concludes at 2 p.m. Sunday at North Bay Memorial Gardens.

“No. 1, it’s going to be interesting coming back to Brampton,” Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen said Wednesday during his weekly press conference.

“I haven’t been back there in a long, long time, so as a player and a former coach there, it’s going to be interesting to come back to that building, something I’m looking forward to. But in the case of team, a team that is high octane, a team that is built to try to win a championship, probably showing that they are in the mix a little bit this year, so a lot of talent.

The 39-year-old played three seasons for Brampton, peaking in 2004-05 when he was battalion captain. Then a resident of Newmarket, Ontario, the center played in 182 games, scoring 65 goals and registering 71 assists for 136 points.

“That’s where I played junior hockey,” he said.

“I was lucky enough to play not far from home, so the Sunday afternoon games for my family were eight to 15 or 20 spectators. I think of my grandparents, who probably never missed a game My aunts and uncles and cousins ​​came to a lot of games, obviously my parents, so I think about that right away, I think about the host family that I lived with, and then about. From there, the coaching moments too, I got my feet wet.

“We had good teams the last two years in Brampton, teams that played the right way and a lot of good players. That’s where Barclay Goodrow started to grow, and Sam Carrick and some of those captains we had.

“I have no idea what it would be like to be a visitor, so it’ll be interesting.”

North Bay has an extended win-loss record of 7-6-1 for 15 points, third in the Central Division, while Brampton, with three games in hand, is fifth and last with a 6-4-1 record for 13 points.

The former Mississauga Steelheads are in their first season playing at the CAA Centre, which was the Powerade Center when the troops moved to North Bay.

“Looking at the schedule, we play them back-to-back, but they have a game on Saturday, so hopefully we can take advantage of this Saturday to rest and recover for Sunday’s game,” Oulahen noted. “But as you always know me, I’m just looking forward to getting our team ready for a road game Friday first and then going from there.”

Academic honors

Battalion defender Kent Greer was named the division’s Academic Player of the Month for October. The rookie guard, selected in the second round in April, achieved high scores in 11th grade at Chippewa High School in math, healthy active living, international business and cooperative education.

“Kent is the kind of student whose teachers all took the time during the very busy first week of school to seek me out and let me know how much they love having him in their class,” said Stephanie Silverthorn, battalion educational advisor. .

“He is a diligent and motivated student whose positive attitude and strong work ethic allow him to be a natural leader in the classroom. »