The North Bay Battalion returns to North Bay Memorial Gardens on Thursday evening to take on the Windsor Spitfires.

The Troops return home after splitting a two-game trip out West that included a 5-4 victory last Thursday in Windsor followed by a 6-2 loss to the London Knights last Friday.

With this separation, the battalion is 8-8-2 this season.

Ryan Oulahen says the high-flying Spitfires (13-4-1) will look for revenge.

“We knew we had a good advantage on them in their building, so we have to be ready to welcome them back looking for a little redemption,” Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen said Wednesday of the Spitfires.

“We saw how dangerous and good they could get in the last five minutes of that hockey game, so I think that’s the most important thing for tomorrow. It’s the first game of the week for both teams, and we always try to get off to a good start.

The Battalion surprised the Spits by taking a 3-0 lead in the first period before Windsor cut their deficit to 3-2. Left winger Owen Van Steensel then scored two second-period goals for the Troops, who saw the Spitfires pull back within a goal at 16:22 of the final period.

Mathurin returns

This is the first time defenseman Tnias Mathurin has returned to Memorial Gardens since an August 8 trade. In his first game against his former teammates, he contributed to the Spitfires’ final goal, by left winger Cole Davis.

The Battalion dealt the taller Mathurin and a 13th round pick in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection for a second round pick in 2025, fourth and sixth round picks in 2026 and a 13th round pick in the year next. He was North Bay’s 2020 third-round pick out of the Ajax-Pickering Raiders minor midgets.

Injuries were a factor that limited Mathurin to 96 games in three seasons with the Troops during which he scored six goals and added 26 assists for 32 points. He has three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in 51 games in 2023-24.

In three playoff springs, during which the Battalion advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, Mathurin played in 40 games, scoring one goal and recording 12 assists for 13 points.

Left wing Owen Outwater, North Bay’s 2021 first-round pick, is also with Windsor. He was traded to the Kingston Frontenacs after one season with the battalion.

McIvor still a question mark

There is still no definitive timetable on when goaltender Mike McIvor will return to action.

The Warkworth, Ont., native has not played this month since suffering an upper-body injury in a collision with Sudbury’s Kieron Walton during a 3-1 loss to the Wolves at Sudbury on October 25.

Oulahen hinted before training that McIvor could be close to returning as the battalion was “hoping for the best”.

Romani and Pazii continue to heal

Meanwhile, with right winger Anthony Romani and left winger Ihnat Pazii recovering from a broken collarbone, the younger troops have had more opportunities, including rookies Stepan Chukharev, Reyth Smith and Ryder Carey.

“Just look at the ice time some of our young guys get,” Oulahen noted.

“That hasn’t been the case here in the last couple of years with our team, so we’re able to step up that learning.

“I’ve seen tremendous growth week to week with the bottom half of our squad. It’s very impressive and when I talk about executing with the puck and having composure and having confidence, it’s with these players. It’s exciting. This is something we are capable of doing.

“We are able to teach on the fly. We are able to have tons of videos. It’s really healthy right now with what we’re going through and overcoming things and scratching and clawing as a group and as a team and still able to find points here.

Honor Butch

The North Bay Battalion will honor local sports icon Butch Turcotte on Thursday evening, sponsored by Dave’s Heating & Cooling.

The longtime hockey coach and North Bay Sports Hall of Famer passed away this summer.

His family, which includes son and former NHL player Darren Turcotte, will be involved in a pre-game ceremony and perhaps another surprise for fans during the pre-game warm-up.

Santa Claus parade starts late Sunday

The Sudbury Wolves will be present on Sunday at 3 p.m. for a game that will start later than usual due to the Santa Claus parade.