North Bay Battalion

The North Bay Battalion is a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was founded as the Brampton Battalion on December 3, 1996, and began play in 1998. Due to consistently poor attendance, the team relocated to North Bay prior to the 2013–14 OHL season.

Early Years, 1998-2013
The Brampton Battalion's inaugural season began in 1998-99, and the team struggled, winning only 8 of 68 games. However, it would be one of only two seasons (the other being 2001-02) in which the Battalion would miss the playoffs. The fifteen season tenure in Brampton saw the Battalion finish with a .484 win percentage in 1020 regular season games and win four Central Division Championships and one Eastern Conference Championship.

Relocation
During the summer of 2012 rumours of the Battalion franchise relocating began to swirl as their lease agreement with the Powerade Centre was nearing an end. Attendance that was never healthy on a regular basis to begin with was declining in Brampton. Combined with an unfavorable lease in Brampton, owner Scott Abbott had no choice but to look for other options as the 2012-13 season got under way. On Monday, November 5, 2012 following a meeting with city counsel in North Bay, Ontario an agreement in principal to move the Battalion to North Bay for the 2013-14 season was agreed upon. Just nine days later fans in North Bay had already bought over 2,000 season tickets as per the conditions of the agreement. The Battalion would play out of the North Bay Memorial Gardens which will start seeing renovations on and off the ice begin in early 2013. Franchise owner Scott Abbott indicated that the team will still be named Battalion in North Bay, mentioning the city's strong military history.

Championships
The North Bay Battalion have won one division title and one conference championship in its first season in North Bay.

Emms Trophy Central Division Champions
 * 2013–14

Bobby Orr Trophy Eastern Conference Champions
 * 2013–14

Uniforms and logos
The Battalion's uniform is primarily an army-like shade of olive green. The shoulders feature black bars, with white outlining, this is then further outlined in black. Evenly between the shoulder and elbow lie three military-style chevrons, connoting rank (here, sergeant) completing armed forces theme.

The logo itself, featuring their mascot, Sarge, gritting his teeth is also army olive green, a mix of yellow and beige, white, fleshish pinky-orange, black, and red. The name Battalion, emblazoned on their uniform is pure red, and is created in a way that it looks three-dimensional.


 * Uniform Colours: Olive Green, Yellow, Black and White
 * Logo Design: "A militant with an army hat with Battalion under the militant."

Arena
The North Bay Battalion play out of the North Bay Memorial Gardens. Built in 1955, it is best known as the home of the North Bay Centennials, which called the Gardens home from 1982 until 2002, after which they moved to Saginaw, Michigan and became the Saginaw Spirit. Most recently, it has served as the home of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's North Bay Trappers, which called the Memorial Gardens home immediately after the Cents left in 2002 and played in tell 2014, as well as the Nipissing University hockey team playing in Canadian Interuniversity Sport as a member of the Ontario University Athletics conference.

With the Battalion's arrival and subsequent 15-year lease, the Gardens went under a $12 million renovation; the seating capacity has increased to 4,246, the ice surface has been reconfigured to new OHL standards, 10 private boxes has been added and a new 2-level team dressing room was built.
 * North Bay Memorial Gardens - The OHL Arena & Travel Guide


 * Capacity = 4,246
 * Ice Size = 200' x 85'

Broadcasting
Country 600CKAT is the radio broadcaster for the team. Matthew Sookram and Bob Coles share the Play by Play and Color Commentary duties, while they provide scores and updates from around the league.

Canadore College's Television and Video Production program second year students operate and generate content for the video board located above centre ice.

TVCogeco broadcasts all home games, and all away games that are televised. PreviousNipissing Lakers commentators Ranjan Rupal and Greg Theberge call all home games.

NHL Alumni

 * Barclay Goodrow
 * Nick Paul

Regular season
Legend: OL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss

Playoffs
Beat Barrie Colts 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals. Beat Oshawa Generals 4 games to 0 in conference finals. Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in J. Ross Robertson Cup finals. Beat Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals. Lost to Oshawa Generals 4 games to 2 in conference finals. Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
 * 2013-14 Beat Niagara IceDogs 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
 * 2014-15 Beat Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
 * 2015-16 Beat Peterborough Petes 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
 * 2016-17 Did not qualify.
 * 2017-18 Lost to Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
 * 2018-19 Lost to Niagara IceDogs 4 games to none in conference quarter-finals
 * 2019-20 Did not qualify but playoffs cancelled
 * 2020-21 Season cancelled