‘Excited to get started’: North Bay Battalion prospects looking to crack the lineup

North Bay Battalion prospects get a first look at the city, eager to prove themselves. New draft picks join returning players as the team gears up for next year

A group of North Bay Battalion prospects got a first-hand look at the city Monday as they began their push for a spot in next year’s lineup.

Forwards Alexandre Saulnier and Austin Ottenhof, defenceman Drew Hulbert and goaltender Owen Loftus took a tour of Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens with the team’s front office.

“Seeing the dressing room, the gym, the rink, and getting the experience, I’m really excited to get started,” said Ottenhof, a third-round pick.

The Ontario Hockey League draft, which was held June 12-13 at Kingston’s Slush Puppie Place, was memorable for the players and their families.

“I was at my cottage with my family. I couldn’t get everyone up to Kingston. So, for me, it was very memorable with my family,” said Hulbert, who was also selected in the third round.

“I wanted to make sure everyone was included and make sure everyone who brought me to that day was with me.”

“I’m going to have to just be getting bigger and stronger going up against these big guys,” Ottenhof added.

“It’s going to be difficult. But I’m going to have to overcome it.”

Loftus, the Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA goalie, was the only netminder taken in the first round.

“Obviously I have a lot of trust in this organization to be making the best development decisions for me,” he said.

“There’s going to be adjustments I’m going to have to make. Like, it’s a faster pace, there’s more physicality.”

A pianist who played at Carnegie Hall in New York City when he was 13 years old, Loftus said he feels right at home with the depth of goaltending experience and expertise within the Battalion roster.

“I can say probably a lot of teams don’t have this similar pedigree with goalies coming in and the staff that they have,” he said.

“I was just talking with (Adam) Dennis before we came. We were just chatting about it. It’s a really cool experience being a goalie where not many people know too much about the position, to have a group like these guys who are just so smart, so dialed.”

For second-round pick Alexandre Saulnier, his grandfather, Fred ‘Buster’ Harvey, is his inspiration. Harvey played more than 400 games in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts and Atlanta Flames between 1970 and 1977.

“I’m trying to be like him, getting to the NHL and playing eight seasons and having a good career,” Saulnier said.

“So, he’s kind of like a role model to me.”

‘Hard to play against’

Saulnier said he’s the type of player who can “bring a lot of energy” and is “hard to play against, who’s in your face.”

Battalion general manager John Winstanley said the team sat down with each player during a rigorous interview process, looking for maturity and who would be a good fit in both the dressing room and in the community.

“This draft was really about us making sure that our cupboards were full in areas that we needed,” Winstanley said.

“We still looked at best available player. But at certain rounds in certain spots, we definitely looked to fill those cupboards.”

It’s been a busy off-season for the Troops. Defenceman Alexander Kharmanov was selected in the NHL draft by San Jose, while forward Ryder Cali was chosen 48th overall in the second round by the Florida Panthers.

“We’re very happy for Ryder and Alex, seeing the work that went in and seeing them get rewarded,” said Adam Dennis, the Battalion’s president and director of hockey operations.

The Battalion will run a two-day development camp in late August for their new recruits ahead of full training camp.

“The goal here is just to orient them, give them all the information that we have, all the information that they’re hoping to gather, so the next time they’re here it’s a little bit more comfortable and they can perform on the ice,” Winstanley added.

Then a new season full of hopes of winning an OHL championship begins.

“The team’s got a really good development plan for me. I’m obviously going to do my best,” Loftus said.