JUNIOR TRAPPERS WELCOME OHL

Press Release

The North Bay Trappers Jr. ‘A’ Hockey Club welcomes the hockey world’s worst kept secret now that it is finally out in the open where the  OHL Brampton Battalion’s franchise will re-locate for the start of the 2013-2014 season to North Bay, Ontario. The Trappers are very excited  for the City of North Bay and area junior hockey fans.
 
“We are genuinely very happy for the many deserving North Bay and area junior hockey fans as the City truly deserves an OHL team. We have  been assured by the City that the Junior Trappers have a home in North Bay and look forward to working with the City of North Bay in a new long 
term deal that will see us work along side an OHL franchise in doing what we do and develop young men into becoming even better, on and off the  ice for their next level of play” said Jr. Trappers Club Governor and Director of Operations Tim Clayden “we have options and its an exciting time for 
North Bay area junior hockey fans, we look forward to continuing to work in harmony with the City of North Bay and the future OHL hockey club. The Gateway City to the North junior hockey family just got bigger and we welcome the OHL to our North Bay junior hockey family.”
  
The North Bay Skyhawks/Trappers Junior ‘A’ franchise re-located from Sturgeon Falls and Parry Sound back in 2002 when the OHL’s  North Bay Centennials were sold to a new ownership group from Saginaw, Michigan.

“There is no doubt a CJHL and OHL franchise can both prosper while operating within the same community providing communication is open  and transparent. Mr. Greg Rosen, Evan Robinson and Peter Goulet operated one of the most successful ‘flagship’ CJHL franchises in Kingston, Ontario alongside the OHL for many years, seemingly always making appearances in big games including the RBC National Championships, so it can be done,  and our hockey club remains committed to operating in the very same manner. Think about it, there is no other better in the CJHL today to better  develop hockey players and young men for the OHL than Trappers Head Coach Tom McCarthy. The OHL will be great for North Bay and the Junior Trappers will be good for the OHL team.” added Clayden

Jr. Trappers President Chris Dawson agrees the OHL-NOJHL model can work in the same community; just as it has in other Northern, Ontario cummunities as in both Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.  “The Thunderbirds are regularly one of the top junior A teams in the nation and went to the National championships last year, all the while playing in the same community as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds,” said Dawson. “I’ve seen the NOJHL-OHL development work last year with Danny Desrochers, who is now playing for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, and I think we can do the same thing with an OHL franchise that we have playing in our own backyard.”

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)