The rivals ‘locked horns’ on the ice Wednesday night in North Bay and they were back at it again Friday night. It is, of course the North Bay Battalion against the Sudbury Wolves in what's sometimes known as the Highway 17 Rivalry.
When it comes to major junior hockey rivalries, look no further than the bad blood the two northern Ontario hockey clubs have for each other.
“You go into the game knowing they're going to give everything they have and try and step their game up,” said Battalion forward Justin Ertel.
The Troops pulled away with a commanding 7-3 victory Wednesday when the two teams faced off against each other at the Memorial Gardens. The game ended in a bitter affair with a few altercations after the whistle, a few scraps and ejections.
“You get up for those kind of games and get excited to play,” Ertel said.
“We were lucky to pull out a win that night."
Ertel says both teams feed off the energy fans push onto the players and that's why these games can become quite intense.
The rivalry goes back to the days when the Battalion played in Brampton. Their last playoff series in 2013 before re-locating to North Bay was against Sudbury when a re-building Wolves side upset the Troops in five games.
“They never have actually played a playoff game (against each other) since the team moved to North Bay,” said North Bay sports writer Chris Dawson.
“Maybe it's this spring that Sudbury and North Bay finally play each other in the playoffs? But if you go back to the (North Bay) Centennial days, there was a rivalry."
Dawson told CTV News he recalls the former players and highlights the current stars who were born in North Bay but play for Sudbury and vice versa. This only adds to the friction.
"Mike Yeo, who's coaching with the Vancouver Canucks, he's from North Bay but ended up playing for Sudbury,” Dawson said with a chuckle.
“Most recently, North Bay's Marshall McCharles was drafted by Sudbury. There always seems to be some sort of connection."
Battalion head coach Ryan Oulahen said he tries to approach a rivalry game just like any other. With a few players getting back from injury, he's expecting another fast-paced, physical match-up.
Oulahen knows all too well of the rivalry. His last game as a former Brampton Battalion player was against the Wolves.
“Both teams have fans that travel to the visiting arena which is interesting as well,” he said.
“I remember my first year getting back in coaching, we played them in the playoffs and beat them in double overtime in their rink to win a series. That was a fun moment for me.”
Now as coach, he hopes to bring his experience from that time to lead his team in emotional games.
"We're getting to learn from them a little bit more now that they have had a coaching change,” he said with a note of caution.
“We see them as a very dangerous, very good hockey team. They have a ton of skill and a ton of talent."
It’s a chippy feud of sorts that will continue for games, seasons and years to come.
“Rivalries are just a little different,” Ertel said with a laugh.
Friday night’s action got underway at 7:05 p.m. at the Sudbury Community Arena in the city’s downtown core where the Wolves managed a 3-2 win over the Troops.
The goal for of the game was by Wolves centre David Goyette, with assists from Kocha Delic and Matthew Mania in the first period.
That score was soon answered soon by Battalion centre Anthony Romani, with assists from Ethan Procyszyn and Luc Brzustowski making the game 1-1 going into the second period.
The Troops' Nikita Tarasevich scored North Bay’s second goal on a penalty shot following a slash from behind while Tarasevich had been on breakaway.
The penalty shot score was the only goal of the second period.
Sudbury bounced back in the third period with a goal scored by right winger Alex Pharand with assists from Matthew Mania and Marc Boudreau tying the game.
Soon after Wolves right winger Landon McCallum scored the game-winner for Sudbury on a power play, assisted by Jacob Holmes and Nick DeGrazia.
The Troops next game is Saturday afternoon hosting the Oshawa Generals at home at Memorial Gardens in North Bay.
The Wolves next game is also the afternoon of Dec. 31 at the GFL Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste. Marie against the Soo Greyhounds.
