After debuting with a bang last season, the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Battalion are bringing back their popular Centurion sweaters this week.
The Battalion will wear the jerseys with the gold Centurion tank on the front for the first time in the 2023-24 season on Thursday, December 7, when they host the Kingston Frontenacs.
The Battalion introduced both black and white versions of the jersey last year, and they’ll sport the white version on Thursday.
Both versions of the Centurion jersey are largely unchanged from what was unveiled last year, save for a new collar that manufacturer CCM is using with all Canadian Hockey League teams this season.
The white version has one black and two gold stripes around the elbows and waist, and a black collar with a gold insert at the front. It’s paired with black pants and white socks that have a broad gold stripe flanked by two narrower black stripes.
The black version has a gold collar along with one white and two gold stripes on the arms and waist. It’s paired with gold socks with white and black stripes.
Both jerseys have rounded rectangular black shoulder patches outlined in gold with a single white horizontal stripe and a gold maple leaf with interlocked initials “NB” in black.
According to the Battalion when the jerseys were first unveiled in December 2022, the Centurion tank on the front was used by the Canadian Armed Forces from 1952 to 1979. And though they didn’t mention it at the time, the colors and logo style were clearly a reference to the North Bay Centennials, who played in the Northern Ontario city from 1982 to 2002 before moving to Saginaw, Michigan.
Centurion jerseys will be available to purchase in person at the North Bay Memorial Gardens during the game against Kingston, and they’ll be available through the Battalion’s online store starting December 8.
The Battalion have not yet announced in which other games this season they’ll wear either version of the Centurion sweaters.
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