OHL’s Battalion Channels North Bay Hockey History with New Third Threads

If the Ontario Hockey League had a Reverse Retro program (hey, OHL, get a Reverse Retro program!), then the design of the North Bay Battalion‘s new third sweaters might look a little something like this.

Unveiled as part of the franchise’s 25th season, the uniforms do away with the club’s long-used army green heavy colour scheme in favour of a black base with yellow and white stripes. A new secondary logo featuring a “stylized Centurion tank” worn as the main crest right on the chest.

The Canadian Army used the Centurion tank from 1952 until 1979. The article on BattalionHockey.com notes that it debuted during “the closing days of the Second World War but never saw combat” during that particular conflict.

***The Battalion debuted the new look on Thursday night against Mississauga***

“While the military green sweaters are iconic, I had a discussion with the league even before we started play in 1998 about a secondary design that included a tank sweater,” said Battalion owner Scott Abbott in the article on the official team website. “We’re pleased to introduce them in this, our 25th season. We hope fans like the look and want to see more of it.”

The shoulder patches of the uniforms feature a black rounded rectangle with a single white horizontal stripe and a gold maple leaf with interlocked initials “NB” in black. This is done “in the style of formation signs for Canadian armoured brigades in the Second World War.”

LINK: North Bay Battalion logo and uniform history

Though the club hasn’t mentioned it anywhere in their article announcing the new uniforms, the colours and style of the logo are clearly in reference to the old North Bay Centennials who played out of “The Gateway to the North” from 1982 until 2002 before moving to Saginaw, Michigan where they still play today as the Saginaw Spirit.

***The North Bay Centennials played for twenty years from 1982 to 2002***

The Centennials moved to North Bay when the Niagara Falls Flyers failed to get a new arena deal in the Summer of 1982. The club was named for the centennial anniversary of the railroad in North Bay. The franchise had existed previously in St. Catharines as the Falcons, Teepees, and Black Hawks, where the club had won two Memorial Cups.

LINK: North Bay Centennials logo and uniform history

North Bay was without an OHL franchise until the Brampton Battalion moved to the city, taking their name, logo, and uniforms with them ten years later in 2012. The Battalion had previously worn Centennials throwback uniforms in January 2014 when the old Cents returned to play their first games in North Bay following their relocation to Michigan, and then d i d s o again in 2018.

The Battalion also released a white version of this uniform due to the OHL’s long-standing practice of switching from dark uniforms at home to whites every season on January 1st (hey, NHL, switch up your sweaters every January 1st!). This would give local fans an opportunity to keep seeing the alternate colourway when the 2023 half of the campaign gets underway.