The North Bay Battalion are hitting the ice this week, preparing for the franchise’s 20th season, the fifth in North Bay.

Training camp starts today (Monday) with fitness testing.

Three intrasquad games are scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday at 4 pm, then at 9 am on Thursday on Memorial Gardens.

They’re free for the public to check out.

Defenceman Cam Dineen says the Troops are ready to bounce back after missing the post-season last year.

“We can’t come in down on ourselves,” he says. “I think we figured a lot of things out and what we need to do better. I think we have to come in confident that we’re going to do those things to be successful again.”

Dineen, who signed an entry level deal with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes in the spring, was out most of last season with a knee injury.

“I would’ve been able to play, probably, if we would’ve made the playoffs this past season,” he says. ” Since then it’s been 100 per cent, all of the training this summer has gone well, it’s given me no problems, so I’m ready to go.”

Dineen is also looking forward to attending the Coyotes camp too.

The Battalion play three exhibition games this coming weekend at the OHL Showcase in Buffalo, New York.

They take on the Kitchener Rangers Friday, the Windsor Spitfires on Saturday and the Flint Firebirds Sunday.

North Bay also has exhibition games in Sudbury on September 13th, in Owen Sound on September 16th and at home to the Attack on September 17th.

The regular season begins Friday, September 22nd with the Troops entertaining Barrie at Memorial Gardens.

Single game and exhibition tickets go on sale at 9:30 am today at the Memorial Gardens Box Office.

(Photo: Cam Dineen of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images)

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