Adam Dennis named President of North Bay Battalion
Adam Dennis has been named president and director of hockey operations of the North Bay Battalion, one of a number of changes in responsibilities that the Ontario Hockey League club announced Wednesday.
John Winstanley is general manager, succeeding Dennis in that capacity, and Ryan Oulahen has been appointed assistant general manager in addition to his duties as head coach.
Dennis, Oulahen and Winstanley were in the the third season of five-year contracts in 2023-24, when the Battalion won a third consecutive Central Division title before losing the Eastern Conference Championship Series to the Oshawa Generals in seven games after rallying from three games down.
Each of Dennis, Oulahen and Winstanley, who previously was assistant general manager, has signed a new five-year agreement superseding his previous contract, keeping the trio with the Troops through the 2028-29 season.
“It was important to show them confidence, in terms of long-range planning and development and business development, and to secure their services for that timeframe,” said owner Scott Abbott.
“We saw yesterday with Scott Wray’s appointment as head coach of the Owen Sound Attack that what we’ve accomplished here in the last three years has not gone unnoticed in the hockey world. Opportunities do arise from time to time, and I’m very pleased to have these gentlemen here for the foreseeable future.”
Dennis, who won the Jim Gregory Award as the OHL’s General Manager of the Year in 2023-24 and who succeeds Mike Griffin as president, said that affection for the community carried the day for him.
“At the end of the season it was an emotional roller coaster. I can say for myself and my family that certain opportunities presented themselves, and we talked to everybody. The one thing that came back to us is how important the North Bay community is to us. I think a lot of people would see me as somebody that’s from Toronto. This is the longest my family has lived anywhere.”
Winstanley said he looks forward to the work ahead.
“I couldn’t be more excited and thrilled about this opportunity and the group of players we have and the staff and getting to hit the ground running.”
Oulahen, who said he won’t skip games to scout, allowed that he’ll be able, backed up by assistant coach Bill Houlder, to hit the road to see prospective players during some practices.
“I think with our current prospects that’s where I’ll take a little bit more of a role with getting out to see them and maybe helping with the decisions on those signings and things like that.”
The Battalion is seeking another assistant to replace Wray, who was with the Troops for seven seasons before joining Owen Sound.
“We’re absolutely thrilled for Scott and his family,” Oulahen noted of Wray, who won a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League title as head coach of the Powassan Voodoos in 2016-17 before joining the Battalion. “He’s deserving of this opportunity.”
Griffin, who had served as president since early in the Battalion’s second season, has left the organization.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Mike for his contributions during service dating to the fall of 1999 when the team was located in Brampton and to wish him well in his future endeavours,” said Abbott.
In other news, centre Ethan Procyszyn and right winger Anthony Romani of the Battalion were invited to the National Hockey League scouting combine this week at Buffalo in preparation for the NHL Draft to be held June 28-29 at Las Vegas. It was announced during the Memorial Cup tournament that ended Sunday night at Saginaw that Romani was named to the Canadian Hockey League’s Second All-Star team.
