NHL Stars Aligned for Battalion Forward
Justin Ertel is set on moving from Battalion green to Victory green.
Left winger Ertel of the North Bay Battalion has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars, the National Hockey League club announced Monday.
Ertel, who has 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points in 61 Ontario Hockey League games this season, was a third-round pick, 79th overall, by Dallas in the 2021 NHL Draft from the Summerside Western Capitals of the junior A Maritime Junior Hockey League.
“Justin committed himself this offseason to becoming a pro,” said Battalion general manager Adam Dennis. “His habits continued throughout the season and have led to him being one of our most improved players.
“He’s been a beloved teammate during his time in North Bay, and we look forward to watching his development continue the rest of this season and beyond.”
A Kitchener native who turns 21 on May 27, Ertel played with the Cornell University Big Red in the U.S. college ranks in 2021-22 before joining the Battalion last season, when he scored 14 goals and earned 22 assists for 36 points in 46 games. He had one goal and five assists for six points in 20 playoff games.
Ertel played in the Traverse City Prospect Tournament in Michigan last year and attended Dallas’s main camp for the second time after also taking part in the Stars’ rookie camp in 2022.
The Battalion chose Ertel, who measures six-foot-two and 187 pounds, in the third round, 54th overall, of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
Ertel’s father, Tyler, played two of his five OHL seasons with the North Bay Centennials, culminating in 1989-90, and now is an assistant coach with the Soo Greyhounds.
Ertel is the second member of the Battalion to sign an NHL contract in recent days. It was announced March 2 that right winger Sandis Vilmanis had come to terms with the Florida Panthers.
S
