Less than a minute into the game, 2027 NHL Draft-eligible forward Camryn Warren beat out an icing call, found open space to receive a pass just above the left faceoff dot, and beat the Peterborough goaltender cleanly on the glove side to give North Bay an early 1-0 lead.
Shamar Moses brought the physicality early, landing big hits and applying constant pressure on the forecheck, making it difficult for Peterborough’s defenders to exit their own zone.
A few moments later, Peterborough’s Mason Minsky recognized the weak defensive coverage in front of the net and called for the puck. James McMurray delivered a great backhand pass from behind the net to Minsky, who buried the opportunity to tie the game at 1-1.
Warren continued to make his presence felt in the offensive zone, outmuscling Peterborough defenseman Matthew Perreault as he attempted to make a breakout pass. After forcing the turnover, Warren drove to the net and fired a shot that was saved by Peterborough goaltender Matthew Koprowski.
On the power play, Camryn Warren skated the entire perimeter of the offensive zone with the puck before finding Shamar Moses for a one-timer that nearly resulted in a goal. Later on the same power play, Evgeny Dubrovtsev took a seemingly harmless wrist shot from the left faceoff dot that Koprowski allowed past him, giving North Bay a 2-1 lead.
Moments later, Peterborough took another penalty, giving North Bay another power play. Ryder Carey received a pass to the right of the goaltender along the goal line. With no defender between himself and the goalie, Carey drove hard to the net and jammed the puck in to extend the Battalion’s lead to 3-1.
To the ire of the home fans, a North Bay rush was called offside on a very close play, drawing boos from the crowd. To make matters worse, North Bay was also assessed a too-many-men penalty on the same play. Peterborough pushed hard on the power play, including a net-front toe drag by Adam Novotny that nearly beat the goaltender, but North Bay managed to kill off the penalty.
Warren continued to cause problems for Peterborough’s defense in the second period. On a give-and-go, he flew past the blue line and beat the Peterborough goaltender cleanly with a move to his backhand. However, a Peterborough defender took a penalty to prevent Warren from sliding the puck into the open net.
Aside from a couple of strong shifts driven by Adam Novotny, North Bay was the better team in every period, particularly in the second, when the Battalion recorded 17 shots while allowing Peterborough just 5. North Bay’s dominant performance was enough to secure a 3-1 victory, extending its undefeated home record to 4-0.
Game Thoughts
Adam Novotny got off to a hot start this season alongside Cooper Dennis, recording 4 goals and 3 assists in their first 5 games together. However, since the two were separated, Novotny has failed to score a goal, managing just 2 assists in 3 games and 0 points over his last 2 games. Peterborough’s offense has also suffered, dropping from an average of 3.8 goals per game to just 2 over that same stretch.
The combination of Camryn Warren and Shamar Moses proved too much for Peterborough to handle. Warren’s sheer speed and stickhandling, paired with Moses’ relentless pursuit of the puck and impressive quickness of his own, caused problems throughout the game. There are more talented lines in the OHL, but few if any that work as hard as this one.
Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion | 2027 NHL Draft Eligible) Arguably the best player on the ice tonight, Warren put on a dominant display. Having tracked him at the U17s and the Hlinka, his offensive upside was already clear, but what stood out most tonight was his poise under pressure. He never panicked, consistently taking that extra half-second to let a seam open up, using his hands and edges to navigate into high-danger areas, and anticipating plays before they materialized. While his frame still leaves a bit to be desired, Warren delivered a stellar performance that leaves plenty of reason to be excited for his development this season.
Cam Warren – more of a quiet but effective night for Warren, did his job all game, was a dog on a bone on the forecheck and forced a few misplays, as well as being the instigator for a few scrums, his game picked up immensely in the 3rd, and all of his tools were on display. He is relentless on the puck, extremely twitchy and combines his skating and hands very well to throw off defenders; I saw multiple examples of that on the power play tonight.
Rather than forcing difficult plays, he showed the poise to make the correct read, highlighted by a fantastic stretch pass that started the sequence leading to Camryn Warren’s goal.
Like Nathan Gaucher, there are plenty of QMJHL prospects to be excited about this season in the lead up to the 2022 NHL Draft. This includes teammates, left-winger Antonin Verreault, along with defensemen Tristan Luneau and Noah Warren, who all play for the Gatineau Olympiques.
Verreault (5-8, 163), was selected second overall in the first round of 2020 QMJHL Draft by the Gatineau Olympiques where he played last season. He had an outstanding rookie season where he tallied 29 points (six goals, 23 assists) in 31 games, which helped him win the Michel-Bergeron Trophy as the QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year, along with being named to the QMJHL Rookie All-Star Team. Verreault also participated in the 2020 Youth Olympics for Team Canada where he averaged over a point per game and led the team in scoring with five points (three goals, two assists) in four games, along with winning a bronze medal.
“Verreault is a dynamic winger with great offensive instincts. He can be really dangerous when paired with good linemates. He has great vision that helps him see plays develop a couple steps ahead of his opponents,” says Tremblay.
Luneau (6-2, 174), went one spot ahead of Verreault in the 2020 QMJHL Draft as the Gatineau Olympiques took him first overall. Like Verreault, Luneau didn’t disappoint in his rookie season last year for Gatineau. He put up some impressive numbers for a defenseman registering 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) over 31 games, which was good enough to win the Raymond Legace Trophy as the QMJHL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was also named to the QMJHL Rookie All-Star Team. Luneau also joined Verreault at the 2020 Youth Olympics playing for Team Canada where he recorded two points (two assists) in four games while taking home a bronze medal. Unfortunately, Luneau had to have surgery for an injury and will be out several months to start the upcoming season. He is still a prospect to keep an eye on in the latter part of the season after he recovers from surgery.
When asked about Luneau, Tremblay had this to say, “Luneau is a big reliable puck moving defenseman. He plays with so much poise and maturity. He has great skating abilities that allow him to maneuver his way with the puck both from his own zone and through enemy lines. Luneau has great decision making with the puck, especially in the neutral zone. His precise breakout passes allow him to find teammates quickly.”
Warren (6-5, 214), is a player that could have a bigger role this season with Luneau’s injury. Warren was drafted eighth overall in the first round of the 2020 QMJHL Draft by the Gatineau Olympiques where he played last season, scoring four points (one goal, three assists) in 29 games. He joined fellow teammates Verreault and Luneau, winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Youth Olympics for Team Canada. Standing at 6’5”, he is a mobile skater who is able to use his size to play a physical defensive game and also has a big shot. There is no shortage of athletics in the family as his father Claude used to be a swimming coach at Laval University and his mother Magalie was a nationally ranked swimmer. Also, his grandfather Raynald Boutin was a defenseman for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens back in the 1960s. Warren will hope the athletic genes can help him hear his name called at the 2022 NHL Draft.
A couple more teammates to keep an eye on during this QMJHL season are defenseman Maveric Lamoureux and center Justin Cote who play for the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
Lamoureux (6-7, 196), like Noah Warren, is a big right-handed defenseman who is a smooth skater and uses his size well to defend. He was selected 12th overall in the first round of the 2020 QMJHL Draft by Drummondville. Last season during his rookie year he racked up seven points (one goal, six assists) in 24 games. Lamoureux, like Warren, also has some hockey roots in his family. His father Patrick played three seasons in the QMJHL for the Granby Bisons back in the early 1990s. Patrick also played three seasons with Concordia University in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) and finished up his career in the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (QSPHL) over five seasons before retiring. Lamoureaux is a solid defender and a prospect that could rise up the draft ranking boards this season.
Abbotsford Canucks
Bakersfield Condors
Calgary Wranglers
Coachella Valley Firebirds
Colorado Eagles
Henderson Silver Knights
Iowa Wild
Manitoba Moose
Milwaukee Admirals
Ontario Reign
Rockford IceHogs
San Diego Gulls
San Jose Barracuda
Springfield Thunderbirds
Texas Stars
Tucson Roadrunners
Belleville Senators
Charlotte Checkers
Chicago Wolves
Cleveland Monsters
Grand Rapids Griffins
Hamilton Hammers
Hartford Wolf Pack
Hershey Bears
Laval Rocket
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Providence Bruins
Rochester Americans
Syracuse Crunch
Toronto Marlies
Utica Comets
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
CAN