Sudbury Wolves put rivalry aside, lend hand to North Bay Battalion ahead of OHL postseason

They may be heated Ontario Hockey League rivals on the ice, but the Sudbury Wolves will be assisting the North Bay Battalion in a big way come playoff time.

Though the Wolves have long been eliminated from OHL postseason contention, they'll be lending their home arena to the neighbouring Battalion later this month.

That's because the Memorial Gardens in North Bay will be occupied by the 2018 World Women's Curling Championship from March 17-25, right when North Bay's playoff run is scheduled to begin.

The two clubs have agreed that the Battalion will play one or two playoff games at the Sudbury Community Arena, depending on where North Bay finishes in the standings.

There are still just under two weeks to go in the OHL's regular season. It remains impossible to tell exactly who the Battalion's first-round playoff opponent might be.

Natural rivals

Andrew Dale, the Wolves' vice president of marketing and development, also played for the team from 1993 to 1996.

He got an up-close taste of the rivalry on two fronts, back when Sudbury would face off against the now-relocated North Bay Centennials and Brampton Battalion.

"It's interesting," Dale admitted about the prospect of rivals calling Sudbury ice home.

"There was discussion about our dressing room and who would take that, or how it would look, so we've sorted out logistics that make all parties happy, and our coaching staff is happy with the options put forth."

Despite the rivalry, though, Dale said the Wolves were more than happy to help when the Battalion came calling.

He added it's a chance for Sudbury fans to enjoy some extra playoff hockey, and for North Bay fans to experience something unique.

"I think any time you have an opportunity to support member teams in the OHL, you're going to reach out and do everything you can to make sure their event goes off without a hitch, and has the results they're looking for," said Dale.

"In our market, everybody knows we do a great job in the Sudbury Arena with the Sudbury arena staff."

Switching allegiances?

Scott Walpole, the Battalion's manager of communications, also commented on the teaming up of two strange bedfellows.

"We're hoping we can get some Battalion fans coming down (to Sudbury) to create a bit of a friendly atmosphere," he noted.

"We're familiar with the Sudbury Arena, we play there many times in the regular season, so it's not that foreign of a place to be. But it's no doubt an interesting scenario," added Walpole.

Asked about the possibility of Wolves fans switching allegiances for a few playoff games, though, Dale wouldn't bite.

"I think I'd like to see the stands filled with (the Wolves' uniform colours) silver and blue," he said with a laugh.