Troops add Gervais, Barch
The North Bay Battalion has acquired centre Sebastien Gervais and defenceman Hayden Barch from the Saginaw Spirit in an Ontario Hockey League trade announced Monday.
For overager Gervais and Barch, Saginaw receives five OHL Priority Selection picks, made up of three third-rounders and two fifths.
Gervais, a left shot, had 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 38 games with Saginaw this season, his fifth in the OHL. The six-foot, 200-pound Windsor native, a 12th-round choice in 2021 from the Windsor Jr. Spitfires U16s, has career totals of 297 games, 52 goals, 87 assists and 139 points with 109 penalty minutes.
He was with the Spirit when it captured the Memorial Cup on home ice in 2024, scoring one goal and earning two assists for three points in five tournament games.
“This is a player who knows how to win,” said Battalion general manager John Winstanley. “He’s been through meaningful games, understands the standard required every day and brings a level of experience that elevates everyone around him. We’re thrilled to have him join our organization.”
The acquisition of Gervais gives the Troops two overagers against the quota of three. Defenceman Bronson Ride has been the lone overager on the roster this season.
Gervais is committed to the Clarkson University Golden Knights of Potsdam, N.Y., for the 2026-27 season.
Barch, a Grand Bend, Ont., product who turns 19 on April 14, was a 13th-round selection in 2023 from the Elgin Middlesex Canucks U16s. A right shot who measures six-foot-one and 200 pounds, he has four assists in 34 games this season and career totals of 61 games, one goal, eight assists and nine points with 63 PiMs
“He’s a defenceman who plays a hard, honest game,” said Winstanley. “He defends well, brings a physical presence and understands his role. We’re excited about his upside and getting him into our daily routines.”
Krys Barch, the rearguard’s father, is a former member of the London Knights and a veteran of 381 National Hockey League games. He is in his first season as head coach of the Niagara IceDogs.
The Priority Selection picks are the Barrie Colts’ third-rounder this year, North Bay’s own thirds in 2028 and 2029, the London Knights’ fifth in 2027 and the Owen Sound Attack’s fifth in 2028.
The OHL trade deadline is noon Friday, with the overage trade deadline at noon Thursday. The final deadline, which usually falls on Jan. 10, has been moved up a day this year because the 10th falls on a Saturday.
The Battalion, which defeated the visiting Sudbury Wolves 5-2 Sunday, returns to action at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m. Thursday against the Ottawa 67’s.
