North Bay, Ont. — The North Bay Battalion has signed defenceman Zach Wilson to a Standard Player Agreement. The Battalion selected Wilson in the third round, 52nd overall of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection from the Central Ontario Wolves U16s on April 21.
A 6-foot-4, 170lbs. resident of Fenelon Falls, Ont., Wilson scored three goals and earned 20 assists for 23 points with 44 penalty minutes in 30 regular-season games.
“Zach is a player that we had our eyes on right from the start of the season,” said general manager Adam Dennis. “He’s a big, mobile defenceman with very good puck skills while still being very difficult to play against.
“We look forward to helping him develop with our coaching staff.”
Wilson is the second selected player this year to sign with North Bay, after first-round choice Carter Kostuch.
Dennis has described Wilson as “a jack of all trades.”
“He has played on the power play, but I think he knows that he’s a defenceman. He’s a defence-first guy, but he also has the skills to help move pucks in the right direction.”
Kostuch and Wilson visited North Bay the day after being selected, and both were among 32 skaters and goaltenders who took to the ice at the club’s development camp May 5-7.
