Cam Warren officially signs with the North Bay Battalion
The North Bay Battalion has signed centre Cam Warren, its first-round pick in the 2025 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, to an education and development agreement, the club announced Wednesday. North Bay chose Warren sixth overall on April 11 from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16s.
Article content
Article content
In 33 regular-season games, Warren, who turned 16 on May 7, scored 24 goals and earned 39 assists for 63 points. The Vaughan, Ont., resident stands five-foot-10 and weighs 153 pounds.
Article content
Article content
Article content
'We're thrilled to officially welcome Cam to the Battalion family,' said general manager John Winstanley.
Article content
Article content
'Cam is a player who brings a combination of high-end hockey IQ and elite skills. An electrifying player on the ice, he's dynamic and creative with the puck on and off his stick. 'We've had our eyes on Cam for a while and are really looking forward to seeing what he can do here. He has a bright future, and our group is excited to continue working with him on the next stages of his development.'
Article content
Article content
Warren visited Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens the day after he was selected, noting: 'I think I'm a fast player who likes to play smart and use my vision to make guys around me better. I love to play with speed and pace all around the ice.'
Article content
Warren was named the most valuable player in the OHL Cup at Toronto, which the Jr. Canadiens won after gaining entry as a qualifier. He tied for the tournament lead in points with 13 from six goals and seven assists in seven games.
Article content
A right shot, Warren is the second player selected this year to sign with the Battalion. The Troops announced June 9 that defenceman Carter Kunopaski, their second-rounder, had enlisted.
Article content
Article content
Kunopaski, a six-foot-two, 201-pound resident of Pakenham, Ont., turned 16 on Feb. 14. In 32 regular-season games with the Ottawa Valley Titans U16s, the left-shot rearguard scored four goals and added 21 assists for 25 points.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
01-08-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rookie tight end Tyler Warren is starting to find his fit at Indianapolis Colts training camp
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyler Warren still appreciates the blue-and-white team colors. Everything else has changed — his number, the shade of blue he wears, even his new decals-laden helmet. This is what happens when the best tight end in college football turns pro. Warren, Penn State's most versatile player in 2024, now finds himself on a steep, speedy and increasingly steady learning curve at training camp with the Indianapolis Colts. 'I think it's been kind of normal installing and learning the offense, just taking your time and trying to understand it,' he said after just a couple of workouts. 'It does take stuff (to do) on my own, right? We go through it in the meeting, but when I go back to the hotel room looking over it again, doing walk-throughs with somebody is, I think, is the most helpful.' Starting over isn't easy for anyone, though Warren seems uniquely suited to make a smoot transition. He played center and quarterback as a prep star in Virginia. He played fullback at Penn State before moving to tight end. Then last season the Nittany Lion coaches threw out the vanilla playbook and tailored it to Warren's unusual skill set. It seemed there was nothing he couldn't do. Warren set a single-season school record with 104 receptions, topped the 1,000-yard mark, emerged as a short-yardage rushing beast and became the first Big Ten tight end to rush for four scores in one season since 1956. He even threw a TD pass and returned a kickoff. The resume was so impressive, he earned the John Mackey Award and All-American honors, helped Penn State reach the CFP Playoffs all while improving his draft stock. Indy took him No. 14 overall in the draft and it hasn't taken long for Warren to showcase his skills in camp, including Thursday night when he made an off-balance, one-handed stab while falling down for a first down. The play drew a loud roar from the crowd and praise from coach Shane Steichen. 'It was an incredible catch,' Steichen said. 'But I did get some backlash because some of the guys thought it was a sack and it might have been. I'll take that back. It probably, definitely was, but I was watching the route. It was a heck of a catch, and you saw that on his college tape.' It's a major improvement from Warren's first few practices when he struggled to hold onto the passes thrown by Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, who are battling to be the Colts starting quarterback. Indy has plenty of depth with seven tight ends on the roster and five with NFL experience, but they've not had a reliable go-to player at the position since two-time Pro Bowler Jack Doyle retired following the 2021 season. Just how much do the Colts think of Warren? Because linebacker and four-time captain Zaire Franklin, last year's league tackling leader, wears Warren's college number, 44, they gave him No. 84, Doyle's old number, and started experimenting with the playbook — just like the Penn State staff. 'We're putting a lot on his plate, and sometimes you push them a little bit beyond their threshold,' offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. 'I think he's going to be a very versatile piece for us. We're going to try a bunch of different stuff with him, give him a bunch of shots at a bunch of different aspects playing offensive football.' Now, Warren is starting to figure out exactly where he fits in this offense. He's starting to make the explosive and wow plays Colts scouts envisioned after watching him in college. He's already lined up in the backfield, too, and it's unclear just what else might have happened behind closed doors. Warren isn't dropping any hints, either. Next up is his first big test: At Baltimore, not far from his aptly named hometown of Mechanicsville, Virginia, or the campus in State College, Pennsylvania, where he wore dark blue. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Colts and Ravens square off Tuesday in a joint practice and again two nights later in royal blue. Steichen said the coaching staff anticipates determining who plays and how much in the Indy's preseason opener by Monday, and Warren can't wait to start showing the NFL his true colors. 'The biggest difference between being a pro compared to college, I mean everybody's a pro, right? Everybody's really good and it's tough competition,' he said. 'But that's a blessing. Great competition is a gift. Being around really good players is only going to make me better.' ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
25-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hockey's caveman culture must come out of the dark ages
Opinion Everyone even remotely connected to hockey is no doubt straining under the weight of multiple feelings today. The acquittal of five elite hockey players on charges of sexual assault was not unexpected. Throughout the eight-week trial, legal commentators flagged issues that undermined the Crown's case. In the end, Justice Maria Carroccia reached the conclusion that the complainant in this case — known only as E.M. — was not reliable. Many opinion writers have expressed concern about how this case demonstrates all that is wrong with the way the legal system views allegations of sexual assault. Those concerns are completely justified. We need to reframe and modernize the way that system adjudges complaints of this kind, particularly the legal system's definition of 'consent,' a core element in the verdict. Beyond the verdict, however, this case continues to highlight concern about the culture of elite sports in general and hockey in particular. A culture that made it OK for five young, privileged men to share a single woman for sexual gratification. My concern isn't some sort of puritanical repudiation of sexual kink; the spectrum of healthy sexual activity is, as it should be, very broad. My specific concern is that the athletes involved believed it was within the spectrum of healthy to take turns having sex with E.M. in each other's presence. That, in and of itself, raises a range of other issues, some that delve deep into the heart of hockey culture. Although Hockey Canada and its member organizations are trying to promote a healthier attitude towards diversity and inclusion, and definitions of healthy sexual relationships, their efforts seem to be insufficient. For example, since 2016, the Ontario Hockey League, one of Canada's top junior hockey loops, has delivered an educational program on gender-based violence and sexual consent that is supposed to be mandatory for players on all 20 OHL teams. Unfortunately, the sexual assault centres that helped build the program say some teams refuse to participate. The league claims it has no knowledge of teams refusing to participate. The league's 'hear no evil, see no evil' attitude is one of the reasons why it seems that the caveman culture of hockey has been allowed to perpetuate. Last year, Hockey Canada reported that penalties assessed under Rule 11.4 — which penalizes players for taunts or insults based on race, ethnicity, skin colour, language, religion, age, sexual orientation/gender identity or genetic characteristics — were skyrocketing. Since it was introduced to the rule book in 2021-22, the number of Rule 11.4 infractions has gone up by 150 per cent. Even if this is partly due to an initial reluctance by referees to assess these penalties, it's a sign that hockey continues to feature a toxic undercurrent of abuse and discrimination. It seems more and more that even when a few responsible adults try to do something to address these concerns, some other adult comes along and undermines the positive efforts. In 2023-24, the NHL had trouble figuring out how to deal with a handful of players who refused to participate in annual Pride celebration games. In response, some teams, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs ,made their own efforts to educate players about the importance of tolerance and inclusion. In April 2023, the Leafs invited former U.S. Olympic hockey player Meghan Duggan to talk about how gay players were treated by the sport and by society in general. Duggan is gay and a well-known advocate for LGBTTQ+ athletes. Duggan's presentation, which the Leafs posted on social media, involved her asking the players to raise their hands in response to a series of questions that started from the very general to the very personal. 'Raise your hand if you've ever had to stand in front of someone and justify your right to be married.' Duggan was the only person to raise her hand. 'Raise your hand if you've ever had to fight to be recognized as the parent of your own children.' Again, Duggan stood alone with her hand up. Duggan's heartbreaking testimonial should have had a profound impact on the Leafs and, quite frankly, on all professional hockey teams. Unfortunately, it did not. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Shortly after Duggan spoke to the team, the Leafs and other NHL teams decided to no longer wear Pride-themed warm-up jerseys in deference to a handful of players who refused on religious grounds. They did allow players to use Pride-coloured tape on their sticks. Then, in June, the NHL outright banned Pride jerseys, arguing the controversy over players refusing to wear them was overshadowing the fact that all 32 teams were still hosting Pride celebration nights. In October of the same year, the league banned Pride-coloured stick tape. The inability of all levels of hockey to make unambiguous statements about racism, homophobia and sexual misconduct, and to punish those who refuse to get on board, is one of the main reasons we will never escape events like the trial of those five players. It's hard to know how to respond to our collective failure, but one step forward would be to stop letting the cowards make all the decisions. Dan LettColumnist Dan Lett is a columnist for the Free Press, providing opinion and commentary on politics in Winnipeg and beyond. Born and raised in Toronto, Dan joined the Free Press in 1986. Read more about Dan. Dan's columns are built on facts and reactions, but offer his personal views through arguments and analysis. The Free Press' editing team reviews Dan's columns before they are posted online or published in print — part of the our tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
25-07-2025
- CTV News
Advocates worry about message to survivors following Hockey Canada sex assault trial
A sexual assault expert in Waterloo Region is calling for more education following the Hockey Canada court verdict. CTV's Heather Senoran explains why. A sexual assault expert in Waterloo Region is calling for more education following the Hockey Canada court verdict. CTV's Heather Senoran explains why. Advocates in Waterloo Region are raising concerns following the conclusion of a high-profile sexual assault case. On Thursday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia acquitted all five former Hockey Canada players involved in a sexual assault trial. Sara Casselman, executive director at the Sexual Assault Centre Waterloo Region (SASCWR), said the verdict only tells part of the story. 'I do think with the not guilty verdicts, we have to be very careful,' she said. 'That does not mean that someone is not guilty of causing harm. And in this case, harm definitely happened.' SASCWR has been closely following the trial, and even has a wall of support for the woman at the centre of the case, who is only known as E.M. due to a publication order. E.M. claimed she had been sexually assaulted by the players in a London, Ont. hotel. The wall at SASCWR has 'We believe E.M.' written across the top in chalk with other messages of support underneath. E.M. chalk board wall Sexual Assault Centre Waterloo Region (SASCWR) A chalk board at the Sexual Assault Centre Waterloo Region (SASCWR) showed messages of support for E.M. on July 24, 2025. (Heather Senoran/CTV News) 'We, as survivor advocates, are taking this whole thing as a call to action because she stepped up, and so are we,' Casselman said. Casselman told CTV News she is worried about how the outcome of the case could influence sexual assault survivors because many victims are too scared to come forward with their claims. 'With a 6 per cent reporting rate, and then about one in ten of those causes actually having a conviction, we know that the justice system doesn't often serve survivors well,' she said. A key component of the case revolved around consent. E.M. said she was intoxicated during the events that transpired at the hotel. However, defence lawyers submitted video that they argued showed she wasn't showing signs of extreme intoxication. 'I think way more consent education is needed. Folks should learn very young if someone is inebriated, they can't consent to sexual activity,' Casselman said. Casselman said she's heard about similar cases over the two decades she has been supporting survivors. She believes 'playful locker room banter' can turn into a toxic environment. 'We've seen that there is definitely a link between that toxic sport culture and sexual violence,' she said. Last week, the Kitchener Rangers pledged $50,000 to help the SASCWR offer free training to young hockey players in the community, with a focus around healthy relationships and consent. SASCWR also provides Ontario Hockey League-mandated OHL ONSIDE training to Rangers players and staff and has recently been asked by the league to take on an expanded role and facilitate the training for all of its 20 teams. 'Coaches, administrators and players who want to be allies and leaders in this work need to set a new bar in terms of expectations about how they treat women, about how they obtained consent, and about what it means to be a man,' Casselman said. Casselman wants survivors to know there is still value in coming forward. She often hears survivors do it because they don't want it to happen to someone else. If needed, the SASCWR has a legal team that can help survivors through the entire process as it can be tough to navigate a sexual assault case in the legal system. If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis: If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911. A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found on the website for the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres. Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here. National Residential School Crisis Line: +1 866 925 4419 24-hour crisis line: 416 597 8808 Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 833 900 1010 Trans Lifeline: +1 877 330 6366 Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: +1 844 750 1648 Read about your rights as a victim here.
