PAT
BATEMAN
Northern Michigan
Sr. | F | Calgary, Alberta
Bateman brings a physical dimension along with his
scoring ability.
Key Statistics: Five
was alive for Bateman last season, as he finished fifth
among Wildcats in goals (10), assists (19) and points
(29). He easily led the team in penalty minutes, amassing
87 on 30 infractions. For his career, he has 72 points
in 110 games.
What He Does: Bateman describes his
style as “old-time Canadian,” which doesn’t
always mesh well with the light-contact leanings of
college hockey. He’ll get his elbows up in the
corners, scrap for position in front of the net and,
generally, level anyone with whom he comes in contact.
Thus, all the time he spends in penalty boxes from Marquette
to Oxford to Fairbanks. At 6-feet-1 and 200 pounds,
Bateman often has his way in one-on-one battles.
The Bigger Picture: Northern Michigan
slogged through the brutal first half of its schedule
last season and, despite 11 NHL draft picks on its roster,
never fully recovered. Bateman says inconsistency was
the problem, and he also cites a need for better team
cohesion. As the newly named team captain, he’ll
play a major role in shaping the Wildcats’ intangibles
this year. Aside from that, Bateman, for all of his
aggressiveness, is a capable offensive player on the
ice. He played on a line with big scorers Mike Santorelli
and Darin Olver last season, and that forward trio will
be critical for an NMU squad that must replace several
top defensemen.
Bateman, who skates with a maniacal
look on his face, on his status as a fan favorite at
the Berry Events Center: “I guess I look
mean out there, but I’m just having fun. It’s
my game face. I’m all business on the ice. One
fan made me a T-shirt last year that said ‘Pat
Bateman will eat your babies’ and it had a picture
of me, a fork and a baby on it. That was pretty funny.
(Nathan Oystrick) wore it to the bar one night.”
