Birds flapping their wings
They are the young Birds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
To be sure, of the 22 players — 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies — that dot the roster of the Soo Thunderbirds, no less than 17 of them will still have junior hockey eligibility remaining after this season.
And it is the skill and compete level of the youthful Thunderbirds that has head coach Denny Lambert full of a happy chirp with his team now in the second cohort of the 2020-2021 NOJHL season with four games this week against the Espanola Express.
The Thunderbirds came away from their first cohort setup of the season with a record of 1-2-1 in four games against the Blind River Beavers. And despite just the three points from a win and a shootout loss to show for their efforts, Lambert liked what he saw from the Thunderbirds.
“We probably deserved better from the four games against Blind River as the bounces didn’t seem to go our way but I really like the makeup of our team as we move forward into this season,” Lambert began.
“We have a lot of skill and heart on our team and the compete level in games and in practices has been really good,” Lambert pointed out.
Through the four games against Blind River, second-year forward Cooper Smyl, who has a 2002 birth date, produced a team best two goals, three assists, five points and Lambert is all about talking up the graduate of the local minor hockey ranks.
“Cooper is a kid who is going places,” Lambert said of the strongly built, 6-foot-2, 175 pound Smyl. “He is a really smart player and a good skater with strength and skill.
“If he continues to excel and pursue higher levels of hockey, there is no doubt in my mind that he will move up the ladder,” Lambert said in further praise of Smyl. “This kid can flat out play.”
Among the many other Thunderbirds who stood out through the four game series against Blind River is rookie forward Michael Chaffay.
Chaffay, a local kid who has a 2002 birth date, put in three full seasons skating for the Soo entry in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League. And as he gained a reputation for a scoring touch in the Great North, Chaffay potted a team leading three goals in the four games against Blind River.
“He is a natural goal scorer and you can’t teach something like that,” Lambert said of Chaffay. “He knows where to be on the ice and he creates scoring opportunities. He is going to be a really good player in our league.”
There are other rookies who Lambert likes what he has seen from thus far, including three more local lads — 2002 birth year forward Ty Zachary and a pair of 2004 birth year youngsters in forward Tyson Doucette and defenseman Connor Toms.
“Zachary and Doucette have been nice surprises for us as first year players and as you know, the sky is the limit for Connor Toms,” said Lambert.
A plum prospect, Toms was a third round pick, 44th overall, by the Soo Greyhounds at the 2020 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
Meanwhile, with the Thunderbirds taking on Espanola for four games in the span of six days this week, Lambert is all positive when talking about the new norm of play within the NOJHL.
The 50-year old Lambert said even with the NOJHL currently playing in a modified form — which includes no deliberate hitting among players relative to COVID-19 and public health rules — he is liking the look and feel of the league and the way the game is being played.
“Yes, it is definitely an adjustment for us as coaches and for the players for sure,” Lambert said evenly. “But I have been pleasantly surprised how it is gone through the exhibition season and through the games that we have played so far in the regular season.
“The skill level of the players is certainly being showcased. And I want to commend the officials for doing a good job for calling the game the way they have been … it is a new experience for them as well.”
“The NOJHL is a really good league and we are looking forward to playing out of our cohort and not just against Blind River. Our games against Blind River have been like playoff competition, having played the Beavers six straight times including exhibitions … and that was great.
And as a league, Lambert said is impressed with the NOJHL, having watched many games over the years before his current role as the first-year coach of the Thunderbirds.
“Now, we have this series of games (against Espanola) and hopefully the other teams as the season goes on. Meanwhile, we are happy to be playing … it has been great so far,” added Lambert.
Speaking of Espanola, the Express is a young, up and coming team that played its first six games of the regular season against the French River Rapids and came away with eight points from a record of 3-1-2.
