Life in the lock down
And so they wait, with any resumption of a season solely in the hands of public health units and the Ontario government.
As with the rest of the province as it relates to the amateur level of the game, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is in a shut down state as per the government lock down.
Players on the nine NOJHL teams that were set to resume play this month before the lock down order was issued have remained together in their respective communities, hopeful and prayerful of a return to play at some point this season.
From his end, NOJHL commissioner Robert Mazzuca is also playing the waiting game with various plans in place relative to any potential return to play.
One of the possibilities, should the NOJHL be allowed to resume play, would be extending the regular season and playoff schedule into May, pending the co-operation of the various community arenas.
At any rate, following are a few “first half” notes relative to the five West Division teams that have seen action. Team records are in brackets.
BLIND RIVER (5-3-0, 10 points.) In his fifth season as the successful hockey boss in small market Blind River, Beavers coach and general manager Kyle Brick has once again put together a winning team.
And rookie goalie Gavin Disano has been just one of several standouts for the Beavers thus far into the 2020-2021 campaign.
A Sault Ste. Marie product with a 2003 birth date, Disano has a 3-0-0 record to go with a .908 save percentage and 3.56 goals against average for Blind River.
Then there is the one-two points pair of forwards Noah Minns and Jacob Kelly, a retread who has prior experience in the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League.
Minns is atop the scoring chart with five goals, 14 assists, 19 points and Kelly is right behind with 8-9-17 totals.
Also on the impressive list in Blind River is 2004 birth year rookie forward Devin Mauro.
Hailing from Sault Ste. Marie and a 2020 Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft pick of the Sudbury Wolves, Mauro has three goals, eight assists, 11 points in eight games for Blind River.
ESPANOLA (4-4-2, 10 points.) The youngest team in the NOJHL, the Express does not have a single 2000 birth year player on its roster.
And Espanola’s top three point producers are all 2003 birth year forwards from the Sudbury area — and all are OHL priority selection draft picks from 2019.
The talented troika is made up of Cameron Walker, Bradley Brunet and Devon Savignac. Walker is the scoring leader with seven goals, five assists, 12 points while Brunet is right there with 5-7-12 numbers and Savignac just behind with 6-5-11 totals.
Walker is the OHL property of the Kingston Frontenacs, Brunet belongs to the Niagara Ice Dogs and Savignac is a prospect of the North Bay Battalion.
Meanwhile, rather impressively, no less than 18 Espanola players have picked up at least one point this season.
SOO THUNDERBIRDS (4-3-1, nine points.) The Soo took three of four closely-contested matches from Espanola before the lock down to move over the .500 mark.
A superb story for the Thunderbirds through eight games of the regular season has been the play of 2004 birth year defenseman Connor Toms, who was a third round pick of the Soo Greyhounds at the 2020 OHL priority selection draft.
From his blue line post and as the youngest player on the Thunderbirds, Toms is the Soo’s scoring leader with two goals, seven assists, nine points.
Also among the Thunderbirds top points producers are Cooper Smyl with 4-4-8 totals, Caleb Wood with 3-5-8 numbers, Michael Chaffay at 4-2-6, Avery Rebek at 4-2-6 and 2004 birth year rookie Tyson Doucette with 3-3-6 stats.
Of note, Doucette has already surpassed his goal total of last season when he tallied just twice in 24 games for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League.
Meantime, Toms isn’t the only defenseman who has been putting up the points for the T-Birds.
Jacob Doucette (who is Tyson’s older brother) and Cameron Dutkiewicz have identical numbers from their defense position, both with two goals, three assists, five points.
Between the pipes, Alex Bugeja has proven to be a nice off season pickup by Thunderbirds general manager Trev Zachary from the Fort Frances Lakers of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
Bugeja, who has a 2001 birth date, has a 3-1-1 record for the Soo to go with a 2.42 goals against average and an eye-catching .938 save percentage.
RAYSIDE BALFOUR (3-6-1, seven points.) After starting the season with a 1-4-1 record in six crossover games with the Timmins Rock of the East Division, the Canadians split four decisions with Blind River.
Nick DeGrazia, with seven goals, eight assists, 15 points, and Owen Perala, with 7-4-11 totals, have been lighting it up for Rayside Balfour through 10 games of the regular season.
DeGrazia, who has a December, 2002 birth date, has been tabbed as a prospect for the 2021 National Hockey League draft. Which not only speaks volumes about DeGrazia but the NOJHL as a league and Rayside Balfour as a program.
What is interesting is that, in some corners, the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL are trying to take credit for DeGrazia’s ranking with NHL Central Scouting. But the fact of the matter is that DeGrazia has played in only four OHL career games with the Wolves.
Meanwhile, also contributing in a big way for the Canadians thus far this season has been another veteran forward in Brady Maltais, who has three goals, eight assists, 11 points.
And the Canadians have a tidy one-two tandem between the pipes in proven veteran David Bowen and rookie Jake Marois.
FRENCH RIVER (3-3-0, six points.) The Rapids have played the fewest games of any squad in the West Division.
French River boasts five players who are averaging more than a point per game through the Rapids six outings.
Levi Siau is leading the French River points post with four goals, nine assists, 13 points.
Following Siau are fellow forwards Ryan Smith with 3-6-9 totals, Ty Chambers at 3-5-8, Jack Tos with 2-6-8 numbers and Griffin Simpson with 3-4-7 stats.
