Thunderbirds and Beavers
It is a classic Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League rivalry that dates back to the year 2000. And there never seems to be any lack of a story line when it comes to the big market Soo Thunderbirds and their much smaller market rival Blind River Beavers.
Some of it is due to the fact that small town Blind River is a mere 90 miles down Highway 17 from Sault Ste. Marie. Then there is the fact that, over the years, the Beavers have managed to recruit a number of players and coaches with an association to the Thunderbirds, Sault Ste. Marie or both.
One of the first major occurrences was back in 2004 when well known head coach Jim Capy parted ways with his hometown Soo Thunderbirds after taking them to the NOJHL championship series in four successive seasons.
For whatever reason, the Thunderbird owners of that time — the duo of Pat Egan and Al Jones — didn’t want Capy back. But Capy would not be without a coaching gig for long.
Beavers general manager Don Lees was quick to make a splash and hired Capy as the new head coach in Blind River not long after the Thunderbirds showed him the door. And an ultra fierce rivalry between the Thunderbirds and Beavers was born.
I remember it well. It was a good story. It even included a press conference or two. And an always yappy Capy, who made for good copy — and loved the attention — was the main attraction, along with his replacement as Thunderbirds head coach, the equally talkative Zoltan (Toots) Kovacs.
The winners in all of it were the fans in both Blind River and Sault Ste. Marie. Every single time the two teams met during that ’04-05 season — playoffs included — there were big crowds at both the Community Centre in Blind River and John Rhodes Community Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. I don’t think I missed a single game between the two teams that season.
All these years later, the rivalry is still going strong. Former Thunderbirds assistant coach Kyle Brick has been the head coach and general manager in Blind River since 2016 and has become the most successful bench boss in the Beavers NOJHL franchise history.
And the second leading scorer for Blind River thus far this ’25-26 season is none other than 2006 birth year forward Camden Cowan, who had three goals, three assists, six points during the Beavers first nine games. A Sault Ste. Marie product, Cowan managed just five goals, 14 assists, 19 points in 42 games for the Thunderbirds in ’24-25 and requested a trade to Blind River following the season.
Adding fuel to the rivalry is the presence of quarrelsome Thunderbirds head coach and general manager Jamie Henderson. Not to say that Henderson and the aforementioned Kyle Brick are sworn enemies but it is doubtful that they would be seen sitting at the same table pounding back a few cold beers and clinking their glasses.
To be sure, both Brick and Henderson are seen as good coaches and good recruiters. Just don’t mistake them as good friends. Just call it part of the Beavers-Thunderbirds NOJHL rivalry.
Randy, you must have Toots and I confused! Just to shy coaches defending their teams! Really no back story there, I wasn’t their guy I was Sam’s! It was their prerogative to have their guy and everyone was good with it!
lol.
I would call what Jim and I had back then was passion. Passion for our players, passion for our organizations and passion for our communities. It was certainly a memory Jim and I will never forget. The biggest and best thing that came out of those years was the privilege to coach those kids. Absolutely love seeing them around town now that they are adults and have families of their own.
Passion, with colourful language. Good old days.
No love lose between me and Patty during my 3 years in Blind. You missed the best one of all. Thats the night 4 OPP officers escorted me off the bench through the t-birds bench. That was after 3 or 4 consecutive individual or multi player fights after each stoppage of play. Looking back Pat and I both got two games each for our performance . Fun times.