Rock on to the NOJHL finals
There is no bigger fan of the Timmins Rock than its supportive team president Ted Gooch. And Gooch relayed more than 200 words of praise to Hockey News North about his Timmins team that is headed to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League finals against the two time reigning champion Sudbury Cubs following a second round playoff series sweep of the arch-rival Hearst Lumberjacks.
“Our team played an absolutely amazing series,” Gooch began. “We were backed by steady goaltending, great defensive depth, and a group of hardworking forwards who scored big goals in big moments. It really felt like everything was clicking at the right time, and that’s what you need in the playoffs.
“From top to bottom, every player contributed,” Gooch continued. “Our structure was strong, our compete level was high, and the guys stayed committed to the game plan. When you combine that with strong goaltending and timely scoring, it gives you a great chance to succeed in a series like this.”
Gooch could not say enough about the community enthusiasm that envelops the Rock.
“The fan support has been absolutely incredible throughout these last two playoff rounds,” Gooch noted. “The energy in the building and the support from the entire City of Timmins has made a huge difference for our players. Having a whole community behind this team is essential, and we hope that support continues as we head into the championship series against Sudbury.”
And there were special words from Gooch for Rock head coach and general manager Brandon Perry who, it says here, is without peer in his role.
“Brandon Perry deserves a tremendous amount of credit. He has put in countless hours of preparation and dedication to get this team to where it needs to be. The long hours at the rink, the attention to detail, and the commitment to the players every single day has played a huge role in this team’s success, and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed,” Gooch gushed in well deserved praise of his head hockey honcho.
Two rounds of triumph. The Rock, which finished fourth during the ’25-26 regular season with a record of 34-14-4, ousted the fifth seed Soo Thunderbirds in a seven game thriller to open the playoffs. Then came the unexpected sweep by Timmins over no. 3 seed Hearst in the second round.
Top performers. Through two playoff rounds and 11 games and a record of 8-3, Maxx Hamelin leads the Timmins scorers with eight goals, 16 assists, 24 points. Then it is Kaeden McArthur with 11 goals, 10 assists, 21 points, defenseman Braedyn Cyr with 4-7-11 totals, homegrown rookie Evan Katic with 3-8-11 numbers and Thomas Beard and Nolan Masson both with 4-6-10 stats. Between the pipes, Freddie Cousineau fashioned a record of 8-3 with a 2.26 goals against average and .926 save percentage.
The coaching depth on the Rock is unreal. Brandon & Marc deserve a lot of praise as well as the rest of the management.