What a Hall of Fame night!

It was a jam packed gathering that featured numerous “salt of the earth” hockey people and members of their respective families. The newly formed Hockey North Hall of Fame recently held its inaugural induction ceremony in the Steamfitters Lounge of the Machine Shop venue in Sault Ste. Marie’s west end.

The Hockey North Hall of Fame was established to recognize individuals with a link to the north who have made an impact on the game dating back to 1975. Notably, BrokerLink Insurance and Sal-Dan Development are the major sponsors of the Hockey North Hall of Fame.

A group of 25 individuals in the Builder-Coach-Player category and six in the Media bracket were among the first ever inductees.

Among the inductees present at the casual, carefree ceremony was legendary junior hockey owner, general manager, commissioner and Hockey Canada executive Joe Drago, who still resides in his hometown of Sudbury as an 88 year old gentleman who is still sharp as a tack.

Drago noted that “these are my kind people who are part of this special group of unassuming individuals … salt of the earth people who have put in decades in support of hockey in the north. Without them, there might not be hockey in the north. Personally, I am blessed and honoured to be recognized by my peers. The north is where I was born, raised and still live.”

Following is an alphabetical list of the initial inductees.

Builder-Coach-Player category:

Terry Barbeau. Now in his 70’s, Barbeau continues to tutor and mentor young goalies in Sault Ste. Marie. Over endless time spent in the rinks, Barbeau has been a goalie coach for minor hockey teams on both sides of the St. Mary’s River as well as for the Soo Greyhounds and Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League and the Lake Superior State University Lakers of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Sam Biasucci. The modern version of the Soo Thunderbirds first hit the ice as initiate members of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League back in 1999. And it was Biasucci who headed a group of fellow local investors as the Thunderbirds were among the first tenants at John Rhodes Community Centre. Biasucci insisted that the Thunderbirds be made up of an entire roster of local products for that debut season of 1999-2000. He later owned the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL and over the years, has been a generous sponsor to minor hockey teams in the Sault.

Bruno Bragagnolo. Since the current regime of the Soo Eagles of the NOJHL led by Bragagnolo as the president and general manager took operational ownership back in 2010, the model junior hockey program has sent more than 140 players to the United States college ranks. Playing out of Pullar Stadium in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the Eagles are annually one of the NOJHL’s attendance leaders.

Kyle Brick. Quite simply, the 40 year old Brick is the winningest head coach in the history of the NOJHL’s Blind River Beavers. Since Brick arrived in Blind River in 2016, the Beavers have only had one losing season under his watch while earning a reputation as a model, small market Canadian Jr. Hockey League franchise.

Mark Burgess. For more than 30 years — until selling in 2016 — Burgess and his family owned the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. And since the sale of the OHL Wolves, Mark has stayed in the junior game as the owner of the Rayside Balfour Canadians and now, the Sudbury Cubs of the NOJHL. He is also a long time major financial supporter of minor hockey in Sudbury.

Kevin Cain. All Cain has done as a general manager and head coach in the NOJHL is win championships, beginning in his only season with the erstwhile Soo Indians in ’06-07. Following that, Cain spent six years as the GM with the Soo Thunderbirds and led them to three NOJHL championships and two Central Canada crowns.

Jim Capy. Prior to his retirement in 2021, Capy coached in the NOJHL for 15 years at the helm of the Soo Thunderbirds, Blind River Beavers, Soo Indians and Soo Eagles, while developing countless players for the college hockey ranks. He also has championships from his time as a head coach at the AAA Under 18 level and as a high school hockey bench boss in Sault Ste. Marie.

Terry Chitaroni. Originally from the Temiskaming Shores area of northeastern Ontario, Chitaroni is a former OHL standout forward — and ultimate fan favourite — with the Sudbury Wolves. Chitaroni played for the Wolves — and captained them — from 1988 to 1992. He later coached at the AAA minor hockey level in Sault Ste. Marie and helped to develop all three of his sons — Mason, Hudson and Brock — to become OHL draft picks.

Joe Drago. Now in his late 80’s, the legendary Drago has spent a lifetime in the game, the majority of which has been in his hometown of Sudbury. He was the original general manager and then part owner of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, commissioner of the NOJHL, and chairman of the board of directors for Hockey Canada. There are not enough words to properly pay homage to what Drago has meant to hockey in northern Ontario for parts of six decades.

Chris Felix. Felix, who has called Sault Ste. Marie home for many years, remains the highest scoring defenseman in the OHL franchise history of the Soo Greyhounds. He also holds the Greyhounds single season record for most points by a defenseman. It was during the ’84-85 OHL season when Felix tallied 129 points in 79 games, playoffs included.

Paul Gagne. Hailing from Iroquois Falls, Gagne holds the distinction of being a first round pick to both the OHL (by the Windsor Spitfires in 1978) and the National Hockey League (by the Colorado Rockies, now the New Jersey Devils, in 1980.) Gagne went on to play in close to 400 games in the NHL followed by a lengthy European playing career. He then returned home to Iroquois Falls and coached in the NOJHL from 2000 to 2017, first with the Abitibi Eskimos, then with the Timmins Rock. Sadly, Gagne passed away in December of 2025.

Ted Gooch. One of the principals in attracting the NOJHL to Timmins in 2015, Gooch has worked hard to make the Rock a success both on and off the ice. Besides an NOJHL championship under his watch, the Rock has annually been atop the NOJHL attendance chart thanks in a big way to the leadership of Gooch and his business and marketing associates.  

Wayne Groulx. Groulx, who played four fabulous OHL seasons for the Soo Greyhounds from 1981 to 1985, put up mind boggling numbers as a 5 foot 9 center. Regular season and playoffs included, Groulx scored 232 goals, 347 assists, 579 points in 328 games as a Greyhound. His 579 points are the third most of any player who has ever skated in the OHL.

Mike Hall. Whether it was as the head coach of the AAA Under 18 level Soo North Stars back in the day or more recently with the Sault College Cougars men’s hockey team, Hall has been part of countless league championships. While with the North Stars, he developed numerous players for both the OHL and college hockey ranks.

David Harrison. Just call this venerable, time honoured gentleman the ultimate stats man. A long time resident of small town Espanola, Harrison has been the volunteer statistician for decades with the OHL Sudbury Wolves while lending his amazing work ethic to the NOJHL.

Zoltan ‘Toots’ Kovacs. With an association to junior hockey that dates back to 1975, Kovacs has been a player and an assistant coach with his hometown Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. He has also been a head coach and assistant coach with the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL and has maintained a staff position with the Sault College Cougars men’s team.

Ken MacKenzie. MacKenzie began his association with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves in 1988 and over the years — until just recently — he served in various roles including head coach and assistant general manager. He is also a former NOJHL championship coach with the old Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats.

Jimmy Mancuso. They call him the super scout of the north. And from his Sault Ste. Marie home, Mancuso has been responsible for a number of players being drafted by the Sarnia Sting and Guelph Storm of the OHL since 2003.

Scott Marshall. He is the man who as the team president was the driving force behind the mostly competitive and well run Abitibi Eskimos — who were based in Iroquois Falls — and their NOJHL run that went from 1999 to 2015 before relocating to Timmins and becoming the Rock.

Rob Mazzuca. These days, Mazzuca is well known as the long serving commissioner of the NOJHL. With deep northern Ontario roots, Mazzuca has been the league’s commander in chief since 2011. And during his playing days, Mazzuca was no slouch as a standout defenseman who was a first round pick (11th overall) for his home town Sudbury Wolves at the 1979 OHL priority selections draft. He ended his OHL playing career with the Soo Greyhounds.

Frank Porco. Never one to seek the spotlight, the under the radar Porco has been one of the most effective minor hockey coaches in Sault Ste. Marie over many years, be it at the house league, AA or AAA levels.

Tony Porco. Another long-time minor hockey coach volunteer in Sault Ste. Marie, Porco — who is an uncle to the aforementioned Frank Porco — has also been a major financial sponsor to youth hockey through his business holdings. And just a few years back, he constructed and financed a covered, outdoor, artificial ice hockey rink in the Canal District of Sault Ste. Marie. 

Jason Rapcewicz. Ań unassuming individual, Rapcewicz has maintained a vital role in keeping the NOJHL in small market Espanola since 2015 when the franchise was in danger of folding. Rapcewicz has ascended from assistant coach, head coach, part owner and then solo owner of the Espanola Express, which he re-named the Espanola Paper Kings in 2022.

Brianne Shunock. The youngest inductee into the Hockey North Hall of Fame, the 30-something Shunock was the wildly successful head coach of the Sault College Cougars women’s hockey team. In compiling an amazing coaching record of 78-8-3 at the helm of the Lady Cougars, Shunock led Sault College to three straight national championships, including the ’24-25 season.

Blaine Smith. From executive director of the Sudbury Minor Hockey Association to more than 30 years in various management roles with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, to a subsequent role with the Sudbury Cubs of the NOJHL to positions in scouting and player promotion, Smith’s legacy in the game is safe, secure and respected.

Media bracket:

Chris Dawson. Over many years, Dawson has assisted numerous hockey players in the north through his work with video highlights and production. He joined BayToday.ca back in 2004 and is its primary sports writer, covering the North Bay Battalion of the OHL and the Powassan Voodoos of the NOJHL.

Thomas Perry. A veteran journalist of more than 45 years, Perry has been a mainstay writer, editor and photographer at the Timmins Daily Press for more than 25 years. He specializes in covering the Timmins Rock of the NOJHL as both a writer and photographer.

Randy Pascal. The long time feature writer and driving force behind SudburySports.com — he established it back in 2003 — Pascal is also a columnist for the Sudbury Star. And he shines as the epitome of a minor hockey volunteer as a time keeper and statistician.

Randy Russon. Having marked his 50th year in the Sault Ste. Marie media in 2025, Russon began as a part time sports caster for CKCY Radio in 1975. He moved on to Sault This Week in 1982 and has been its primary sports writer ever since. He is also the main writer for the Hockey News North and Hockey News Windsor websites and is the author of two hockey related books.

Tony Ryma. In a broadcast career of 40 years, Ryma has worked for CTV North outlets in both Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury. Having been stationed in Sudbury for many years as a news anchor, Ryma has also managed to keep the north updated on Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, North Bay and Timmins teams at the major junior, junior A and minor hockey levels.

Lou Turco. Now 80 years of age and still in the radio game as the host of his own Saturday morning show, Turco has been in the broadcast business since he was a teenager. Turco continues to be a big promoter for the Sault hockey community through his Saturday morning radio show.

ALL PHOTOS BY BOB DAVIES