Ready, set, go in the N.O.

Several story lines to retain for reference as the ’25-26 regular season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League moves forward:

CUBS SEEK THREE PEAT: Two time reigning champion Sudbury Cubs will be looking to make it three NOJHL titles in a row this season.

Sudbury is an exceptional mix of old and young under seasoned head coach Darryl Moxam.

Back for his final season of junior eligibility is 2005 birth year defenseman Spencer Horgan while new to the Cubs is 2009 birth year forward Ty Dubreuil.

One of the highest scoring defenseman in NOJHL history, Horgan had skated in 152 games, regular season and playoffs included, prior to the start of the ’25-26 campaign. In all, the high scoring defender amassed 63 goals, 132 assists, 195 points in the 152 outings while outing up for first Espanola, then Sudbury.

As for Dubreuil, he is with the Cubs as one of the youngest players in the NOJHL after being a 14th round pick by the Windsor Spitfires from the AAA Under 16 North Bay Trappers at this year’s 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.

Dubreuil managed to catch the eyes of the OHL Spitfires in spite of a misguided coach leaving him off of the Team NOHA squad that competed at the 2025 OHL Cup tournament. Which only served to make the Team NOHA coach look rather foolish after Windsor saw enough in Dubreuil to draft him.

Now, Dubreuil gets to play at the junior A level for his hometown Cubs — and for a good coach like the aforementioned Darryl Moxam — with a development path that could one day lead the skilled youngster to playing in the OHL with the Spitfires. Windsor, to be sure, is regarded as one of the better run franchises in the entire OHL from ownership to general manager Billy Bowler on down.

SAULT TO BLIND RIVER: It will be quite the Sault Ste. Marie presence in Blind River this season with four players having headed down the highway to the Mill Town.

It starts with a trio of graduates from the AAA Soo Jr. Greyhounds program who are with the NOJHL Beavers. All three are forwards. They are Wyatt Jarratt, who has a 2009 birth date, Danny MacDonald, who was born in 2008, and Caleb Walker, who has a 2007 birth date. 

The 6 foot 1, 175 pound Jarratt played for the Under 16 level Jr. Greyhounds in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in ’24-25 and totalled 19 goals, 24 assists, 43 points in 39 games, regular season and playoffs included.

As for MacDonald and Walker, they both skated in the Great North for the Under 18 level Jr. Greyhounds in ’24-25.

The 5 foot 10, 155 pound MacDonald produced 13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points in 33 games for the U18 Jr. Greyhounds. He then played in three games in the NOJHL for Blind River as an affiliate and had a goal and an assist.

As for the 6 foot 1, 170 pound Walker, he clicked for 25 goals, 21 assists, 46 points in 37 games, regular season and playoffs included, for the U18 Jr. Greyhounds in ’24-25. He also was impressive in 12 NOJHL games with Blind River as an AP — five in the regular season and seven in the playoffs — and had three goals, four assists, seven points.

Meanwhile, Camden Cowan during the off season became the latest high end hockey player from Sault Ste. Marie to pack his equipment and head 90 miles east along Highway 17 to Blind River for the ’25-26 season.

The 5 foot 8, 160 pound Cowan was acquired by Blind River from the rival Soo Thunderbirds in an off season transaction.

Regular season and playoffs included for the Thunderbirds in ’24-25, Cowan skated in 48 games and produced five goals, 15 assists, 20 points. It was the first season of junior hockey for Cowan, a Sault Ste. Marie product who has a 2006 birth date. 

CROSS BORDER EAGLES: A foursome of skaters from the Ontario side of the International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie are playing for the Michigan-based Soo Eagles this season.

They are returnees Liam Watson and Coulson Bell and rookies Carter Huckson and Colton Huckson.

Watson, a 2008 birth year defenseman and 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft pick of the North Bay Battalion, won’t likely be available to the Eagles until mid season as he continues to recover from surgery. The small size defender was impressive for the Eagles as an NOJHL rookie in ’24-25 with two goals, 18 assists, 20 points in 33 games from his blue line post.

Bell, a 5 foot 11, 165 pound forward with a 2007 birth date, appeared in 41 regular season games for the Eagles as an NOJHL rookie in ’24-25 and produced five goals, eight assists, 13 points. He then scored a goal in three playoff outings.

Meanwhile, Carter Huckson is with the Eagles as a rookie forward after playing for the AAA Under 18 Soo Indians in ’24-25. The 5 foot 10, 160 pound Huckson, who was born in 2007, netted 13 goals, 24 assists, 37 points in 59 games for the Indians in ’24-25. He also skated in three NOJHL games for the Eagles as an affiliate player.

And Colton Huckson — who is Carter’s younger brother — has moved up to the Eagles and the NOJHL as a 6 foot 2, 170 pound defenseman with a late December, 2008 birth date. He also played for the AAA U18 Soo Indians in ’24-25 and had five goals, 22 assists, 27 points in 59 games.

As for the Eagles coaching staff, it is flush with members from the Ontario side of the International Bridge led by head coach Jeremy Rebek, assistant coaches Joe Miller and Kelsey Wilson and goalie coach Noah Zeppa. Interestingly, Rebek is a former assistant coach with the arch rival Soo Thunderbirds while Miller and Zeppa both suited up for the T-Birds as standout performers during their NOJHL playing days.

PAPER KINGS OF THE NORTH: After narrowly missing the playoffs by a mere two points in ’24-25, the Espanola Paper Kings will be out to make a return to the post season in ’25-26.

The Paper Kings ended up in ninth place in ’24-25 with 46 points from a record 21-27-4. Espanola’s 46 points were only two fewer than the eighth place Iroquois Falls Storm and just three back of the seventh seed Powassan Voodoos.

Notably, the Paper Kings, under president and head coach Jason Rapcewicz and general manager Marc Gagnon, are heavily invested in players with northern roots.

Players suiting up for the Paper Kings who are either from Espanola, Sudbury, North Bay or Sault Ste. Marie include forwards Lucas Dubois, Carter Drigo, Ashton Pitawanakwat, Grant Booth, Cain Savage, Owen Smith and Colton Loiselle and defensemen Tyler Thompson, Carter Brownlee and Carter Makasoff.

Make no mistake about it — Espanola is serious with a capital S when it comes to consistently giving good opportunities to players from the neighbouring regions of the good, old north.

The Paper Kings also keep it in the north when it comes to the ageless Bill Vanderleest, who commutes from Sault Ste. Marie to tutor the Espanola goalies.

LOCAL LADS FOR THE BIRDS: While a number of homegrown products either opted to move on or not sign with the Soo Thunderbirds in the first place, the Birds do have several local players who have signed up to start the ’25-26 season.

The list includes forwards Gavin Killoran, Callum McAuley, Adam Pszeniczny, Aiden Atkinson and Devin Jones-McDonald, defenseman Brady Real and goalies Cam Boville and Nate Maguire.

Notably, Boville opted to return home to Sault Ste. Marie to play this season after spending parts of the past two winters playing junior hockey south of the border in Chicago.

PERRY GOOD COACH : Timmins Rock is an annual contender for championship status in the NOJHL under the leadership and head coach and general manager Brandon Perry — and the ’25-26 season should be no different.

Now into his fifth year behind the bench as hockey boss of the Rock, Perry — who is a local Timmins product — sports an overall record in the NOJHL of 152-47-17 and an ultra impressive winning percentage of .743.

Perry’s resume also consists of guiding Timmins to the NOJHL championship in ’22-23. He also has international experience having served on the Team Canada East coaching staff at the Junior A World Challenge event.

The Rock, to be sure, is in good hands with the peerless Perry at the helm.