2026 Hockey North HOF
The Hockey North Hall of Fame — first established in 2025 as a means of recognizing many in the game whose contributions have been mostly under-rated — has officially confirmed its class of 2026 inductees. The Hockey North Hall of Fame aims to recognize individuals with a link to the north who have made an impact on the game dating back to 1975. In alphabetical order, the class of 2026 is as follows.
Guy Blanchard. Born in Sudbury, Blanchard has resided in North Bay for multiple decades. Blanchard’s coaching career began with three seasons as an assistant to Butch Turcotte with the 1984 Air Canada Cup national champion North Pinehill Coffee Shop midgets. He later coached in the Ontario Hockey League with both the North Bay Centennials and Sudbury Wolves and was a multiple championship winner in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as an owner, general manager and coach with more than one team.
Pat Carricato. One of the more successful volunteer coaches in the NOJHL history of the modern day Soo Thunderbirds (that dates back to 1999), Carricato also had a lengthy coaching association with the Under 18 level Soo Indians of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association. A true volunteer, Carricato has rarely sought the spotlight.
Bid Caverly. A volunteer trainer of many years with AAA Soo Legion and Soo North Stars midget teams coached by his long-time friend — and 2025 Hockey North HOF inductee Mike Hall — Caverly gave selflessly to the game for little or no financial benefit.
Gene Chiarello. He is the best goalie — by far — to come out of Sault Ste. Marie since former National Hockey League star Marty Turco. And, to be sure, Chiarello went from someone who was once cut by a minor hockey coach in the Sault — a corrupt coach who had a deal with the equally corrupt team sponsor to take two inferior goalies instead — to become one of the most successful net minders in the OHL history of the vaunted London Knights.
Dave Clancy. From Sudbury, he is a career hockey guy. He has scouted in the cold rinks of the north for the OHL Sudbury Wolves and he has coached and managed in the NOJHL for teams in Sudbury and Espanola, among other gigs.
John Davidson. A super scout from Sault Ste. Marie, he put in years as a reputable OHL bird dog for both the Guelph Storm and the Sarnia Sting while never seeking the spotlight and always — always — promoting and drafting the kids from the north.
Mike Dawson. An NHL scout of 15 plus years with the Carolina Hurricanes and now the Seattle Kraken., the Sault Ste. Marie product is an example of defying the odds to play in the OHL and beyond. A medium size defenseman at 5 foot 11, 180 pounds, Dawson was a seventh round pick of the Kingston Frontenacs from the Soo Legion midgets at the 1990 OHL priority selections draft. Through sheer hard work and perseverance, Dawson went on to play three full seasons in the OHL. He later played five seasons of Atlantic Canada university hockey in total at both Acadia and St. Mary’s followed by two years of pro hockey in Holland and another in the minor pro, Central Hockey League.
Cory Evans. Originally a seventh round OHL draft pick by London in 1991, the fibrous left winger from Sault Ste. Marie would play parts of three seasons with the Knights before being traded to Windsor where he became a point per game player with the Spitfires and a fan favourite. Evans was an on-ice leader for the Spitfires with a crashing, rambunctious style that resulted in a multitude of goals, assists and penalty minutes while playing on a line with the legendary Billy Bowler. Evans later returned home to the Sault to volunteer his time as a minor hockey coach.
Vince Friyia. A minor hockey star with the Algoma Contractors midgets in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Friyia went on to play for the OHL Greyhounds in the mid 1970s before going on to be a star, all Canadian forward at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. He then went on to play and coach with considerable success over in Italy and Spain.
Paul Frustaglio. He is from Toronto but he might as well be from the north. Over 10 years he has kept the small market French River Rapids of the NOJHL afloat as their president, general manager and head coach — for absolutely no financial gain.
John Glavota. A Sault Ste. Marie native,he went from being an average defenseman on a national under 18 powerhouse Soo Legion team to four years with the Sudbury-based Laurentian University Voyageurs to nine seasons at the minor pro level in various outposts — and playing for the Croatian National Team. Glavota’s parents are Croatian immigrants who arrived in Canada about 55 years ago with all of their belongings contained in a couple of suitcases. And Glavota said that being able to play for the Croatian National Team will always remain a highlight of his playing days. To this day, Glavota continues to be a minor hockey coach in the Sault.
Brian Gualazzi. Playing for his hometown Soo Greyhounds of the OHLin ’78-79, Gualazzi scored an amazing 75 goals in a single season — second most in franchise history and just ahead of Wayne Gretzky. What a forward!
Jef Jarmovitch. Over the past few years, he has, as the financial owner, saved his hometown Elliot Lake Vikings of the NOJHL from folding — not once but twice. Say no more.
Craig Kennedy. A Sault Ste. Marie lad, Kennedy personified consistency after the Windsor Spitfires took him in the second round of the 1999 OHL priority selections draft. A sturdy, hard working right winger, Kennedy played five full seasons — and more than 300 games — in Windsor, totalling 113 goals along the way, playoffs included. Known for his smarts and leadership qualities, Kennedy quietly rose to become an assistant captain and then captain for the Spitfires. He has since been a dedicated minor hockey coach in the Sault for number of years.
Gerry Liscumb Jr. The radio play by play man of the Soo Greyhounds since 2005, Liscumb Jr. is the longest serving broadcaster in the OHL history of his hometown team — in the company of the legendary Harry Wolfe. Liscumb Jr. was also a volunteer assistant trainer with the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL for a number of years.
David Maciuk. From the Sault — where else? — he has been a forward in the OHL with the Greyhounds and in the United States Hockey League. Nowadays the tireless Maciuk is still working beyond the age of 70 as a player agent while living in Chicago and always promoting players to teams such as the Soo Eagles of the NOJHL. This is someone who has never forgotten his roots.
Darryl Moxam. He is from Sudbury. He played in he OHL as a long-time time forward. He has coached in the OHL, the NOJHL and with Laurentian University. He just keeps going and going and staying true to the north.
Charly Murray. This guy is ageless. From Sault Ste. Marie he has been scouting — and promoting hockey players — from the north for more than 50 years for various teams in the NOJHL, while working for little more than a team hat or team jacket.
John Parco. A Sault Ste. Marie native, Parco (formerly Porco) played three seasons in the OHL as a high scoring forward with the Belleville Bulls. He became an NHL draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers before going on to an extraordinary career as both a professional player and coach in Italy. He also coached with success in the NOJHL with the Soo Thunderebirds.
Brandon Perry. Hometown proud from Timmins, the still very young Perry helped to restore pride in the Timmins Majors under 18 program that he once played for before going on to become an NOJHL championship coach for the Timmins Rock. Perry has since moved to Kingston to become the head coach of his alma mater — the Queen’s University Golden Gaels.
Denis Puska. Hailing from the small northeastern Ontario town of Kapuskasing, Puska has been in the media business for 45 or so years, starting when he was a young teenager. A multi-faceted broadcast and print journalist, Puska is still a morning show radio host who also does play by play for NOJHL games up in the far reaches of northeastern Ontario as somewhat of a hidden gem.
Ron Pyette Jr. From Sault Ste. Marie, he has been a reputable NHL scout for more than 25 years. A Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the still active Pyette has also scouted for the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Los Angles Kings.
Jeremy Rebek. As a coach, Rebek has had major success with championships and development with both the Soo Thunderbirds and Soo Eagles of the NOJHL. During his playing days, Rebek first left his Sault Ste. Marie home as a 17-year old in was the beginning of what would be three seasons as an overachieving defenseman with the Owen Sound Platers of the OHL. Then came a long and winding professional hockey career that would eventually lead him to Austria, Northern Ireland and Italy before finally retiring as a player at the age of 37. Those 17 years of next level hockey for Rebek also included time with the Laurentian University Voyageurs in Sudbury and various minor pro outposts.
Mark Seidel. From Espanola, Seidel has had quite the career in hockey as a scout in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild and in the OHL with a number of teams, including now with the Windsor Spitfires as their director of player development. What stands out about Seidel is his true passion for junior hockey — wherever it has led him — while never forgetting his northern roots.
Frank Simard. With a background in finance, this true gentleman lent a good part of his life working in the background as a fundraiser and bean counter for various minor hockey and junior A teams in Sault Ste. Marie.
Jeremy Stevenson. Growing up in Elliot Lake, he became a first round pick OHL draft of the Cornwall Royals in 1990 who would finish his OHL career with the Soo Greyhounds. Stevenson then defied the odds to play in 228 NHL games after being an 11th round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 1994. He has since been a long-time minor hockey coach in the Sault.
Jason Stos. A fourth round OHL draft pick of the London Knights, this Sudbury native went on to become a high scoring defenseman with the Windsor Spitfires, once netting 20 plus goals in a single season from the back end. A Sudbury native, Stos has since had a long association as a hockey coach, including championship seasons in the NOJHL.
Darren Turcotte. From North Bay, he played in the OHL for his hometown team, then known as the Centennials, before making a further impact as an NHL forward of close to 700 games. He is now a highly successful head coach of the North Bay-based Nipissing University Lakers women’s hockey team.
Bill Vanderleest. Originally from Thunder Bay, he has been a quintessential side gig goalie coach for a number of teams including the Soo Eagles and Espanola Paper Kings of the NOJHL. Ageless and tireless, this is one old dude who simply loves the game.
Trevor Zachary. Yet another individual who has done so much with little fanfare. He has played and coached and managed in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie and has rarely been more than a phone hall away to help out wherever and whenever he can.
— The 2026 Hockey North Hall of Fame induction class ceremony will be held next spring at the Machine Shop venue in Sault Ste. Marie.
