All posts by Randy Russon
The 500 club of Espanola
It is the epitome of dedication, commitment and hometown loyalty. In quiet and unassuming fashion, young Austin LeClair has hit the 500 game mark as the long time equipment manager for the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Fab five of the NOJHL
It doesn’t get much closer than this. A mere four points are all that separate the top five teams within the well balanced Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Beavers deal for two skaters
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added a defenseman and a forward via the cash transaction route, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Frantic race for first place
How tight are the standings in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League? Well, the fifth place Timmins Rock actually has the second best winning percentage among the 11 teams of the NOJHL. Huh?
…[read more]D1 for Sault College women
They are moving up to the top floor of the American Collegiate Hockey Association. After a half dozen wildly wonderful seasons of winning at the ACHA Division 2 and 3 national championship levels, the Sault College Cougars women’s team has been elevated to Division 1 status effective the ’26-27 season.
…[read more]Ted Nolan assists U9 practice
It seems as though legendary Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Jr. Hockey League and National Hockey League head coach Ted Nolan is never far away from a rink. Just recently, Nolan ran a practice for the Under 9, tier 1 level Niagara Nationals, who are coached by fellow Sault Ste. Marie product Freddie Coccimiglio.
…[read more]50 years covering the Hounds
It was 50 years ago — October of 1975 — that I officially became a member of the Sault Ste. Marie sports media as a part time sports caster and reporter for radio station CKCY. And part of my duties as a roving sports reporter — for the tidy sum of $3 an hour — was to cover the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Eli Chapman, Mateo Muto
A pair of plum recruits from Sault Ste. Marie are among the top performers for the Under 16 AAA Prep Level BioSteel Sports Academy of Windsor. They are forward Eli Chapman and defenseman Mateo Muto.
…[read more]Soo Eagles seeing the way
They started the season winless in their first nine games and in last place among the 11 teams of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with a record of 0-8-1. Slowly but surely however the Soo Eagles have taken flight and now have a record of 8-13-1 — and are in possession of one of the eight playoff positions heading into a pair of road games this weekend.
…[read more]Ex-Hound fired up in Flint
Alex Kostov is clicking at the most productive rate of his Ontario Hockey League career. The fourth year forward, who has a 2006 birth date, recently scored no less than seven goals in two games to power the Flint Firebirds to successive wins over the North Bay Battalion and Guelph Storm.
…[read more]The return of Nik Rossetto
Sault Ste. Marie product Nik Rossetto recently made his ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League debut for the Brantford Bulldogs after missing the first 16 games of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury.
…[read more]Rapcewicz rolls in Espanola
It could be argued, with considerable conviction, that there might not be junior hockey in the small town of Espanola these days without the presence and persistence of long-time resident Jason Rapcewicz.
…[read more]Six teams over .500 mark
There is relative balance within the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as six of the 11 teams are above the .500 level with the ’25-26 regular season schedule nudging towards November.
…[read more]Rossetto helps Steel a title
Sault Ste. Marie spark plug Brett Rossetto played a starring role in the Hamilton Steel stunning the favoured — and host — Toronto Jr. Canadiens in the under 15 level championship game of the recent Tyler Cragg AAA Memorial Hockey Tournament.
…[read more]Pair of Paper King transactions
As homegrown forward Lucas Dubois will look for a reset in the Provincial Jr. C Hockey League the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added forward Luc Warner from the Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Paper Kings between the pipes
Long-time Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League goalie coach Bill Vanderleest is quite taken by the current net duo of the Espanola Paper Kings. A Sault Ste. Marie resident who commutes to and from Espanola to work with the Paper Kings goalie tandem of Logan Vale and Jack Helkie, Vanderleest is of the notion that he has two of the best in the NOJHL in Vale and Helkie.
…[read more]NOJHL lads from up north
Teams from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are free to recruit players from across Canada and into the United States. Still, more than 70 players from the northeastern region of Ontario are on current rosters of teams in the NOJHL.
…[read more]Greyhounds, Firebirds deal
Soo Greyhounds and Flint Firebirds have finalized a one for one trade involving two forwards who are former first round Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft picks.
…[read more]Seventeen for Canada U17
Seventeen players from the Ontario Hockey League are among the 44 from across the Canadian Hockey League who will represent two Team Canada squads at the upcoming 2025 Under 17 World Challenge. The event will take place in Truro, Nova Scotia from November 2-8.
…[read more]Mid October in the NOJHL
Let us go here and there and just about everywhere a month into the ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season.
…[read more]NOJHL Showcase Roundup
Two days of the annual Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League showcase event featured all 11 NOJHL teams plus St. Andrew’s College of Aurora as a guest entry. All teams played two games in Sudbury in front of not only fans and supporters but a host of scouts and recruiters from various levels of the game, including the National Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League, not to mention Canadian and American schools.
…[read more]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.
…[read more]Atta boy, Josh Jameus
Talk about an honour for a well deserving lad, this is quite exceptional. That is, Sault Ste. Marie product Josh Jameus has been named an assistant captain for the Under 15 AAA Barrie Colts of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
…[read more]Early season impressions
Three or so weeks into the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season have led to a writer’s collection of noteworthy scribbles.
…[read more]Eagles … Rapids … Losier
Upcoming in the days ahead is the annual Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League showcase event in Sudbury. All 11 NOJHL teams will play two games apiece and be joined by St. Andrew’s College of Aurora as a guest entry. Meanwhile, the NOJHL is more than three weeks into the ’25-26 regular season.
…[read more]U15 Hounds take 2 of 3
Scoring leader Gavyn Nevers capped a winning weekend for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association at the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario’s Under 15 AAA Face Off to the ’25-26 regular season that concluded today.
…[read more]U15 Hounds blank London
Hard working, high performance forward Gavyn Nevers scored his second goal in as many games and added an assist and Carter Rome posted the shutout as the Soo Jr. Greyhounds blanked the London Jr. Knights 3-0 in their second outing today at the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario’s Under 15 AAA Face Off to the ’25-26 regular season.
…[read more]U15 Hounds lose close one
Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association dropped their opening game at the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario’s Under 15 AAA Face Off to the ’25-26 regular season today.
…[read more]U15 Hounds in Windsor
Highly touted — and with lofty internal expectations — the Under 15 AAA level Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association are off to the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario’s Face Off to the ’25-26 regular season this weekend.
…[read more]Early season story lines
We are about a month or so into the ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season. Championships are not won during the fall months but stakes can be put in position and the anxiety button to qualify for one of the eight playoff spots in the 11 member NOJHL can begin to pulsate, if only slightly.
…[read more]Good coaches of the NOJHL
What defines a good junior hockey coach? There are numerous factors, such as time tested experience, success, development of players, and integrity. To be sure, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has its share of head coaches who click off all of the above attributes.
…[read more]Flint is fired up for a reason
At times, a win can be just a win. But when the win comes against a team’s arch rival — and on the road in their barn, in front of more than 4.900 fans — then the win has extra meaning. Take the Flint Firebirds, for example.
…[read more]Okay, so here we go in the ‘O’
For those who have any sort of play or say or way or pay or hey relative to the 20 teams of the Ontario Hockey League, the OHL is seemingly set up for a ’25-26 season of hope and nope.
…[read more]Opening acts in the NOJHL
Espanola Paper Kings — with a pair of improbable blowout victories — are among the early season story lines in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]NOJHL champs begin with win
Sudbury Cubs started their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League title defense with a firm 4-0 white wash of the Timmins Rock in the ’25-26 regular season opener.
…[read more]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:
…[read more]Cole Dubowsky is traded
Seeking some grit and grind at the forward position, the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League have secured Sudbury product Cole Dubowsky from the Barrie Colts for a future 11th round draft pick.
…[read more]Hounds add athletic staffers
Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League have brought aboard both a physiotherapist and player performance specialist ahead of the looming ’25-26 season.
…[read more]Sault boy to St. Catharines
James Elliott is headed to the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League for a season of development with the St. Catharines Falcons. Elliott, a 2008 birth year forward from Sault Ste. Marie and a seventh round, 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft pick of the Soo Greyhounds, spent the ’24-25 season with the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Soo Indians sign local lad
Hard working forward Madden Glavota has signed with the AAA Under 18 Soo Indians of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association ahead of the ’25-26 season.
…[read more]Hartsburg has Erie feeling
Chris Hartsburg is back in the Ontario Hockey League after a four year hiatus — and with the Erie Otters, no less. The 45 year old Hartsburg, who manages the local arena and the minor hockey association in Erie, has been hired by the OHL Otters as a part time skills development coach.
…[read more]Soo boys land in Blind River
It will be quite the Sault Ste. Marie presence in Blind River when first pucks drop on the ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season next week.
…[read more]On to a few good rivalries
The restless hands of time are ticking towards the start of the ’25-26 hockey season. And while little can be done about certain self absorbed, self serving minor hockey coaches and managers who treat the game as though it is a special sanctuary for them, their kids, their friends and their kids — at the expense of others — here’s to a good season ahead for all of the good folks of the game.
…[read more]Huckson heading to Flint
Free agent defenseman Colton Huckson — who has a late December, 2008 birth date — is slated to attend the upcoming Ontario Hockey League training camp of the Flint Firebirds. Mike Oliverio, who is the head scout for the OHL Firebirds, confirmed to Hockey News North that Huckson, who is a Sault Ste. Marie product, has been invited to Flint for next week’s camp.
…[read more]Here are the U18 Wolves
Head coach Clayton Bertrand has confirmed the roster for the Sudbury U18 Jr. Wolves of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association’s Great North Under 18 League ahead of the ’25-26 season.
…[read more]OHL award for Tim Lukenda
The Ontario Hockey League has singled out Soo Greyhounds president and governor Tim Lukenda as the inaugural recipient of the David Branch Leader of the Year award.
…[read more]Soo Eagles sign Soo boys
A foursome of skaters from the Ontario side of the International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie have signed with the Michigan Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]High regard for the NOJHL
One of my most liked amateur hockey leagues begins a fresh season of play in a month. With 11 teams — the Elliot Lake Vikings remain on leave of absence due to the continued closure of its city owned home arena — the sometimes hidden gem that is the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League features strong leadership and mostly good ownership.
…[read more]