All posts by Randy Russon

Cubs on comeback trail


By
April 19, 2025

The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship series is now tied at a game apiece. Sudbury Cubs evened the best of seven set with a frantic 5-4 overtime decision over the visiting Hearst Lumberjacks.

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Coaching the U18 Wolves


By
April 17, 2025

Head coach Clayton Bertrand is moving up from the Sudbury Jr. Wolves under 16 program to its under 18 level team of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association’s Great North AAA league.

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Hounds take Gavin Killoran


By
April 17, 2025

He is a developing forward who turned a productive season with the Soo Under 18 Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League into becoming an Ontario Hockey League supplemental draft pick of his hometown Soo Greyhounds.

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Tryout camp in Espanola


By
April 15, 2025

Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will be holding an open tryout camp on Saturday, April 26. The one day camp is open to players born in 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005.

…[read more]

Soo Eagles and college


By
April 15, 2025

Since the current regime of the Soo Eagles led by general manager Bruno Bragagnolo took ownership back in 2010, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League program has sent more than 100 players to the college ranks. And that impressive list continues to grow.

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NOHA falls far behind


By
April 13, 2025

It was the worst showing ever by the Northern Ontario Hockey Association as only five players from the NOHA’s Great North Under 18 Hockey League were picked at the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.

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Soo boy to Owen Sound


By
April 12, 2025

Center Adam Pszeniczny of the Soo Under 16 Jr. Greyhounds has become the first player from the Northern Ontario Hockey Association to be picked at the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.

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Chitaroni a top OHL pick


By
April 11, 2025

Northern boy Brock Chitaroni has become the property of the Ottawa 67’s who took the skilled centre in the first round, third overall, of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.

…[read more]

T-Birds looking to ’25-26


By
April 10, 2025

They were the only lower seed team to move on from the first round of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs. But the no. 6 seed Soo Thunderbirds were no match for the powerhouse Sudbury Cubs in the second round of the NOJHL playoffs.

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Prospects of the Great North


By
April 9, 2025

On average, there are 12 to 15 players from the Northern Ontario Hockey Association’s Great North league who become picks every year at the annual Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.

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Cubs, Jacks in command


By
April 9, 2025

No. 1 seed Sudbury Cubs and no. 2 seed Hearst Lumberjacks are both one win away from advancing to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship series.

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Timmins takes Game 3


By
April 8, 2025

The Rock is back in it. Timmins Rock shrugged off a 2-0 deficit to score four unanswered goals and upend the Hearst Lumberjacks 4-2 in Game 3 of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series.

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Cubs-Birds series update


By
April 7, 2025

Games 3 and 4 of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League semi final playoff series between the Sudbury Cubs and Soo Thunderbirds will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at John Rhodes Community Center in Sault Ste. Marie.

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NHL deal for Flint goalie


By
April 7, 2025

Workhorse goalie Nathan Day of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League has signed an entry level contract with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.

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Rebek to return to Eagles


By
April 4, 2025

Highly regarded head coach Jeremy Rebek will be back behind the bench of the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for a second season in ’25-26.

…[read more]

T-Birds on to second round


By
April 2, 2025

Soo Thunderbirds are the only lower seed team to move on from the first round of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs. And it took the Thunderbirds a series comeback that was capped with a road victory in the seventh and deciding game to do so.

…[read more]

Rock on to another round


By
March 31, 2025

Timmins Rock used a perfect 3-0 record on home ice to put a sock on the lock to the second round of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs.

…[read more]

Game 7 for Beavers, Birds


By
March 30, 2025

One game will determine the victor of the opening round Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series between the no. 3 seed Blind River Beavers and the no. 6 seed Soo Thunderbirds.

…[read more]

Lady Cougars still roaring


By
March 29, 2025

It was an all Canadian final between two teams of Cougars for the American Collegiate Hockey Association women’s national championship. And it was the Sault College Cougars who upended the Assiniboine College Cougars of Brandon, Manitoba in the title tilt.

…[read more]

Soo Eagles extend series


By
March 29, 2025

Affiliate player Evan Hoglund was an improbable hero for the Soo Eagles on Friday as they remained active in their first round Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series with the Timmins Rock.

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NOJHL playoff pulse


By
March 27, 2025

Two teams have already advanced to the second round of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs while four others are still in opening round stare downs.

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U14 AA Hounds win NOHA


By
March 24, 2025

TIMMINS — They were one loss away from elimination in the round robin portion of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association’s Tournament of Champions. But the Under 14 AA Soo Jr. Greyhounds rebounded to not only make the playoffs but skate to victory in both a semi final match and the title tilt to return home to Sault Ste. Marie as NOHA champions.

…[read more]

U18 Wolves win it all


By
March 16, 2025

Sudbury U18 Jr. Wolves have gone from fourth place finishers during the regular season to playoff champions of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League.

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Hounds in a dog fight


By
March 16, 2025

It is like playoffs before the actual playoffs. As in three teams — the Soo Greyhounds, Owen Sound Attack and Sarnia Sting — are in a frantic race for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.

…[read more]

Best of the U16 goalies


By
March 14, 2025

Clearly, the puck stops more with Gavin Zuccato than it does with the fellow northerners in his 2009 birth year age group. As in, Gavin Zuccato of Sault Ste. Marie had the best numbers of any of the six goalies who minded the net for the three under 16 level teams of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League over the course of the ’24-25 regular season.

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Great North title at stake


By
March 10, 2025

Five teams — including two from Sault Ste. Marie — will face off at the Great North Under 18 Hockey League playoff tournament that is slated for this week in Timmins.

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New to OHL 70 goal club


By
March 9, 2025

Nick Lardis of the Brantford Bulldogs has become the first Ontario Hockey League player to score 70 goals in a season since John Tavares — now of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League — did so back in the 2006-2007 campaign as a member of the Oshawa Generals.

…[read more]

Sudbury Cubs are number 1


By
March 4, 2025

They are primed to defend their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship. And not only have the Sudbury Cubs clinched first place in the regular season standings but they have the NOJHL’s leading scorer.

…[read more]

Kelly is solid as a Rock


By
March 2, 2025

Seasoned skater Jack Kelly has hit the 100 point plateau in his Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League career. The 2004 birth forward began his NOJHL career with the Powassan Voodoos and is now in his second season with the Timmins Rock.

…[read more]

Spirit of the LSSU Lakers


By
February 28, 2025

There will sometime soon be a significant Memorial Cup presence at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Forward Calem Mangone and goalie Andrew Oke from the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League will take their considerable experience — that includes being key components on the 2024 Canadian Hockey League national championship team — to the LSSU Lakers effective the 2025-2026 Central Collegiate Hockey Association season.

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Vintage Manitoulin Islanders


By
February 27, 2025

They won a mere fraction of the regular season games they played from 2005 to 2011. Yet, almost 15 years after their departure from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, the Manitoulin Islanders are still an iconic franchise, at least to me. Most likely to many others as well. 

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Bottled up in the North


By
February 24, 2025

The clock is ticking and time is dwindling on the ’24-25 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season. And with less than three weeks to play on the regular season slate, the standings remain bottled up.

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Team NOHA OHL Cup roster


By
February 22, 2025

The lineup that will represent the Northern Ontario Hockey Association at the 2025 OHL Cup tournament has been set. Team NOHA will be managed by Marc Gagnon with Peter Michelutti as the head coach and a roster of 2009 birth year players.

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King of the Beaver pond


By
February 16, 2025

Forward Owen King has hit — and passed — the 40 goal mark for the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.

…[read more]

Faces of the OHL races


By
February 16, 2025

There is a sundry of races for playoff seedings in both the Western Conference and Eastern Conference of a uniform, balanced Ontario Hockey League. And there are faces who could be major difference makers down the stretch of the ’24-25 OHL season into the playoffs.

…[read more]

Paper Kings over Rapids


By
February 15, 2025

Jack Helkie made 45 saves and five players had two point outings as the Espanola Paper Kings strengthened their hold on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League tonight with a 6-2 win over the visiting French River Rapids.

…[read more]

Paper Kings clip Voodoos


By
February 15, 2025

Graydon Guthrie gunned a pair of goals and Jack Helkie handled 40 pucks as the Espanola Paper Kings moved into sole possession of the eighth and final playoff position in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League on Friday with a 5-1 verdict over the visiting Powassan Voodoos.

…[read more]

Paper Kings and Rapids


By
February 13, 2025

Espanola Paper Kings and French River Rapids will face off against each other this weekend in a Saturday night showdown that is part of a frantic race for eighth place and the final playoff spot in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.

…[read more]

U16 Wolves work extra


By
February 10, 2025

Back to back overtime victories over their same age rivals from North Bay have the Sudbury Under 16 Wolves within range of seventh place among the nine teams of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League.

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Hail the U14 AA Hounds


By
February 9, 2025

A perfect five for five weekend at the Halton Hills Winter Classic resulted in a minor hockey championship celebration for the Soo Under 14 AA Jr. Greyhounds.

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Milestone for Mangone


By
February 9, 2025

An improbable story continues. Sault Ste. Marie product Calem Mangone has achieved a significant landmark as a fourth year forward with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League.

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Say hey to Nathan Day


By
February 7, 2025

Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League have a new leader for most career wins by a goalie in a franchise history that dates back to 2015.

…[read more]

NOJHL race for 8th place


By
February 5, 2025

There are about five weeks to go on the regular slate in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. And as the stretch run in the regular season schedule has arrived there is playoff like pressure on three teams. Espanola Paper Kings, Iroquois Falls Storm and French River Rapids are all in a frantic race for the eighth and final playoff place in what looms as a furious finish into mid March.

…[read more]

Be-leaf in Anthony Stolarz


By
February 4, 2025

David Maciuk recalls the time when he had to beg a tier two junior hockey team to sign little known goalie Anthony Stolarz. Now 31 years of age and a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the 6 foot 6 Stolarz has since forged a lengthy National Hockey League career as the quintessential backup goalie.

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Rock star coach extended


By
February 4, 2025

Good guy Brandon Perry has signed a new three year contract extension to remain with the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for the foreseeable future.

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Rossetto feels the roar


By
February 2, 2025

He is small but smart. He has speed to go with skill. And up against players who are anywhere between one and four years older than him has been part of the adjustment for 2008 birth year forward Nik Rossetto, a promising Sault Ste. Marie product and rookie skater with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.

…[read more]

Rest easy, Brent Jarrett


By
February 1, 2025

Brent Jarrett, who rose from the frigid outdoor and chilly indoor rinks of Sault Ste. Marie to become an unlikely superstar with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League and the minor pro Kalamazoo K-Wings, has passed away at the age of 65.

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Whiz kid Wicklander


By
February 1, 2025

Brantford Bulldogs have a potential steal of an Ontario Hockey League draft pick prospect in their possession in the person of forward Kaden Wicklander of the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.

…[read more]