All posts by Randy Russon
Faces of the OHL races
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
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
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
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
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.
…[read more]Hail the U14 AA Hounds
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.
…[read more]Milestone for Mangone
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.
…[read more]Say hey to Nathan Day
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
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
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.
…[read more]Rock star coach extended
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.
…[read more]Rossetto feels the roar
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
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.
…[read more]Whiz kid Wicklander
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]NOJHL czar was OHL star
He is tried, tested and true to his northern Ontario roots. Over time, he has gone from star player in the major junior ranks to a long serving commissioner of a reputable junior A hockey league. And Rob Mazzuca has done so by staying close to home.
…[read more]CHL grads to NCAA ranks
Adrian Gedye of Pinnacle Hockey Management is one family advisor/certified player agent whose clients are taking full advantage of the new rule that makes Canadian Hockey League players eligible to play for Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association programs effective the ’25-26 season.
…[read more]Paper Kings puck stopper
James Meredith has shrugged off a rough introduction to his rookie season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to become a go to goalie for the Espanola Paper Kings.
…[read more]NOJHL races and faces
There are four divisions to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Right now, the Sudbury Cubs are in a league of their own. Then it is a hotly contested race for second place featuring the Blind River Beavers, Soo Eagles, Hearst Lumberjacks and Timmins Rock. In the middle of the pack and in contention for the sixth, seventh and eighth and final playoff spots are the Powassan Voodoos, Soo Thunderbirds, Iroquois Falls Storm, French River Rapids and Espanola Paper Kings. And in no man’s land are the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
…[read more]Hope for the OHL Hounds
They control their playoff destiny. Soo Greyhounds currently have occupancy of a post season position within the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Trappers v. Jr. Greyhounds
It will be a four game weekend of North Bay v. Sault Ste. Marie this Saturday and Sunday as Great North Under 18 Hockey League action highlights two U18 and two U16 teams.
…[read more]Sudbury Cubs lead Canada
And the beat goes on. Winners of 18 games in succession, the Sudbury Cubs of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are number one in the latest Canadian Jr. Hockey League top 20 rankings.
…[read more]A first for Charlie Schenkel
Overage goalie Charlie Schenkel returned to fine form on Friday in picking up his first win as a member of the Kingston Frontenacs.
…[read more]John Dean: stay or go?
He has been the head coach of the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League since 2018. And it can be argued that John Dean has been given the resources by general manager Kyle Raftis and team ownership to have ongoing regular season and playoff success.
…[read more]Caulfield flies with Eagles
Chicago area product Lucas Caulfield is living and loving the hockey life up north in Sault Ste. Marie. The high scoring forward is a key component and team captain for the high flying Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]U16 Trappers win two in Soo
It was certainly worth the bus trip to Sault Ste. Marie. North Bay Under 16 Trappers triggered an improbable weekend road sweep against a pair of teams ahead of them in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League standings.
…[read more]OHL trade deadline rehash
It was like a gust of a winter blizzard over the span of a few days. More than 15 deals got done just ahead of the annual Ontario Hockey League trade deadline, several of which can be termed significant.
…[read more]Overage goalie exchange
Soo Greyhounds have cashed in on overage goalie Charlie Schenkel in a big way. Not only are the Hounds adding overage goalie Nolan Lalonde from Kingston but they are also getting three future draft picks from the Frontenacs in return for Schenkel.
…[read more]Paper Kings in pursuit
They are a true north team with 13 players from across the region. They are also one of the youngest teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with 15 players who were born in either 2008, 2007 or 2006. And with all of that youth, the Espanola Paper Kings are in a multiple team chase for the eighth and final playoff spot in the NOJHL.
…[read more]Matsos is back in the O
Good player. Good coach. Good guy. Add it all up and David Matsos is back in the Ontario Hockey League, this time as an assistant coach with the Sarnia Sting. The now 51-year old Matsos won a Memorial Cup as a hard working forward with the 1993 Soo Greyhounds. He later had OHL success as a championship associate coach with the 2018 Hamilton Bulldogs that followed winning ways as an assistant with the Windsor Spitfires.
…[read more]Hounds trade Gibson
Soo Greyhounds are moving towards the future. The trading of Team Canada world junior defenseman Andrew Gibson to the Oshawa Generals is a major indicator that the Greyhounds are looking more to time ahead than the present.
…[read more]Happy New Year, Evan
Garden River First Nation product Evan Headrick made his long awaited Ontario Hockey League debut for the Kitchener Rangers on New Year’s Eve. And what a baptism celebration it was.
…[read more]EL Vikings go on hiatus
Ongoing issues at their home arena dating back to well over a year have resulted in the Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League taking a leave of absence for the balance of the ’24-25 season.
…[read more]Here ‘n there in the NOJHL
Fresh from a Christmas holiday break, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is set for a resumption in play as the calendar year readies to flip from 2024 to 2025.
…[read more]Firebirds at mid season
Four successive wins — including two straight over their despised arch-rival Saginaw Spirit — have lifted the Flint Firebirds to the .500 level with the Ontario Hockey League at the Christmas holiday break.
…[read more]OHL trade winds blowing
The annual January 10 trade deadline is looming. And there is no shortage of guesswork and supposition making its way in and around the Ontario Hockey League rumour mill.
…[read more]D1 deal for Tyson Doucette
Sault Ste. Marie product Tyson Doucette of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League has committed to Colgate University for the ’25-26 season. Colgate is a Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association program.
…[read more]Bloodlines of U16 NBT trio
The top three scorers for the North Bay Under 16 Trappers of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League all have deep roots through dads who played in either the Ontario Hockey League or at the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association level.
…[read more]Sault side to Team Canada
Sault Ste. Marie is represented in a rather well rounded manner at this year’s World Junior Hockey Championships, which start on Boxing Day and go until January 5 and are being held in Ottawa.
…[read more]Eagles lead Border Battle
The tide has turned in the long running Twin Soo Border Battle between the Soo Thunderbirds and Soo Eagles. While the Ontario based Thunderbirds won the war over the past couple of years in particular it is the Eagles of Michigan who are in command thus far this season.
…[read more]Soo T-Birds in transition
Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have confirmed what Hockey News North first reported on the weekend. That is, general manager Jamie Henderson will also serve as head coach for the balance of the ’24-25 season.
…[read more]Gold for U13 AAA Hounds
Head coach Craig Kennedy and the Under 13 AAA Soo Jr. Greyhounds struck gold at the recent 32nd annual Hamilton Steel Hockey Classic.
…[read more]T-Birds changing coaches
Cole Jarrett has reportedly handed the head coach duties of the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to his long-time sidekick, Hockey News North has been advised.
…[read more]Soo Eagles on 9-0-1 flight
Coached by Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario resident Jeremy Rebek, the Michigan Soo Eagles are flying high near the top perch of the standings in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Rock stars of the net
Not only are they two of the best goalies in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League but they are two of the younger ones. And not only that, Dryden Riley and Graham Gee both guard the net for the same team — the Timmins Rock, which is one of the top three clubs among the 12 of the NOJHL.
…[read more]Raftis on state of Hounds
His team is 25 games into the ’24-25 Ontario Hockey League regular season. And Soo Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis took the time to discuss the current condition and near future of the Red and White with Hockey News North.
…[read more]Scouting the Great North
To be sure, when it comes to scouting — and subsequently picking — players for the annual Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft there is a preference towards those from associations that include the Greater Toronto Hockey League and the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario. Which is fine, to an extent.
…[read more]A first for Wyatt Jarratt
Well, that didn’t take very long. Suiting up in his first game as an affiliate player for the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League led to a goal by up and coming youngster Wyatt Jarratt.
…[read more]Assisting the Soo Eagles
They were born an hour apart on January 22, 1986. They have been friends since their youthful minor hockey days in Sault Ste. Marie. And Kelsey Wilson and Donnie Bruni are now together again as first year assistant coaches with the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Races for NOJHL places
Sudbury Cubs are atop the standings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with a near flawless record of 20-2-2. But the Cubs have company in the contender department of the NOJHL that includes the Hearst Lumberjacks, Timmins Rock, Blind River Beavers and Soo Eagles.
…[read more]Hound picks in NOJHL
Recently assigned 2007 birth year goalie Reid Thomas and 2008 birth year forward James Elliott are two Ontario Hockey League draft picks of the Soo Greyhounds who are developing with rival teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Cubs of the goal crease
Good teams usually get good goaltending as part of the victory formula. Very good teams usually get very good goaltending as part of the victory formula.
…[read more]MID WEEK NOTEBOOK
A regular, rhythmic write-up covering the exploits of various players, teams and leagues at the rep, junior and collegiate hockey levels.
…[read more]Lights are on up North
It may not be a perfect junior hockey league. But is there any such thing as a perfect junior hockey league? The answer to that question is rather obvious. Just as it is obvious to a seasoned writer that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has a lot going for it in so many ways, shapes and forms.
…[read more]What do Hounds do next?
The Greyhounds are seemingly not quite ready for prime time in the Knight time. In their second meeting with London this season, the Greyhounds were overpowered by the Knights, who out shot the home side by a ridiculous 43-13 margin en route to a 5-1 victory.
…[read more]MID WEEK NOTEBOOK
A regular, rhythmic write-up covering the exploits of various players, teams and leagues at the rep, junior and collegiate hockey levels.
…[read more]Newton returns to Cubs
Sudbury Cubs, already in first place among the 12 teams of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, have added another star player to their lineup.
…[read more]Vikings toughing it out
There is good news to report relative to the 14 month old Centennial Arena saga and the Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Greyhounds nip Spitfires
Marco Mignosa scored in the first minute of play and tallied again just past the 8:00 mark and the visiting Soo Greyhounds never trailed in upending the Windsor Spitfires 3-1 in a mid week Ontario Hockey League match.
…[read more]Paper Kings hard at work
They have moved on through trades of a number of impact veteran players from a ’23-24 season in which they posted a franchise history best record of 34-23-1. And while the small market Espanola Paper Kings have since committed to more of a youth movement for the ’24-25 campaign they nonetheless more than held their own through the first 15 games of the current Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season.
…[read more]Flint on a crease Bender
Ahead of three games in as many days this weekend the Flint Firebirds have added another goalie by way of an Ontario Hockey League trade with the Oshawa Generals. Flint has parted with future fourth round and seventh round OHL priority selections draft picks to get 6 foot 4 puck stopper Noah Bender from Oshawa.
…[read more]U14 AA Hounds hang in
LONDON, Ontario — Close but not quite. Soo Under 14 AA Jr. Greyhounds made it to within a game of the championship match at the annual London Jr. Knights Fall Classic Hockey Tournament that was held here on the weekend.
…[read more]Sounds of the Hounds
The silence around Hound Town emanates from the so called forum moderator experts who had the locals written off after two losses to begin the ’24-25 Ontario Hockey League season.
…[read more]Eagles clip Thunderbirds
Close to 1,000 fans made their way into venerable Pullar Stadium on Friday to take in the latest instalment of the Twin Soo Border Battle between the Soo Eagles and the Soo Thunderbirds.
…[read more]Black Bears of the NOJHL
Based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and with a solid Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario base of coaches and players to them, they arrived on the junior hockey scene with plans for longevity.
…[read more]Hounds, Spits, Spirit et al
Let us go here and there and around the Ontario Hockey League with stops in Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor and Saginaw.
…[read more]Noel Nordh heads north
Better late than never. Two years after being picked by the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League in the first round of the 2022 Canadian Hockey League import draft, 6 foot 2, 200 pound forward Noel Nordh is headed this way.
…[read more]Soo Eagles in nice flight
A slow start to the season has since turned into more of a surge for the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Three straight for U16 Wolves
Sudbury Under 16 Wolves have climbed to the .500 mark. After beginning the ’24-25 Great North Under 18 Hockey League season with three straight losses the U16 Wolves have since reeled off a trio triumphs.
…[read more]Cubs romp over the Rock
Make that 10 straight victories for the Sudbury Cubs. The Cubs retained their spot atop the standings of the 12 team Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League on Thursday with a convincing 5-1 win over the visiting Timmins Rock.
…[read more]Big change in Kam River
First year head coach Dwight Lee and the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League have parted ways after just 10 games.
…[read more]Leamington via Thessalon
Brendan Cooke, a signed Ontario Hockey League prospect of the Flint Firebirds, is continuing his development with the Leamington Flyers and has his first goal as a member of the Ontario Jr. Hockey League team.
…[read more]Fort Frances to Timmins
From the Superior International Jr. Hockey League to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Timmins Rock of the NOJHL has obtained 2004 birth year forward Clark Scaddan from the Fort Frances Lakers of the SIJHL in a cash exchange.
…[read more]Early on in the Great North
Three U18 teams are leading the pack with five wins each as the ’24-25 regular season schedule is into mid October in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League. But it is an under 16 level team that scored a recent upset win over one of the pace setters.
…[read more]