All posts by Randy Russon
Rock and Birds go up 2-0
Timmins Rock and Soo Thunderbirds have both taken 2-0 series leads in their respective Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League division finals.
…[read more]Korah girls are number 1
The first-ever championship tournament for girls high school hockey in Sault Ste. Marie was recently held in front of a huge crowd at the new Northern Community Centre.
…[read more]EL Wings & Barrie Colts
Elliot Lake Red Wings recently completed their second season as members of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. And as an aim of the franchise is to try to develop and advance players for the Major Junior, American Collegiate Hockey Association and National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks, Elliot Lake owner Paul Noad has established a new non-exclusive arrangement to collaborate with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]NOJHL Final Four
Timmins Rock and Soo Thunderbirds both scored victories as the division finals in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League got underway on Thursday.
…[read more]Wisconsin wins Game 7
Sal Poggiali potted the overtime winner and the visiting Wisconsin Lumberjacks capped a frantic series comeback with a 3-2 win over the Sioux Lookout Bombers in Game 7 of their Superior International Jr. Hockey League playoff thriller.
…[read more]Noad in development mode
Elliot Lake Red Wings forward Sam Noad represents a good example of progress made by a young player from his first season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the next.
…[read more]NOJHL semi-final pairings
Final four. Best-of-seven semi-final playoff series are set to start this week in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Tanner Burton takes the helm
This comes as no surprise. This is the right hire. The varsity men’s hockey team at Sault College has a new head coach. He is Tanner Burton, who moves up from assistant coach to the bench boss of the hockey Cougars.
…[read more]Wisconsin v. Sioux Lookout
We have a Game 7! Wednesday will decide the Superior International Jr. Hockey League opening round playoff series between the visiting Wisconsin Lumberjacks and the Sioux Lookout Bombers.
…[read more]The book on Nick Marson
He looms as a long shot to be picked at this month’s Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. But in doing due diligence on Nick Marson, it shows that the 15-year old goalie had more than a high-end season for the lowly Sudbury Under 16 Nickel Capitals of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League.
…[read more]Ice Dogs of the Superior
Beware the hard charging Ice Dogs. Dryden Ice Dogs are going full tilt into the second round of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League playoffs.
…[read more]Jr. A playoff tracker
Soo Thunderbirds and Dryden Ice Dogs have advanced to the next round as best-of-seven playoff action continued in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Superior International Jr. Hockey League. Meanwhile, Hearst Lumberjacks and Sioux Lookout Bombers also posted Friday victories.
…[read more]Three teams advance
Sudbury Cubs and Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Thunder Bay North Stars of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League have all advanced to the second round of the playoffs via Game 5 victories on Thursday.
…[read more]Memorial Cup Spirit
As a Sault Ste. Marie resident, I was hoping that the Soo would be chosen as host city for the 2024 Memorial Cup tournament over fellow Ontario Hockey League bids from Kingston and Saginaw. But I can see clearly as to why Saginaw was chosen over both the Soo and Kingston.
…[read more]Jr. A playoff notes
Blind River Beavers, Powassan Voodoos and Wisconsin Lumberjacks all won games on Wednesday as best of seven playoffs continued in both the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Recruiting for Sault College
The ageless, relentless Charly Murray is on an ongoing recruiting mission as the head scout for the varsity men’s hockey team at Sault College.
…[read more]Jr. A playoff trail
Hearst Lumberjacks, Timmins Rock, Fort Frances Lakers, Wisconsin Lumberjacks and Thunder Bay North Stars all skated to victory on Tuesday as the playoff season carried on in both the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Birds, Cubs, Rapids win
Opening round, best of seven playoff action continued in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League on Monday with three games.
…[read more]Frattinger fires up Dryden
Heart and soul captain Brady Frattinger netted the hat trick and the Dryden Ice Dogs pushed the Fort Frances Lakers to the edge of elimination in their opening round, Superior International Jr. Hockey League playoff series.
…[read more]Marois to the rescue
A splendid 65-save show by Jake Marois backstopped the Espanola Paper Kings to a 3-1 win over the Sudbury Cubs in Game 3 of their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series.
…[read more]SIJHL expanding to Kenora?
Junior hockey is poised to potentially return to the northwestern Ontario town of Kenora, which is located on the Lake Of The Woods near the Manitoba border.
…[read more]Jr. A playoffs continue
Soo Thunderbirds, Timmins Rock, Powassan Voodoos, Dryden Ice Dogs and Sioux Lookout Bombers all registered wins on Saturday as best-of-seven playoff activity continued in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]U18 Hounds are renowned
They did not close out the season with the victory that was highly expected and extremely probable. But while the Soo Jr. Greyhounds did not win the Great North Under 18 Hockey League championship, they did showcase a slew of skilled skaters who stood tall throughout the 2022-2023 season.
…[read more]Jr. A playoff roundup
Sudbury Cubs, Timmins Rock, Thunder Bay North Stars and Sioux Lookout Bombers all posted wins on Friday as best-of-seven playoffs continued in both the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Great North notables
A runaway regular season race to first place for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds. An improbable upset by the North Bay U18 Trappers to take the playoff championship from the Soo in stunning fashion. That and more from an eye-opening season in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League.
…[read more]Jr. A playoffs underway
First pucks have dropped on the playoff season in both the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]SIJHL playoff picture
Six of the seven teams from the Superior International Jr. Hockey League will face off to begin the playoffs this week. All seven teams in the SIJHL qualify for the playoffs with the first place Kam River Fighting Walleye getting an opening round bye.
…[read more]NOJHL playoff preview
The spring playoff runoff in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League gets underway this week. Four teams in each of the East and West divisions are in the chase for championship glory.
…[read more]Trappers take down Hounds
How did this happen? Soo U18 Greyhounds had won 16 straight games heading into today’s Great North Under 18 Hockey League championship outing against the North Bay U18 Trappers. But the visitors from North Bay upended the powerhouse Hounds by an 8-5 score to steal the Great North title in stunning fashion.
…[read more]Great North title tournament
Sault Ste. Marie is hosting the Great North Under 18 Hockey League playoff championship tournament this week. And the Soo U18 Greyhounds, as the host team — and first place finisher during the regular season — are certainly in a desirable position to repeat as league champs.
…[read more]Two in the Walleye net
For the second successive season the Kam River Fighting Walleye has one of the best 1-2 goalie duos in the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]This is one tough Ice Dog
Ben Hackl represents resilience. Over the past two years the 20-year old forward has suffered two facial injuries, a broken hand and a bad ankle sprain. The ankle injury was serious enough that Hackl missed the first 12 games of this 2022-2023 season for his hometown Dryden Ice Dogs of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Rock star is a Flint mint
Standout goalie Jacob Brown is developing in a big way with the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as a signed plum prospect of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Soo Indians hire Jerry Lortie
Simply stated, this is a really good addition. Soo Indians of the Michigan based, Under 18 Tier 1 Hockey Federation League have brought aboard Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario product Jerry Lortie as an assistant coach.
…[read more]Timmins adds U15 AAA team
This is really positive news for minor hockey in the Timmins area. Hockey News North has confirmed that the Timmins Majors of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League are expanding their program with the formation of a U15 AAA team effective the 2023-2024 season.
…[read more]Top 15 from Great North
We have 15 players with 2007 birth dates from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League who Hockey News North feels have the best chance to be selected at next month’s 2023 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Paper Kings are in
Coming through with multiple clutch victories over higher seeded teams has culminated in a well earned Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff spot for the upstart Espanola Paper Kings.
…[read more]100 games for Novello
Quietly and with little fan fare, hardworking forward Ethan Novello recently suited up for his 100th regular season game as a member of the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Up and down the NOJHL
As the regular season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League skates towards a conclusion there is still a lot to play for and plenty to write about ahead of the looming playoffs.
…[read more]All in at Sault College
There are two good sides to varsity hockey at Sault College. As there is men’s hockey, so too are there women who play the game they love.
…[read more]Mike Hall calls it quits
The men’s hockey program at Sault College is looking for a new head coach ahead of the 2023-2024 season. Hockey News North has confirmed that Mike Hall has retired as the Cougars bench boss.
…[read more]Rock of the NOJHL
They are a model franchise, both on and off the ice. Not only does the Timmins Rock top the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League attendance chart with a per game average of 693 but it is the leader among a number of other categories.
…[read more]Paper Kings in good spot
Espanola Paper Kings have a nine point lead on the Soo Eagles in the race for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Mauro and Mauro
Oh brother. The Mauro boys from Sault Ste. Marie are putting on productive performances for their respective teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Cook of the Kam River
To be sure, homegrown defenseman Jack Cook has been an impact player for the Kam River Fighting Walleye in his first season in the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Muzzin at the crossroads
The long and winding — not to mention improbable — hockey career of former Soo Greyhounds first rounder Jake Muzzin is at a standstill.
…[read more]Bell answers the call
Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have summoned affiliate player forward Coulson Bell from the Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League for a pair of games this week.
…[read more]10 straight for Blind River
Who are these guys? Blind River Beavers have won 10 straight games to move into sole possession of second place in the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]