All posts by Randy Russon
Assistants for the Rock
Timmins Rock president Ted Gooch has told Hockey News North that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team will not hire a new head coach until after the 2020-2021 season.
Gooch confirmed that in the wake of today’s resignation of Corey Beer, who was in his fourth season as bench boss of the NOJHL team.
…[read more]No more Beer in Timmins
Corey Beer has resigned as head coach of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to accept a position with the Okanagan Hockey Group.
The move to the Whitby, Ontario-based academy will allow Beer to be closer to his family. Beer and his girlfriend are expecting their first child.
…[read more]NOJHL poised to return
Barring any sort of setback relative to COVID-19, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League could resume regular season play within a week or so.
Sources have told Hockey News North that NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca and team representatives have scheduled a conference call for Tuesday evening relative to a return to play.
…[read more]Sault High slate is set
A 10-game regular season to be followed by the playoffs is what has been set up for the Sault High Blue Devils.
Having now played two games in a 2020-2021 regular season that finally began on February 10 relative to COVID-19, Sault High has three more matches slated for this month and another five in March.
Playoffs will then begin on March 15 as part of a state format in which all high school hockey teams in Michigan qualify for the post season.
…[read more]Devils night goes to Gaylord
The battle of the Blue Devils went to Gaylord. Playing at home, Gaylord Blue Devils hissed past the Sault High Blue Devils 7-3 in Michigan high school hockey action from Saturday night.
…[read more]Battle of the Blue Devils
The chilly confines of the Otsego County Sportsplex will serve as the frozen stage for a Michigan high school hockey showdown tonight when the Gaylord Blue Devils play host to the Sault High Blue Devils.
Sault High, which began the 2020-2021 season earlier this week with a 2-1 win over the Cheboygan Chiefs, will face off against a Gaylord squad which will be playing its third game in four nights, having blanked the Cadillac Vikings 4-0 before dropping a 6-4 decision to the Midland Chemics.
…[read more]Michigan Sault hockey hub
There are four high profile hockey teams that are based in the small town of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which has a population of less than 14,000 full-time residents.
They include the Lake Superior State University Lakers, the Soo Eagles juniors, the under 18 Soo Indians, and the Sault High Blue Devils.
And following clearance from the state of Michigan, high school hockey has finally been able to begin the 2020-2021 regular season. Thus, the return to play of the Sault High squad.
…[read more]OHL boss is optimistic
The 18 teams of the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League have already combined to play well over 150 games thus far into the COVID-19 affected, 2020-2021 regular season.
Meanwhile, the 22-member Western Hockey League is slated to begin play on February 26 with games involving its Alberta-based teams.
Over to the Ontario Hockey League — where COVID-19 cases continue to drop province wide — no firm start date has been determined for its 20 teams, three of which are American-based. But commissioner David Branch is optimistic that the OHL, which along with the QMJHL and WHL are under the umbrella of the Canadian Hockey League, will play hockey this season.
…[read more]Sault High hockey set to go
High school hockey in the state of Michigan has been cleared to begin the 2020-2021 season.
And the Sault High Blue Devils will begin play tonight against the visiting Cheboygan Chiefs with a 7:00 match at Big Bear Arena.
All Sault High games will be broadcast live on local radio station Eagle 95.1 http://EagleRadio951.com with Tim Ellis calling the play by play and his brother, Clayt Ellis, providing the colour commentary.
Four other games are on the slate for Sault High this month and they are as follows.
…[read more]Telling it like it is
If I had a dime for every time I spoke my mind and got in trouble for it, I would have at least a couple hundred thousand extra dollars in my bank account.
Just like if a player could speak his mind about a coach and not have to worry about being labelled as a trouble maker and either be released or traded.
Or if a coach could reasonably criticize a referee without fear of reprisal from not only the ref himself but from the league in the form of a fine or suspension.
…[read more]Tales of an old hockey writer
It has been a few years in the making.
And now, my book, Tales Of An Old Hockey Writer, is slated to be published and ready for release at some point in 2021.
The book will date back to the mid 1970s when I first became a paid member of the media after a mediocre departure from Sault College where I really liked English classes with Neil Carter and learned a few things in Broadcast Journalism from Tom Iley.
…[read more]NOJHL has passed COVID test
If a tried, tested and true track record stands up — as it should — then the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League should be cleared for a return to the ice once the provincial government lifts its lock down and stay at home edict.
Under the careful, calculated leadership of NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca, the league managed to play 41 of the 44 games that were scheduled between Nov. 13 and Dec. 22.
…[read more]Final playoff push for Kovacs
Sault Ste. Marie product Bronson Kovacs has had his wish granted to join a playoff contender in the Erste Liga pro hockey loop.
The 30-year old defenseman has been transferred to MAC Budapest from the Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák Steel Bulls.
Kovacs noted that as this is his sixth and final season of playing pro in Hungary, “I was granted my release so I could sign with a contender for my last playoff push.”
…[read more]Express route for OHL picks
Nestled on the Spanish River, about 35 miles west of Sudbury and 145 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie — and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17 — lies the little junior A hockey town of Espanola.
As the town is home to just under 5,000 residents, it also houses the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. And quite notably, the Express has become a route of choice for no less than nine Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft picks ranging in age from 16 to 18.
…[read more]Ready to play up north
They are waiting for the go ahead from the provincial government and the respective public health units and municipalities of northeastern Ontario.
In the interim, players and coaches on teams from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are prepared to return to the ice should the provincial stay-at-home lock down be lifted on schedule on February 11 — and if the various public health and city officials subsequently allow indoor rinks to re-open.
…[read more]Stars still high on Porco
Almost two years after taking Nick Porco in the fifth round of the 2019 National Hockey League draft, the Dallas Stars still like what they have in the 19-year old winger from Sault Ste. Marie.
Joe McDonnell, who is the director of amateur scouting for the Stars and the person responsible for picking Porco, made that quite clear when talking to Hockey News North.
…[read more]Nick Porco with Texas Stars
As the Ontario Hockey League remains in limbo as to when or if the 2020-2021 season will begin, junior age players from the various teams are, in the meantime, getting opportunities to play pro.
One such prospect is Nick Porco, a 19-year old left winger from Sault Ste. Marie who is a member of the OHL’s Barrie Colts and a National Hockey League draft pick of the Dallas Stars.
…[read more]Jack Kopacka packs his bags
Former Soo Greyhounds winger Jack Kopacka has had his National Hockey League rights transferred.
The 6-foot-2, 200 pound Kopacka, who had three productive seasons with the Greyhounds after being an eighth round pick at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft, is now the NHL property of the Ottawa Senators following a trade today with the San Jose Sharks.
…[read more]NE Ontario season scenarios
The best that hockey leagues in northeastern Ontario can hope for relative to the provincial government’s stay at home order is that the current lock down will be lifted on schedule on or about the weekend of February 12.
Hope is an operative word in this current climate of COVID-19. And given that northeastern Ontario is not home to any COVID-19 hot spot areas, a return to play in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Great North Under 18 Hockey League may be within reach at some point in February.
…[read more]Knights before Hunters
Given their sustained success as co-owners and as general manager and head coach, it sometimes seems as though the dynamic duo of Dale Hunter and Mark Hunter have always operated the London Knights.
But the Knights had an illustrious — if not as prolific — presence in the Ontario Hockey League long before the Hunter boys arrived in London back in 2000.
In short, there were Knights before there were Hunters.
…[read more]NHL staffs plentiful Soo crew
There is more to the current Sault Ste. Marie connection to the National Hockey League than the many players who are either from the Soo or who played for the Ontario Hockey League Greyhounds.
A lot more.
As a matter of fact, there are in excess of 20 guys with a link to the Soo who are part of NHL staffs as coaches, general managers and scouts.
…[read more]RIP, George Wood
We have lost another good one.
Just 53 years old, George Wood passed away suddenly on Sunday, leaving behind a loving family including parents, wife, sons and many others.
Quietly active in the community as a business owner and low-key hockey parent, George typified a good, simple, humble guy — someone who was happy just to talk about his family, fish, hunt and have a beer.
…[read more]He does it the Wright way
He is one of the really good guys of the Sault Ste. Marie amateur hockey scene.
In fact, he is just a really good guy, period.
As a player, Aidan Wright was a steady, stay-at-home defenseman who took a long and winding road from the Sault and back again to play four full seasons of hockey at the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association level.
…[read more]Life in the lock down
And so they wait, with any resumption of a season solely in the hands of public health units and the Ontario government.
As with the rest of the province as it relates to the amateur level of the game, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is in a shut down state as per the government lock down.
Players on the nine NOJHL teams that were set to resume play this month before the lock down order was issued have remained together in their respective communities, hopeful and prayerful of a return to play at some point this season.
…[read more]SIJHL reacts to lock down
The commissioner of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League did not mince words in addressing the Ontario government’s latest lock down and state of emergency edict.
SIJHL commissioner Darrin Nicholas has issued a terse statement on behalf of the northwestern Ontario based league.
…[read more]Beavers first won with Capy
The early years of the Blind River Beavers in what is the modern day Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League yielded very few victories for the small market franchise.
To be sure, the Beavers won just 31 of 178 games over four seasons that began with their debut campaign of 2000-2001.
…[read more]Bad News, Billy the Kid et al
They didn’t win many games.
But for the most part, they tried hard, worked hard, were entertaining to watch and fun to write about.
In short, they were a collection of delightful rogues who played together and stuck together as the Manitoulin Islanders of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]It was a first for the Hounds
They had missed the playoffs in each of their first three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, beginning with their debut campaign of 1972-1973.
And fans and supporters of the Greyhounds — who were used to the winning ways from the team’s days in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association — were becoming restless and impatient.
…[read more]NOJHL is ahead of the game
This is positive news in a time of uncertainty.
That is, as it plans to return to play when and if it is cleared to do so by the provincial government via regional public health units, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is already ahead of the game.
…[read more]All even on the Express
A .500 mark through 10 games is at least a passing grade.
And what is worth noting is that the teacher — in this case the head coach — has given his students an ‘E’ for effort.
…[read more]Buffam moving on to KL
As the Powassan Voodoos have officially opted to take a leave of absence from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, players on their roster are free to sign with other teams for the remainder of the 2020-2021 season.
One such player is Jackson Buffam, a highly regarded forward with a December, 2002 birth date who signed with Powassan prior to the start of the current ’20-21 campaign after three productive seasons with the New Liskeard Cubs of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League.
…[read more]Working hard in Espanola
There have been ups and downs as evidenced by an 0-0-2 start through its first two contests to a 3-1-2 mark after six outings to the 4-4-2 record that it has 10 games into the 2020-2021 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season.
…[read more]Rock on to Rayside
The holiday embargo on player transactions in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has been lifted.
And Hockey News North has confirmed that the Timmins Rock has traded 2003 birth year defenseman Chris Innes to the Rayside Balfour Canadians in a cash exchange.
…[read more]Chelsea takes the Express
She takes aim and shoots.
And she scores with some really good close-up photos.
We have the work of another good Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team photographer to share.
…[read more]Bob shoots the Birds
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.
And, it says here, there are a number of independent photographers who do exceptional work on behalf of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]NOJHL January play update
As 2020 has moved into 2021, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has confirmed key components relative to a poised resumption of play for the ’20-21 campaign.
Notably, any return to activity is based on upcoming decisions by the Province of Ontario and the multiple regional public health units as they relate to the current COVID-19 lock down that is slated to end in northern Ontario on January 9, which is one week from today.
MVP to BR assistant coach
Given his druthers, Caleb Serre would be in uniform this season as a freshman forward with the Laurentian Voyageurs of Ontario University Athletics.
But with no university hockey being played relative to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 21-year old Serre has found an unexpected role as an assistant coach with his hometown Blind River Beavers.
…[read more]Brick boosts baby Beavers
They have their share of veteran performers who have helped vault the Blind River Beavers to five victories in eight outings through their first two sessions of cohort play in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
But four rookie players — two with 2004 birth dates and two others who were born in 2003 — are baby Beavers who have made an early splash in Blind River for veteran coach-general manager Kyle Brick.
…[read more]Net worth of the NOJHL
Through 41 games among the nine Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League teams that have been active thus far in the 2020-2021 regular season, no less 21 goalies have stood between the pipes.
And in a league that features so many good goalies, following is a Hockey News North look at six of the top twine tenders in the NOJHL through the early going of this season.
…[read more]At home on a back yard rink
No access to indoor arenas due to the current shutdown relative to COVID-19 hasn’t kept the Rossetto hockey family of the Sault off the ice.
To be sure, this could well define the classic ‘love of the game’ phrase.
…[read more]Here ‘n there in the north
Meaningful games have already been played.
Forty one regular season contests have taken place in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
And the major teams from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League have played as many as eight mini matches apiece.
…[read more]What’s next for the OHL?
Regular season action in junior hockey leagues that span northeastern and northwestern Ontario got underway in November with new playing rules that ban intentional contact — and with very few spectators allowed in the arenas.
But while the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League began regular season play on November 13 and the Superior International Jr. Hockey League started two weeks later, the higher level, higher stakes Ontario Hockey League has remained idle.
…[read more]NOJHL is passing the test
Since the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League began 2020-2021 regular season play back on November 13, a total of 44 games have been scheduled.
Of the 44, only three were not played relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. And it is worth noting that all three games were postponed by the NOJHL itself as precautionary measures — with not a single player, coach or official testing positive for the virus.
…[read more]Ritchie on the right track
No opportunity to play at home?
No problem, just head down the road.
That is what Sault Ste. Marie product Jordan Ritchie is doing as a 2001 birth year defenseman with the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
The free agent defender had been out skating with his hometown Soo Thunderbirds prior to the start of this 2020-2021 NOJHL season.
…[read more]Drive for five in NOJHL West
Teams in the cohort tent of the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are now on holiday recess until slated resumption of play in January.
And, to be sure, the Blind River Beavers, Espanola Express, Soo Thunderbirds, Rayside Balfour Canadians and French River Rapids have all wrapped their share of presents from regular season action during these modified days of play that began in mid November.
At any rate, following are some notable notations relative to the five active teams of the NOJHL West. Team records are in brackets.
…[read more]Express stays with the Birds
Younger and less experienced, the Espanola Express nonetheless showed a good compete level against the veteran-laden Soo Thunderbirds this weekend.
After scoring a dramatic, come-from-behind, 4-3 win over the Thunderbirds on Saturday, Espanola dropped a 4-1 decision — including empty net goal — to the visitors from the Soo this afternoon.
…[read more]Espanola overcomes the Soo
It was a frantic finish to a back and back forth contest.
With the game tied 3-3 and time ticking away, forward Cameron Walker scored his second goal of the third period — and third of the day — with 35 seconds left on the clock to lift the Espanola Express to a 4-3 win over the visiting Soo Thunderbirds in Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League action from this afternoon.
…[read more]Hendo & Hounds on hiatus
They have shown well through eight games to date with their COVID-19 cohorts from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League.
To be sure, head coach Jamie (Hendo) Henderson and his Soo Jr. Greyhounds have posted an impressive record of 4-2-2 against the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves in eight mini matches thus far this season.
But aside from inter squad competition and scheduled skill sessions, the Jr. Greyhounds and the rest of the teams in the Great North are now on hiatus from game play until a yet to be determined date in January.
…[read more]