All posts by Randy Russon
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]Capt. Caulfield of the Eagles
Soo Eagles have rebounded from a sluggish start to the ’24-25 regular season to move up to the middle of the standings among the 12 teams of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Leading by example, captain Lucas Caulfield is one of the offensive forces for the Eagles with seven goals, three assists, 10 points in nine games.
…[read more]Day after Day in Flint
Being a workhorse goalie is part of the routine for Nathan Day of the Flint Firebirds. Day has been in the net for every minute of Flint’s five games to begin the ’24-25 Ontario Hockey League season.
…[read more]Local lad in net in Halton
Goalie Cam Ingram, who hails from the Sault Ste. Marie area farming town of Echo Bay, is spending the ’24-25 season with the Halton Hurricanes of the AAA Under 18 Ontario Minor Hockey Association. The 6 foot, 185 pound Ingram, who has a November 7, 2008 birth date, was picked by the Windsor Spitfires in the 13th round of the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Romaniuk to the QMJHL
Scoring sensation Brant Romaniuk is moving up from the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Maritimes Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Relative balance in SI
Five of the eight teams in the Superior International Jr. Hockey League are above the .500 mark in the early going of the ’24-25 season.
…[read more]In the Nik of time
It only took three games for Sault Ste. Marie stalwart Nik Rossetto to score his first goal in the Ontario Hockey League as a member of the Brantford Bulldogs.
…[read more]NOJHL and its Game Day
Commissioner Rob Mazzuca has been known to stress that one of the first and foremost goals of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is the development and promotion of its players.
…[read more]Rapids on a modest rise
They began the regular season with a 9-1 loss to the perennial powerhouse Timmins Rock. But in the three games since, the surging French River Rapids have gained points in each outing and thus have a 1-1-2 record heading into this week’s Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League Showcase Tournament.
…[read more]One for the EL Vikings
They went on the road on Saturday night and worked overtime. And they won. Elliot Lake Vikings orchestrated a comeback triumph over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners for their first victory of the ’24-25 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season.
…[read more]Capt. Carlisle of the Hounds
Overage defenseman Caeden Carlisle will wear the captain’s jersey for the Soo Greyhounds for the ’24-25 Ontario Hockey League season.
…[read more]Signoretti lights it up
Welcome to another edition of the Lucas Signoretti scoring show. The pint sized puck hound clicked for two goals and added three assists on Thursday as the Sudbury Cubs cuffed the Espanola Paper Kings by an 11-1 margin.
…[read more]Rock atop NOJHL block
Timmins Rock is the only team among the 12 of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to have a perfect record through the first couple of weeks of the ’24-25 regular season.
…[read more]Motor City to Hound Town
Keep an eye on this guy. Free agent pick up Erik Muxlow has the makings of being a noteworthy addition to the present and future of the Soo Greyhounds.
…[read more]Hounds in a rebuild house
Real time in the Ontario Hockey League — as in the ’24-25 regular season — is set for this week. In Sault Ste. Marie, first action for the Greyhounds is on Friday night when the Red and White plays host to the reigning Memorial Cup champion Saginaw Spirit at GFL Memorial Gardens.
…[read more]Oh brother! Halletts in Kap
They more than paid their dues through the AA level under 15, under 16 and under 18 programs within the ranks of the Sault Major Hockey Association. And being cut time and time again by various AAA teams in the Sault failed to deter twin brothers Nick Hallett and Logan Hallett from reaching their goals.
…[read more]Ontario side of Soo Eagles
Under the no nonsense leadership of long time president and general manager Bruno Bragagnolo the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are a model franchise that is based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. And while Bragagnolo and the majority of the players and volunteers are American citizens, the Eagles also have a significant Canadian presence from across the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
…[read more]Watch out for Steelheads
The Ontario Hockey League is back in Brampton this season after an absence of more than 10 years. The Steelheads have relocated from Mississauga to Brampton, which is a distance of a mere six miles. And after an 84 point season in ’23-24 — which was good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, just five points out of first — the Steelheads are a prime time contender for OHL glory in ’24-25.
…[read more]Beavers, Rock both 2-0
Two teams are off to tidy 2-0 starts following the first week of ’24-25 regular season play in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Take a hike, Ryder Cali
Soo Greyhounds have dealt no show forward Ryder Cali to the North Bay Battalion for a collection of future Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft picks.
…[read more]T-Birds go back 25 years
The modern version of the Soo Thunderbirds first hit the ice as initiate members of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League back in 1999.
…[read more]