All posts by Randy Russon
Return of the EL Vikings
The once vaunted Vikings are back to reclaim their age old junior hockey status in Elliot Lake. Long-time local resident Jef Jarmovitch has taken over operation of the Elliot Lake Red Wings from Paul Noad and rebranded the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise as the Elliot Lake Vikings.
…[read more]New operator in Elliot Lake
Paul Noad said he wasn’t looking to sell the Elliot Lake Red Wings. But when he was approached to sell the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise, the wheels went into motion for what is being returned to old roots as the Elliot Lake Vikings.
…[read more]NOJHL champs have a beer
Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has partnered with Full Beard Brewing Co. to launch a new beer, Red Light Lager. The reigning NOJHL champion Rock will debut the light beer at the team’s Don Lever-Steve Sullivan Golf Tournament this weekend.
…[read more]Summer in the hockey towns
Officially, in a given year, the average hockey season runs from September to May. Unofficially, it never really ends. Following is a choice selection of notable junior, college and under 18 hockey happenings — as they relate to the north region — thus far this off season.
…[read more]Kam River looks for a coach
Head coach Geoff Walker has departed the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League after leading it to a championship in his only season at the helm.
…[read more]Dawson to Powassan
A championship skater from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League who is also an Ontario Hockey League draft pick will suit up for the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League this coming season.
…[read more]Heading home to Sudbury
Ben Lacroix is in position to finish his junior hockey career at home. The 2003 birth date forward has been obtained by the Sudbury Cubs from the Espanola Paper Kings in a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cash transaction.
…[read more]Kirkland Lake to Hearst
Hearst Lumberjacks have added a solid, seasoned skater to their lineup by way of a cash transaction with their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League rival Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
…[read more]Boys of Team Canada North
It has been said. It has been written. That is, hockey season never really ends. And it is true. As an example, for several players from Northern Ontario in the 2011 birth year category, they are spending mid July in Vaughan, Ontario as part of the Sports Illustrated Hockey Prospects All Star Challenge.
…[read more]Jr. Greyhounds v. Soo Indians
A cross-border under-18 hockey rivalry is in position to be rekindled for the 2023-2024 season. Personnel from the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League and the Soo Indians of the USA Under 18 Tier 1 Hockey Federation League are upbeat and eager to face off in a series of exhibition matches over the course of the ’23-24 campaign.
…[read more]Paper Kings to Red Wings
Espanola Paper Kings have transferred a 2004 birth year defenseman to the Elliot Lake Red Wings in a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cash transaction.
…[read more]Net return for Paper Kings
Espanola Paper Kings president and head coach Jason Rapcewicz has confirmed the return of veteran goalie Jake Marois for the 2023-2024 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season.
…[read more]Iron Bridge boy at Northland
Shane Buckley has taken his hockey coaching career to his alma mater. The 33-year old Buckley, who hails from the village of Iron Bridge, which is about 70 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie along Highway 17, has been hired as the new head coach of the Northland College Lumberjacks. Northland is a Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association school that is based in Ashland, Wisconsin, a small town of about 8,000 residents on the shore of Lake Superior.
…[read more]Flint inks another draft pick
Flint Firebirds have signed a fourth prospect from the 2023 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. Right hand shot defenseman Jack D’Arcy has committed to the Firebirds. D’Arcy was Flint’s sixth round pick at the ’23 draft.
…[read more]Another Eagle off to school
High scoring defenseman Colin Handy is forgoing his final season of junior hockey eligibility to begin his collegiate career, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]U18 AAA Hounds, Indians
They are similar Under 18 AAA hockey programs that are separated by a mere two miles of International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie. One team plays in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League under the umbrella of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The other is a participant in the USA Under 18 Tier 1 Hockey Federation League as members of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association.
…[read more]Nest of Eagles off to school
Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have confirmed the ascension of several graduated players to the American college hockey ranks ahead of the upcoming school season.
…[read more]Paper Kings add some speed
Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have signed two forwards with speed and a scoring touch, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Noah Zeppa to Soo Eagles
He is an established goalie of good repute who starred for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League and the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Lined up at Sault College
This has the makings of being a good season. Potentially, at the very least. That is, the Sault College Cougars continue to add on to what is being set up as a lusty lineup ahead of the looming 2023-2024 varsity men’s hockey season.
…[read more]Net gain for Sault College
Following a strong showing at their spring skate tryout camp in June, the Sault College Cougars of the Division 2 American Collegiate Hockey Association have since confirmed the commitment of goalie Kaylan Campbell ahead of the 2023-2024 season.
…[read more]Fighting Walleye to the Eagles
Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have acquired a good size goalie in a trade with the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Cole Crowder to Sault College
Sault College Cougars have added a huge presence to their lineup ahead of the looming 2023-2024 varsity men’s hockey season. Cole Crowder, a hulking 6-foot-5, 220 pound forward, is headed to Sault College from the Sudbury Cubs of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Iroquois Falls to Elliot Lake
Right-hand shooting defenseman Blake Menard is now a member of the Elliot Lake Red Wings after being acquired in a recent Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cash transaction with the relocated Iroquois Falls Storm.
…[read more]Sargent of Fighting Walleye
Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League has stayed true to local roots with the signing of 2005 birth year forward Sam Sargent.
…[read more]Kam River deals for local lad
Reigning champion Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League has added another homegrown product in a cash exchange trade with the Hearst Lumberjacks of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]VIJHL to Blind River
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have acquired a seasoned forward via trade with the Kerry Park Islanders of the Vancouver Island Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]NOJHL to NHL draft picks
Teammates with the Soo Thunderbirds during the 2021-2022 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season, Andrew Gibson and Cooper Foster have since become National Hockey League draft picks.
…[read more]Beavers of the area ponds
As Blind River Beavers head coach and general manager Kyle Brick goes coast to coast in search of players he continues to pay close attention to area talent as he constantly strives to keep the small market Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise combative and competitive.
…[read more]Pool lands on the Rock
Elijah Pool is headed east from the Dryden Ice Dogs of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League to the reigning Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champion Timmins Rock in a cash transaction.
…[read more]Hearst to Kam River
Reigning Superior International Jr. Hockey League champion Kam River Fighting Walleye has acquired a homegrown defenseman from the Hearst Lumberjacks of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in a cash transaction.
…[read more]Fueled up in Flint
Flint Firebirds have been a model of steadiness and stability over the past two Ontario Hockey League seasons. Flint has registered respective regular season records of 42-21-5 and 35-28-5 and won two of its four playoff series over the past two OHL campaigns. The Firebirds have playoff series wins over the Owen Sound Attack and Soo Greyhounds. And the two playoff sets that Flint has lost have both been seventh and deciding game setbacks to higher seeded teams, namely the Windsor Spitfires in 2022 and the Saginaw Spirit in 2023.
…[read more]Brothers of Sault College
There will be a brother act among the brotherhood of players on the 2023-2024 edition of the Sault College Cougars varsity men’s hockey team. Following the earlier commitment of 21-year old defenseman Jackson Jacques, 19-year old forward Jeremiah Jacques will line up with his older brother at Sault College this coming season.
…[read more]Nyman returning to Rock
Dogged defenseman Tenzin Nyman is in a pole position to upgrade from depth defender to regular role with the reigning Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champion Timmins Rock in 2023-2024.
…[read more]Paper Kings add goalie coach
Sault Ste. Marie resident Bill Vanderleest is taking his goalie instructor skills a few hours down the highway. The affable, ageless Vanderleest has been hired as the goalie coach for the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Nickel Caps net tandem
Sudbury U18 Nickel Capitals of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League now have their goalie partners in place ahead of the 2023-2024 season.
…[read more]U18 Soo goalie to Sudbury
Sudbury U18 Nickel Capitals of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League have signed a 2007 birth year goalie from Sault Ste. Marie, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Kam River signs OHL draft pick
Homegrown goalie Travis VanderZwaag has signed with the reigning champion Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Underdogs of the Great North
Gone is the stacked team that blew through the Great North Under 18 Hockey League regular season with a record of 26-2-0 and then won its first four games of the playoff tournament only to lose in the championship match. While the 2022-2023 Soo Jr. Greyhounds were top dogs, the 2023-2024 edition is already being cast as underdogs.
…[read more]Registered at Sault College
Smooth skating, free wheeling, right-hand shooting defenseman Jackson Jacques is another player with high level junior hockey seasoning to recently commit to the Sault College Cougars of the American Collegiate Hockey Association for the 2023-2024 school year.
…[read more]Captain of the Rock
Felix “Freddy” Cadieux-Fredette has already played in more than 140 career games as a steady, ever ready defenseman for the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Boivin returning to Rock
Timmins Rock is poised to defend its 2022-2023 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship in 2023-2024 with its ace goalie between the pipes for another season.
…[read more]Lumberjacks to Paper Kings
Seasoned defenseman Liam Rampersad is on the move in a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cash transaction.
…[read more]Captain of the Paper Kings
Strong, steady defenseman Liam McDonald has been named the new captain of the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Hopefulness for U18 Hounds
Anticipation. Aspiration. Belief. Desire. Faith. Optimism. Promise. They are but a smattering of synonyms that somewhat define and depict the transition of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League from one regime to another.
…[read more]Five for the Thunderbirds
Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have signed five players who were with the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in 2022-2023.
…[read more]Hey all the way to Hearst
Hearst Lumberjacks of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added 2005 birth year forward Owen Hey by way of the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Tersigni joins U18 Hounds
Morgan Tersigni, who is a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist, has joined the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League as the associate coach under new head coach Sean Gagnon.
…[read more]Carricato to assist U18 Hounds
Sean Gagnon is adding an accomplished, seasoned hand to the bench of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in the person of newly-named assistant coach Pat Carricato.
…[read more]Local lads are for the Birds
Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have signed a pair of Ontario Hockey League draft picks who played for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in 2022-2023.
…[read more]Nickel Caps to Elliot Lake
Carter Carriere is moving up to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as a 15-year old defenseman who will not turn 16 until November.
…[read more]Soo boy to Elliot Lake
Solid size defenseman Sam Verbonac is joining the Elliot Lake Red Wings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League via the Huntsville Otters of the Provincial Jr. C Hockey League.
…[read more]Spring roar of the Cougars
This speaks volumes to the status of the program and the recruiting efforts of the staff. That is, more than 50 players showed up for the recent spring skate of the Sault College Cougars varsity men’s hockey team.
…[read more]Return of the Paper King
Star forward Lucas Signoretti has committed to return to the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for the 2023-2024 season.
…[read more]Gagnon has defied the odds
Naysayers be damned. Sean Gagnon has confronted, withstood and overcome the odds that were stacked against him more than once.
…[read more]Nickel Caps to Voodoos
He is staying in the north to play. High scoring forward Caden Dubreuil is moving up from the Sudbury U18 Nickel Capitals of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League to the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Beavers stay in the area
June 1 signals the official start to the 2023-2024 season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. As of today, teams can make trades and sign players as the league opens for business ahead of the ’23-24 campaign. Blind River Beavers are one team that has made commitments to players for the coming season.
…[read more]Soo boy to Espanola
Hulking defenseman Kiinen Saari has committed to the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League ahead of the 2023-2024 season, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Top U18 goalies in the area
There is a net worth of goalies from northern Ontario born in either 2006 or 2007 who have the tools to be top performers at the Under 18 AAA level come the 2023-2024 season.
…[read more]Great North gatherings
Symmetry could speak to harmony and equality for the Great North Under 18 Hockey League when pucks hit the ice for the 2023-2024 season. Soo Jr. Greyhounds held an extreme balance of power for the 2022-2023 regular season though it was the upstart North Bay U18 Trappers who wound up as playoff tournament champions.
…[read more]U15 Majors get their man
The newly-formed U15 AAA Timmins Majors of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association have hired their first-ever head coach. The U15 AAA Majors — who will be an affiliate team for the Timmins Majors of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League — have stayed local in hiring Steve Surcon as their bench boss.
…[read more]Outside interest in U18 Hounds
Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League have kept three roster spots open ahead of the 2023-2024 season. And Darrin Thomsen, who is the new general manager of the U18 Jr. Greyhounds, has confirmed that a number of out of town players have recently inquired about playing for the Soo in ’23-24.
…[read more]Memorial Cup & French River
This looks good — really good — on both the French River Rapids and the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. As in, this is the second successive season that a former French River player is with a major junior team that is competing in the Memorial Cup tournament.
…[read more]T-Birds to Sault College
A pair of fine forwards are moving on from the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the Sault College Cougars of the Division 2, American Collegiate Hockey Association effective the 2023-2024 season.
…[read more]Major news from Timmins
Timmins Majors of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League have signed six holdover players from the 2022-2023 season ahead of their August 18-20 main tryout camp.
…[read more]Notes from the Great North
Checking in with the Soo Jr. Greyhounds, Sudbury U18 Nickel Capitals and Timmins Majors of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League:
…[read more]Great North coaches corner
Sean Gagnon is in fine fellowship in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League as the new head coach of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds.
…[read more]Rock of the North
They represented the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with respect and class, traits that trickle down from president Ted Gooch to general manager and head coach Brandon Perry and his staff to the players. An NOJHL title team for the ages, the Timmins Rock recently posted a highly respectable 2-2-0 record at the 10-team Centennial Cup, 2023 national championship tournament.
…[read more]Coaching U18 Trappers
Reigning champion North Bay U18 Trappers of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League will have a different look back of the bench come the 2023-2024 season.
…[read more]Advancing from AA to AAA
Who says that once a youngster is labeled as an AA level player that he will advance no further? Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the AAA level, Great North Under 18 Hockey League are about to put that halfwitted, ill-considered, thoughtless notion to rest.
…[read more]Net gain for U18 Hounds
A year ago, the Soo Jr. Greyhounds rarely had to rely on their goaltending en route to finishing in first place in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League with a record of 26-2-0 while outscoring their opponents by a ridiculous margin of 152 to 46. But a glance ahead at the 2023-2024 season suggests that the Jr. Greyhounds will be banking big time on the newly-acquired net duo of A.J. Borrelli and Nick Marson.
…[read more]Hounds of the Great North
Some dreams have been realized. Some prayers have been answered. Some wrongs of the past have been righted. No less than 15 newcomers have been offered spots on the 2023-2024 edition of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in what is a fresh, clean start for the program.
…[read more]One for the Rock
Ethan Pool potted the overtime winner and Patrick Boivin made 46 saves as the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League began began play at the Centennial Cup national tournament in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba with a 4-3 win over the Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Hockey League.
…[read more]