All posts by Randy Russon
OHL shows its strength
An all-Ontario Hockey League final at the 99th running of the Memorial Cup tournament defines a clear show of superiority over both the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. …[read more]
Voodoos to Red Dragons
Defenseman Justin Schebel is moving on from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champion Powassan Voodoos to the Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association level. …[read more]
New coach in Wolves den
Two days after the mutual departure of veteran coach David Matsos, Sudbury Wolves have hired Cory Stillman as their new bench boss. …[read more]
Wolves new head coach is…
One day after announcing that David Matsos will not be returning as head coach next season, Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League have decided on a new bench boss. …[read more]
Begin back where he began
Marc-Alain Bégin is returning to his hockey roots in more ways than one. Not only will the 25-year old Begin be an assistant coach for the man who tutored him in their hometown, he will be coaching in the league where he was a former scoring star. …[read more]
Wolves, coach part company
Sudbury Wolves head coach David Matsos and the Ontario Hockey League team have opted to go separate ways, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
James Boyd, free agent GM
He has spent almost half his life in the Ontario Hockey League as a player, coach and general manager. And after departing the Mississauga Steelheads as their conference-winning GM, James Boyd is testing the free-agent waters. …[read more]
Timmins Rock coach search
It stands out as an attractive job in one of the bigger Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League markets that is also the attendance leader in the 12-member loop. …[read more]
Sudbury signs big left winger
Anthony Tabak has signed with the Sudbury Wolves after being their third-round pick at the 2017 Ontario Hockey League minor midget draft. …[read more]
Soaring Spitfires no surprise
From this corner, the only thing surprising about the Windsor Spitfires being off to a 2-0 start at the 2017 Memorial Cup tournament is that so many people are surprised. …[read more]
Stability defines Soo Eagles
They are a well-run junior A franchise that operates in the same small town as a Division 1 college program. Properly maintained as a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team on and off the ice, Soo Eagles define stability. …[read more]
Timmins Rock fires coach
Hired just a few weeks back, Ryan Woodward has been abruptly dismissed as coach of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Wait is over for Windsor
Windsor Spitfires will play their first game since April 4 tonight when the Memorial Cup hosts take to the ice to begin the 99th edition of the time honoured tournament. …[read more]
Hope, hype for Great North
Let us hope that expansion from seven to nine teams — including two minor midget entries — makes for increased player development and awareness within the Great North Midget Hockey League. …[read more]
Minor midget team for Soo
Members of the Great North Midget Hockey League have reversed an earlier decision to deny entry to a minor midget team from Sault Ste. Marie and have now voted in favour of admittance for the 2017-2018 season. …[read more]
New command in Blind River
Fresh from an epic on-ice turnaround that revived junior hockey in Blind River, the Beavers now sport a vivid look in the board room led by a new president and general manager. …[read more]
New goalie coach in Saginaw
Saginaw Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill has confirmed the hiring of the highly-touted A.J. Walczak as goalie coach for the Ontario Hockey League team. …[read more]
Prestigious award for Peters
Of the multiple honours that the Ontario Hockey League awards annually one of the most heartfelt and sentimental is the Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy. …[read more]
Spirit shows at prospect camp
All in all, general manager Dave Drinkill was impressed with the pace that was set at the Saginaw Spirit prospect camp that featured a Sault Ste. Marie pair among the 33 participants. …[read more]
Erie acquisitions paid off
Seen as a contender even before the season began, Erie Otters added on to what was already a very good team en route to winning the 2017 Ontario Hockey League championship. …[read more]
Soo boy a CCHL co-owner
Kemptville 73’s of the Central Canada Hockey League have been sold to an ownership group that includes a Sault Ste. Marie native. …[read more]
Sault Major sends an appeal
Sault Major Hockey Association is asking the Great North Midget Hockey League to reconsider its recent decision to deny membership to a minor midget team from the Soo for the 2017-2018 season. …[read more]
Hounds sign 4th-rounder
Soo Greyhounds have signed their fourth-round pick from the 2017 Ontario Hockey League draft, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Headrick, Culina to meet up
Teammates at the major bantam, minor midget and junior A hockey levels in Sault Ste. Marie, the paths of Owen Headrick and Mario Culina will cross again at next week’s Memorial Cup tournament. …[read more]
Camaryn Baber at Spirit camp
Sault Ste. Marie’s Camaryn Baber is one of 33 players taking part in the Ontario Hockey League prospect camp of the Saginaw Spirit. …[read more]
When I think of Windsor
Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League and the city itself will be in the national spotlight as hosts of the 2017 Memorial Cup tournament that begins on May 19. As someone with a long association to Windsor through family and hockey, thoughts are many and memorable related to the town and the Spitfires. …[read more]
Yes to North Bay, no to Soo
There will be no minor midget team from Sault Ste. Marie added to the Great North Midget Hockey League but a second entry from North Bay has been accepted effective the 2017-2018 season. …[read more]
Hounds top dog signs on
Some call a signing a formality. But just as it is exciting when a player is drafted in to the Ontario Hockey League there is also a level of excitement when an actual agreement is signed. …[read more]
Wolves scout is Taylor made
Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League have confirmed the promotion of seasoned talent judge Mike Taylor to head scout. …[read more]
Spirit of the north fills camp
Northern Ontario will pipeline a prolific player presence when the Saginaw Spirit holds its prospect camp this weekend. …[read more]
Porco, Baber star at Gold Cup
Featuring the top 2001 birth-year players in Ontario, the 2017 edition of the eight-team OHL Gold Cup tournament wrapped up on the weekend. …[read more]
Cormier key to Spirit revival
As the Spirit seeks to rise in Saginaw and return to the Ontario Hockey League playoffs in 2017-2018 it could well begin with the presence of goalie Evan Cormier. …[read more]
Crunch to Colonels
All-star defenseman Joe Thielen is moving up from the Cochrane Crunch of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the Curry College Colonels, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
10 new Flyers in Kap
Kapuskasing Flyers of the Great North Midget Hockey League have committed to 17 players — including 10 newcomers — for the 2017-2018 campaign. …[read more]
Big move up for big defender
He is not likely to be a first or second round pick at next month’s National Hockey League draft. But 1999 birth-year defenseman Fedor Gordeev of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League has gone from earlier projections as a seventh-round pick to a possible third or fourth round selection. …[read more]
Bertuzzi hockey family, Act 3
They have family and hockey roots that are deep within the gritty northern Ontario town of Sudbury. But at the Ontario Hockey League level it is the Guelph Storm that continues to serve as home to the Bertuzzi family. …[read more]
Blind River to Sault College
Andrew Trowbridge is moving on from three full seasons with the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to play for the Sault College Cougars effective the 2017-2018 campaign. …[read more]
Brennan Roy piles up points
From the Kapuskasing Flyers of the Great North Midget Hockey League to the erstwhile Abitibi Eskimos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the best defenseman in the Ontario Jr. Hockey League as a member of the Cobourg Cougars. …[read more]
Better late than never
Centre Blade Jenkins did a bit of an end around. But the end result is that the first round draft pick of the Saginaw Spirit from 2016 has signed up with the Ontario Hockey League team. …[read more]
Otters and Steelheads
Facing off for the 2016-2017 Ontario Hockey League championship are the no. 1 seed from the Western Conference and the no. 2 seed from the Eastern Conference. …[read more]
BR Beavers to Concordia
Blind River Beavers forward Zak Lambrecht is headed back to his home state of Minnesota to play for the Concordia College Cobbers effective the 2017-2018 season, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Blade catches the Spirit
The press keeps rolling on what has been a very good news week for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
More on the Porco signing
It was a packed press conference with cameras and tape recorders rolling as the Saginaw Spirit confirmed the signing of its first round pick from the 2017 Ontario Hockey League draft. …[read more]
Top pick Porco has the Spirit
Already possessing considerable Spirit with some of the best young talent in the Ontario Hockey League, a new kid on the block has signed up in Saginaw. …[read more]
Good job, Brandon Grandinetti
A standout in the classroom and a high-end defenseman on the ice, Sault Ste. Marie’s Brandon Grandinetti is headed to new heights. …[read more]
Soo Eagles to Wisconsin
Chris Murphy, who led Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in scoring this past season, has committed to play for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons. …[read more]
NB Trappers to Mississauga
Defenseman Jake Gravelle, who starred with the North Bay Trappers of the Great North Midget Hockey League this past season, has signed with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
May 1 musings
A little bit of this and a little bit of that. That is how we will head into May and the continuation of a hockey season that never really ends. …[read more]