All posts by Randy Russon
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]
It will be Erie v. Mississauga
The finalists for the Ontario Hockey League championship series have been finalized. Erie Otters ousted the Owen Sound Attack today to cap a Western Conference series comeback. …[read more]
Iroquois Falls to Cochrane
Cochrane Crunch owner-general manager-coach Ryan Leonard has confirmed the hiring of former Iroquois Falls Eskis bench boss Jamy Bernier. …[read more]
Express commitment to NCAA
Hard-nosed, high-scoring forward Aaron Roschinsky is taking his talents from the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association level. …[read more]
Signed up in Kap
Kapuskasing Flyers of the Great North Midget Hockey League have signed 13 players ahead of the continuation of their spring tryout camp which wraps up this weekend. …[read more]
Steelheads success story
A pre-season favourite to be a top contender within the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League, it instead looked for a while as though the Mississauga Steelheads were going to be the bust of the 2016-2017 campaign. …[read more]
Lining up to work for 67’s
Two very attractive positions in the Ontario Hockey League have opened up with the resignation of Jeff Brown as coach and general manager of the Ottawa 67’s. …[read more]
Change of the guard in Ottawa
After three seasons on the job — and three Ontario Hockey League playoff appearances — Jeff Brown has resigned as coach and general manager of the Ottawa 67’s. …[read more]
Seven straight for Steelheads
The hottest team in the Ontario Hockey League is neither of the Western Conference powerhouses, the Erie Otters or Owen Sound Attack. Rather, it is the surging Mississauga Steelheads, winners of seven straight playoff games. …[read more]
New coach for Timmins Rock
Ryan Woodward will take over from the retired Paul Gagne as head coach of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Beavers, Brick and an old goat
They may not be the best team in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. But the Blind River Beavers went from 11th place overall in 2015-2016 to the NOJHL championship series in 2016-2017. …[read more]
Wolves sign 1st-rounder
Centre Blake Murray has officially committed to the Sudbury Wolves after being their first round pick at this month’s Ontario Hockey League minor midget draft. …[read more]