All posts by Randy Russon
Flint of the NHL Draft
Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League have continued their franchise streak of having at least one player drafted at the annual National Hockey League selections process.
…[read more]Hounds of the NHL Draft
Goalie Landon Miller and forward Owen Allard of the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League have become 2024 National Hockey League draft picks.
…[read more]Pitawanakwat to Paper Kings
Barrie Colts draft pick Ashton Pitawanakwat has signed with the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Paul Maurice and Stanley
I have been rooting for Paul Maurice ever since the 1984 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft when the Windsor Spitfires took the lanky defenseman in the third round from the Sault Ste. Marie Legion midgets.
…[read more]Bell rings for Soo Eagles
A high level hockey exodus from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to the Michigan Sault continues. Hard working, hard edged 2007 birth year forward Coulson Bell has signed with the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Hartsburg joins Sault Major
This is really good news — as good as it gets — for minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie. That is, Craig Hartsburg — world class as both a player and a coach — has been appointed to the position of AAA league director by the Sault Major Hockey Association.
…[read more]Soo Eagles sign OHL pick
Sault Ste. Marie product Cole Wreggitt, a 2008 birth year defenseman who was a fourth round pick by the Sudbury Wolves from the U18 AAA Soo Jr. Greyhounds at the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft, has signed with the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Cubs to the Birds nest
Sudbury Cubs have confirmed that they have dealt championship goalie Noah Metivier to his hometown Soo Thunderbirds in a cash exchange.
…[read more]Mix of Rossetto, Garden
Every year seems to yield a steal as far as Ontario Hockey League draft picks go. Two from the 2024 OHL priority selections draft who just might end up being swindles are smaller size forwards Nik Rossetto of the Brantford Bulldogs and Ethan Garden of the Windsor Spitfires.
…[read more]NOJHL changes the way to go
Simply put, this makes sense. One division instead of two means the best eight teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will make the playoffs effective the 2024-2025 season. The NOJHL’s playoff format of the previous two years was seriously flawed in a one-sided way.
…[read more]Vikings of Northern Ontario
Make that four highly regarded northern lads among the veteran players who have thus far made approved commitments to return to the Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]OHL draft pick to Espanola
High scoring forward Kaden Wicklander has signed with the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Owen Sound via Powassan
He was the first head coach for the Powassan Voodoos and led the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team to the 2017 championship in just its third season of existence. Now, after a six year apprenticeship as an assistant coach with the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League, Scott Wray has his first OHL head coaching gig as the new bench boss of the Owen Sound Attack.
…[read more]T-Birds sign four locals
Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have stayed in their own backyard to sign four local forwards ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]Eagles goalie to Oswego State
Anthony Zolezzi is moving on from the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with nothing but glowing words for general manager Bruno Bragagnolo and the program.
…[read more]Player to coach in Blind River
Tyson MacLeod’s association with his hometown Blind River Beavers is coming full circle. A former productive forward with the Beavers, the 29-year old MacLeod has been hired as a new assistant coach for the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team.
…[read more]Beavers, Birds and baptism
It has been up and down and all around since I really got into close up coverage and insight on the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. I had covered the NOJHL here and there over time but began year round coverage of it in earnest back in 2004 when well known coach Jim Capy parted ways with the Soo Thunderbirds after taking them to the league championship series in four successive seasons.
…[read more]New gig for an old scout
Charly Murray is getting back into the game he loves. Now in his mid 70s and with his commitment to the sport not lacking in energy or enthusiasm, Murray has joined the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as their Sault Ste. Marie-based scout.
…[read more]Road hockey heroes
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from my next book — More Tales Of An Old Hockey Writer — which I plan on publishing later this year.)
…[read more]Spirit win was no surprise
The best team won the single game showdown between two powerhouse Ontario Hockey League squads and the right to hoist the time honoured Memorial Cup. Saginaw Spirit was able to withstand a frantic comeback by the London Knights with a dramatic goal of its own as the seconds ticked away in the third period of what was an absolute thriller on the theatre.
…[read more]Vikings assemble for battle
Jef Jarmovitch has had time on his side as he prepares for his second season as the owner and president of the Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Bulldogs are big on Rossetto
As Hockey News North was first to report, this looms as a potential steal of a third round draft pick. As in, Sault Ste. Marie product Nik Rossetto has officially signed with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Ahead of a new NOJHL season
June 1 marks the official start to the 2024-2025 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season. Among other new business, player signings and transactions can be confirmed and finalized. And the league will settle its regular season schedule and revamped playoff format for the ’24-25 campaign at its annual general meeting.
…[read more]Firebirds re-up assistants
Much valued assistant coaches Reijo Ruotsalainen and Saverio Posa will return to the coaching staff of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League for the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]Mazzuca sits in CJHL chair
The Canadian Jr. Hockey League has confirmed its executive committee for the 2024-2025 season. And Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League commissioner Rob Mazzuca has been acclaimed as CJHL chair of the board for another season.
…[read more]Knight train keeps rolling
This is not a one Knight stand. For the record, the London Knights have not had a losing season in more than 20 years, a feat that is unmatched among the member teams in the Ontario Hockey League. This is a junior hockey dynasty. This is a junior hockey powerhouse. This is a junior hockey franchise that is the envy of many.
…[read more]OHL’s best at Memorial Cup
It is fitting that the top two teams in the Ontario Hockey League during the 2023-2024 regular season will both compete for this year’s Memorial Cup championship.
…[read more]New coach for EL Vikings
Hopefully this is a breath of fresh air for Elliot Lake. That is, there is a new head coach and general manager on board with the Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]In and out of the Eagles nest
It has been a hectic off season to date for Bruno Bragagnolo, who is the president and general manager of the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Eagles d-man off to Marian
A sixth player from the 2023-2024 edition of the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has a school commitment for the 2024-2025 season. Defenseman Lane Janssen is headed to Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Marian is a Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association program.
…[read more]Rossetto opts for the OHL
This looms as a potential steal of a third round draft pick. That is, Sault Ste. Marie product Nik Rossetto is poised to sign with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League, Hockey News North has learned.
…[read more]Miller time for Soo Eagles
Joey Miller, who played in more than 190 games for the Soo Thunderbirds as a high scoring forward and later became an assistant coach with the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team, has himself a new gig.
…[read more]Fox of the Eagles to school
Three full seasons with the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has turned into a National Collegiate Athletic Association school commitment for 2003 birth year defenseman Coby Fox.
…[read more]Rebek to coach Soo Eagles
He was the first choice of president and general manager Bruno Bragagnolo to become the new head coach of the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. So, suffice to say that Bragagnolo got what he wanted in Jeremy Rebek.
…[read more]On to the OHL finals
There will be two Ontario Hockey League teams that will compete at the 2024 Memorial Cup championship tournament later this month in Saginaw, Michigan. One will be the host Saginaw Spirit. The other will be either the London Knights or Oshawa Generals.
…[read more]OHL orientation camps
There is little or no break from the game. As recent examples of that, there are multiple teams in the Ontario Hockey League who are hosting summer orientation camps for many of their younger drafted and free agent prospects ahead of future off season sessions.
…[read more]OHL, NOJHL coach vacancies
There are prime head coaching opportunities available in both the Ontario Hockey League and Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Adding on in Elliot Lake
What goes around has come around for John Buchanan. Having briefly served as general manager of the erstwhile, rag-tag Elliot Lake Red Wings in 2021, Buchanan is back in town as the assistant GM for the since rebranded Elliot Lake Vikings.
…[read more]Seven up in the Flint net
The net seems set in Flint for the foreseeable future. Edmonton Oilers draft pick Nathan Day and his seasoned presence tops the list of seven goalies who the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League have on their present protected list of puck stoppers.
…[read more]U18 Hounds have 13 so far
Head coach Jeremy Stevenson of the Soo U18 Jr. Greyhounds has picked the majority of his roster ahead of the 2024-2025 Great North Under 18 Hockey League season.
…[read more]SIJHL commissioner is out
A ‘help wanted’ sign has been posted on the commissioner’s door of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League. Darrin Nicholas, who has served as SIJHL commissioner since 2020, is no longer on the job effective immediately.
…[read more]Sudbury Cubs at the top
Sudbury Cubs of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are led by a pledged, philanthropic proprietor in Mark Burgess whose decades-long commitment to the game as the former owner of the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League is without question.
…[read more]Top pick has Flint all fired up
Flint Firebirds have signed the player who was the undivided choice of the scouting staff to be their first round pick at the recent 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Spitfires build depth in net
Windsor Spitfires — who missed the Ontario Hockey League playoffs this season after back to back first place finishes atop the Western Conference — have assembled a cargo of goalies to choose from as part of their present and future flight plan.
…[read more]Blind River to Sault College
Two high end graduates of one of the top programs in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have committed to the Sault College Cougars of the American Collegiate Hockey Association ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]Cubs are NOJHL champs
Sudbury Cubs are the big bears of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Under the committed ownership of Mark Burgess and his chief lieutenant Blaine Smith, the Cubs have brought a junior hockey championship to Greater Sudbury.
…[read more]Showdown: Spirit v. Knights
A featured attraction on the Ontario Hockey League playoff scene has the London Knights and Saginaw Spirit set to face off in a Western Conference showdown between two teams that both won 50 games during the regular season.
…[read more]Soo Eagles off to school
Four members from the 2023-2024 edition of the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have school commitments effective the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]