All posts by Randy Russon
Surging 67’s step up to .500
The patience that Ottawa 67’s coach-general manager Jeff Brown has been preaching is starting to pay off for the surging Ontario Hockey League team. …[read more]
Flashback: Centennial years
It was North Bay’s first Ontario Hockey League team, arriving from Niagara Falls in 1982 only to leave for Saginaw 20 years later. …[read more]
Flint Firebirds a fearless foe
They won only 20 of 68 games in 2015-2016 but through 20 outings thus far in 2016-2017 the Flint Firebirds already have 11 victories on the board. …[read more]
EL coach “not on hot seat”
Elliot Lake Wildcats general manager Todd Stencill says first-year head coach Corey Bricknell “is not on the hot seat.” …[read more]
Wolves have coach vacancy
Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League are on the look for a new associate coach following the departure of Drake Berehowsky to the Orlando Solar Bears of the East Coast Hockey League. …[read more]
Hot to trot in the NOJHL
Here ‘n there in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as we approach mid November. …[read more]
Spirit rising
Given up for ghosts through the first 15 games of the 2016-2017 season, Saginaw Spirit has risen from the depths of the Ontario Hockey League to reel off three successive victories. …[read more]
Eagles take it to the limit
Fourth-place Soo Eagles continue to save their best for the first-place Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Adding on to the Express
Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is not a reflection of its 5-15-1 record through 21 games of the 2016-2017 season, according to team president Chad Clarke. …[read more]
Fortier loves hockey, enjoys life
Jason Fortier loves his gig as an associate coach with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League — but he enjoys his time away from the rink as well. …[read more]
One point down, 578 to go
Daylon Groulx has not only ascended to making his debut with the Owen Sound Attack after being a fourth-round draft pick this year but the 2000 birth-date forward has his first Ontario Hockey League goal and point. …[read more]
67’s add scorer from Spirit
Ottawa 67’s have acquired former Saginaw Spirit first-rounder Tye Felhaber in an Ontario Hockey League trade involving the 1998 birth-year forward and a total of seven draft picks. …[read more]
Who are the best 16-year olds?
The recent World Under-17 Hockey Challenge offered a glimpse at the best 2000 birth-year players on the planet including 24 who are rookies in the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Around the NOJHL
Here ‘n there in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as we head into the second week of November. …[read more]
WU17 Notebook
On the competition and overall skill level, the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge more than met the lofty expectations that were set for it. …[read more]
Hanging out with Bob McKenzie
He is known as the definitive authority on breaking news and analysis from every corner of the hockey world. And to me, he’s still the same modest, down-to-earth, fun-loving guy who I first met more than 35 years ago when we hung out together while working in the Sault Ste. Marie sports media. …[read more]
Goalies who need to be better
They are in their third full year in the Ontario Hockey League and as no. 1 goalies they need to be better than they have been thus far this season. …[read more]
Crunch time in Moose Factory
Moose Factory and the adjacent community of Moosonee will benefit from the presence of the Cochrane Crunch of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for three days next week. …[read more]
Big points for Flint defender
Overage defenseman Mathieu Henderson has played a main role in the early-season showing of the Flint Firebirds. …[read more]
Kingston via Canisius College
Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League have obtained the rights to 1997 birth-year forward Josh Supryka from the Hamilton Bulldogs. …[read more]
My old friend Joe Drago
Besides getting to watch the best under-17 hockey players in the world at the challenge series that is going on in Sault Ste. Marie, the tournament serves as an opportunity to meet up with friends and acquaintances in the game. …[read more]
Bronson Kovacs is world class
HockeyNewsNorth.com has learned that Sault Ste. Marie native Bronson Kovacs will be part of the Hungarian national team that will face off against opponents from Italy, Denmark, Poland, Austria and Korea in a Euro Ice Hockey Challenge tournament to will be held over a five-day span beginning later this week. …[read more]
Saginaw has net worth
Saginaw Spirit may be languishing in the cellar of the Western Conference but mid Michigan’s Ontario Hockey League team has a valuable trade chip in its possession in the person of goalie Evan Cormier. …[read more]
Eagles getting it together
Soo Eagles have reeled off three wins in succession and are starting to look more like the team that was originally cast as a contender for the 2016-2017 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season. …[read more]
67’s seek home remedy
Having shown they can win on the road, the Ottawa 67’s will be out to utilize home-ice advantage for the first time this season with games tonight and Sunday afternoon at TD Place. …[read more]
Unbeaten Lakers home for pair
Riding the crest of four successive triumphs to begin the 2016-2017 season, the high-scoring Lake Superior State Lakers are home to the Alaska Nanooks tonight and Saturday evening at Taffy Abel Arena. …[read more]
More ticks if Flint PP clicks
As the well-coached Flint Firebirds continue to be a feel-good story in the early going of the 2016-2017 season one wonders how much better they could be if their power play starts to click. …[read more]
Hot and not in the O
Some are hot. Some are not. Here are some of both as we ramble around the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Hounds in pursuit of Trappers
Soo Greyhounds have an impressive 9-2-0 record thus far this Great North Midget Hockey League season but they still trail the pace-setting North Bay Trappers. …[read more]
New coach hops the Express
Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has added more experience to its coaching staff in the person of Dennis Martindale. …[read more]
Rayside to Peterborough
Iroquois Falls product Chad Denault, a 2000 birth-year right winger, has signed with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
French River to Halifax
Caleb Rich is moving up from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Flint gives a hint
It was my first opportunity of the 2016-2017 season to watch the Flint Firebirds live and the upstart Ontario Hockey League team lived up to well-followed expectations. …[read more]
Wolves of resurgence
They lost 100 games over the past two Ontario Hockey League seasons, finishing 20th and 19th overall in missing the Eastern Conference playoffs by a wide margin both times. …[read more]
Eagles look to Pullar together
Affected by a recent rash of injuries and having been hindered by sub-par goaltending for most of the season, Soo Eagles return to the friendly confines of Pullar Stadium for a pair of Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League home games this weekend. …[read more]
Hounds out to halt home hex
Unbeaten in six road tilts this season, Soo Greyhounds will try to transfer that success to home ice with three games at the Essar Centre this week. …[read more]
Hounds get picks for Mercier
Soo Greyhounds have extracted a pretty-good return for overage defenseman Medric Mercier in getting a pair of draft picks from the Oshawa Generals. …[read more]
Owen Headrick is second star
Another day, another recognition for Lake Superior State Lakers highly-skilled sophomore defenseman Owen Headrick. …[read more]
What’s wrong with the Eagles?
This is a team that has a lot of Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League watchers puzzled. With a record of 4-11-2, the Soo Eagles have the second-worst winning percentage in the 12-team NOJHL. …[read more]
The Maple Leafs fan in me
Let me begin by duly noting that I am not one who one would call a big National Hockey League fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. …[read more]
Lakers are lighting it up
The lowest-scoring team among the 10 Western Collegiate Hockey Association members in 2015-2016, Lake Superior State Lakers are lighting the lamp in a big way to begin the 2016-2017 season. …[read more]
Wolves face hi-test Hamilton
Surging Sudbury Wolves will put their 4-2-1 record on the line tonight when they play host to the high-scoring Hamilton Bulldogs. …[read more]
NOJHL attendance figures
Through the first month or so of the 2016-2017 season, Soo Eagles lead the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in attendance and the Timmins Rock is not far behind. …[read more]
Team Canada X 3 in the Soo
Rosters for the three Canadian squads — Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White — that will represent the nation at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie have been finalized. …[read more]
Timpano has an Erie feeling
So far so good for 1997 birth-year goalie Troy Timpano, who was acquired by the Erie Otters in an off-season Ontario Hockey League trade with the Sudbury Wolves. …[read more]
Michigan State v. Lake State
Lake Superior State Lakers will take to the ice of Taffy Abel Arena on Friday and Saturday nights for a pair of season-opening, non-conference matches with the visiting Michigan State Spartans. …[read more]
Moore is more in OHL
There is an unlikely leader atop the Ontario Hockey League scoring chart in the person of Flint Firebirds forward Ryan Moore. …[read more]
Hound midgets hot to trot
Having won eight of nine games to begin the 2016-2017 season, Soo Greyhounds are in a dog fight with the North Bay Trappers for first place in the Great North Midget Hockey League. …[read more]