All posts by Randy Russon
Wolves deal veteran goalie
Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League have traded 1997 birth-year goalie Troy Timpano to the Erie Otters for considerations well into the future — a second-round draft pick in 2021, a third-round pick in 2020 and a 10th-round pick in 2018. …[read more]
Eagle eyes are on first place
Soo Eagles co-coach/general manager Bruno Bragagnolo has set a lofty goal for the 2016-2017 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season. …[read more]
Hounds have the foot soldiers
They boast veteran forwards who can score — National Hockey League draft picks such as Zachary Senyshyn, Blake Speers, Boris Katchouk, Tim Gettinger and Jack Kopacka plus overage Bobby MacIntyre — but it’s the foot soldiers who may ultimately impact the success of the Soo Greyhounds in 2016-2017. …[read more]
Will Casey to Soo Eagles
Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added a forward from the national under-18 champion Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Memories of Oshawa Generals
Think of the Oshawa Generals and a venerable history comes to the mind of a writer who has been covering the Ontario Hockey League for more than 40 years. …[read more]
Flint now at three overagers
Having dealt goalie Brent Moran to the North Bay Battalion on Monday, the Flint Firebirds have three overage players slated to report to their training camp on August 29. …[read more]
OHL rights of NOJHL goalie dealt
Garrett Forrest, a 1997 birth-year goalie who starred for the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in 2015-2016, has had his Ontario Hockey League rights transferred from the North Bay Battalion to the Flint Firebirds. …[read more]
Wolves add Blues prospect
Sudbury Wolves and Owen Sound Attack have finalized an Ontario Hockey League trade that features two veteran forwards who are also National Hockey League draft picks. …[read more]
Lars fills a Voit in Blind River
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have signed 1998 birth-year defenseman Lars Voit, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Ottawa 67’s overage shuffle
Ottawa 67’s coach-general manager Jeff Brown has made three trades thus far this Ontario Hockey League off-season and all three have involved overage players. …[read more]
Express adds American scorer
Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has signed American-born, 1996 birth-year forward Nathan Viberg. …[read more]
Latest on Gustav Bouramman
Soo Greyhounds coach Drew Bannister talked to Gustav Bouramman via telephone today amid confirmation that the 1997 birth-year defenseman has been offered a contract to play pro hockey in his native Sweden for the 2016-2017 season. …[read more]
The changing game of hockey
Man oh man have there been changes. If only I could count the number of ways that hockey has changed in the more than 40 years that I have been writing and talking about the sport. …[read more]
Two sides to the Soo Eagles
They are based on the Michigan side of the St. Mary’s River and the majority of their players are American but there’s also a Canadian contingent aboard the Soo Eagles. …[read more]
Rapids flowing in French River
Busy at his day job in sales at Nickel Belt Camping, Jessy Landry has nonetheless found the time as president and general manager of the French River Rapids to put together the team that will soon begin its second season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Eagles ink big defenseman
Veteran defenseman Matt Meininger is headed to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to suit up for the Soo Eagles. …[read more]
OHL trade front quiet, for now
There has been no trade activity in the Ontario Hockey League since June 30 but that could change next week when management of member teams are together. …[read more]
New job for Kevin Cain
One of the good guys in the game, Kevin Cain has a long association with hockey, particularly the junior level, where his stellar record of championship success speaks for itself. …[read more]
Express adds big piece of Rock
As it preps for its second season as members of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, the Espanola Express has gained a premiere player via trade with the Timmins Rock. …[read more]
Busy Beavers
The faces of the franchise have changed from the players on the ice to the men making the decisions, all part of a master plan designed to make the Blind River Beavers competitive again. …[read more]
Waterloo to Voodoo-ville
Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added some goal-scoring gain with the cash-exchange acquisition of forward Gary Mantz from the Waterloo Siskins of the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Rayside signs Peterborough pick
Chad Denault, a third-round selection of the Peterborough Petes at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League draft, has signed with the Rayside-Balfour Canadians of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Win-win for Espanola Express
Let us call this a win-win situation for Tom McCarthy, Jason Rapcewicz and all those associated with the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Raaymakers to the rescue?
In many corners throughout the Ontario Hockey League, the Soo Greyhounds are seen as a legitimate contender within the Western Conference. …[read more]
Hounds have new bench help
After a lengthy process, Ryan Ward has been named the new assistant coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds. …[read more]
Soo Eagles moving players on
No less than 10 players who finished the 2015-2016 season with the Soo Eagles will be moving on from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team to start the 2016-2017 campaign at a higher level. …[read more]
Crunch adds Cross
Cochrane Crunch of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has added well-traveled, 1996 birth-year forward Braeden Cross, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Beavers sign pair of Americans
Two American-born skaters from Illinois have signed with the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Coaching shift in NOJHL West
Three of the six teams in the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will have new head coaches in place when the 2016-2017 regular season begins in about five weeks. …[read more]
Jamie Henderson has a new job
Jamie Henderson, who helped the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to three championships in a five-year span — first as assistant coach, then as assistant general manager and then as general manager — has secured another high-level position in the sport. …[read more]
Sudbury Wolves have been sold
Pending the approval of the Ontario Hockey League and the City of Greater Sudbury, the Sudbury Wolves have been sold, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
New coach in Elliot Lake
Years of junior hockey coaching experience is what gave Corey Bricknell the edge in being hired as the new bench boss of the Elliot Lake Wildcats. …[read more]
OHL Rangers hire Jason Fortier
Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League have hired Sault Ste. Marie native Jason Fortier to replace Daniel Tkaczuk as associate coach, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Soo Eagles forward to RPI
Sam Rappaport is moving on from the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for prestigious Rensselaer Polytenchic Institute, a Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association school. …[read more]
NHL scouts fond of Hounds
Soo Greyhounds continue to draft and develop players who get the attention of the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting staff. …[read more]
NHL has eyes on two Firebirds
Flint Firebirds may have missed the Ontario Hockey League playoffs in 2015-2016 but their two 1999 birth-year players have both caught the attention of the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting department. …[read more]
Pressure is on Wolves coach
By all accounts, Sudbury Wolves head coach David Matsos is a thoughtful, intelligent man. Ergo, it is suspected that Matsos is smart enough to know that the pressure is on to get the Wolves back into the Ontario Hockey League playoffs after a two-year hiatus. …[read more]
Coaching vacancy in Kitchener
After one season as an associate coach with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, Daniel Tkaczuk is moving on for a job within the National Hockey League organization of the St. Louis Blues. …[read more]
Back in the Eagles nest
A returning player who the Soo Eagles will be counting on in a big way for the 2016-2017 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season is 1997 birth-year forward Jake Palmerio. …[read more]
Timpano has the tools
He was the starting goalie as a 17-year old on the worst team in the Ontario Hockey League and as an 18-year old he endured another losing season with the Sudbury Wolves. …[read more]
New pact for Hounds GM
Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League have signed general manager Kyle Raftis to a three-year contract extension. …[read more]
Crowded crease in Sudbury
Sudbury Wolves have a pleasant problem preparatory to the 2016-2017 Ontario Hockey League season with a crowded crease that includes two seasoned stoppers and a highly-touted rookie. …[read more]
Contract renewal for Kowalsky
Rick Kowalsky, who captained the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League to the 1993 Memorial Cup championship, has signed a two-year contract extension to continue as head coach of the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League. …[read more]
New assistant coach in Oshawa
Former Ontario Hockey League defenseman Nathan McIver has been hired by the Oshawa Generals as a second assistant coach. …[read more]
Distant howl in Wolves country
After two long winters with barely a whimper, a distant howl can be heard as the Sudbury Wolves seek a return from the Ontario Hockey League wilderness. …[read more]
NHL camps full of Firebirds
While they just completed their first season in the Ontario Hockey League, the Flint Firebirds nonetheless boast five players who attended National Hockey League prospect development camps over the past few weeks. …[read more]
Legendary OHL rivalries
I have been commenting on and writing about the Ontario Hockey League since 1974 when I was a journalism student at Sault College — and thus have been around my fair share of personal and team rivalries. …[read more]
Return ticket on the Express
Two key players will be returning to the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for a second season, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]