All posts by Randy Russon
Dual role for Jordan Smith
Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have confirmed that veteran head coach Jordan Smith has been given the added responsibilities of general manager. …[read more]
67’s, Storm open trade season
Highly-touted goalie Liam Herbst, who has endured multiple surgeries to his hips and knees since being a first-round, Ontario Hockey League draft pick in 2012, has been traded, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Father, son and the big picture
Jeff Brown knows what it’s like to play and stay in the National Hockey League, having starred in more than 800 games at the highest level of competition. …[read more]
Old scout returns to Blind River
It didn’t take time-honoured Charly Murray long to get back into the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League scene. …[read more]
Sweeping the Bird house
Quite clear, no doubt, the new operators of the Soo Thunderbirds are re-branding their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise. …[read more]
Soo Eagles to Lawrence Vikings
Productive forward Reed Gregory, who netted 20 goals, 21 assists, 41 points in 43 games for the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League during the 2015-2016 season, has a Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association commitment for the 2016-2017 campaign. …[read more]
Scouts part ways with Soo T-Birds
Veteran Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League scouts Brad Boyer and Charly Murray no longer have an association with the reigning champion Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Caron keen on overage option
He is a late bloomer who was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League a year after his 1996 birth-date class — and he has aspirations of playing as an overage forward for the 2016-2017 season. …[read more]
New bench gig for Darryl Moxam
Darryl Moxam’s planned return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League coaching ranks came to an abrupt halt earlier today when the soon-to-be-40-year-old was hired by the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League as an assistant. …[read more]
Firebirds 1st-rounder in like Flint
Forward Ty Dellandrea, who was a first-round pick, fifth overall at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League draft, has committed to the Flint Firebirds for the ’16-17 campaign, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
Tech T-Birds will take right turn
The change of the guard is taking place within the ranks of the two-time Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champion Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Mantha returning to French River
French River Rapids of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will again have the services of veteran coach Moe Mantha for the 2016-2017 season, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
A look ahead at ’16-17 Laker log
Along with the other nine teams in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, Lake Superior State Lakers know the whens and wheres for the 2016-2017, 28-game schedule against conference opponents. …[read more]
Laker Hall to welcome Hoffort
More than 25 years after backstopping the Lake Superior State Lakers to an improbable Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association hockey championship, goalie Bruce Hoffort is headed to the school’s Hall of Fame. …[read more]
One-day Beaver camp coming up
It’s a start of new beginnings in small-town Blind River, an upcoming, one-day mini camp. …[read more]
Denny Lambert talks T-Birds, Tech
He is settling into his new job at The Tech 1921 Ltd. as the director of hockey operations for the company that has taken over the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and has plans to start a school-based athletic academy by the fall of 2017. …[read more]
Now Cain resigns from T-Birds
Shortly after Jamie Henderson stepped down as general manager of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champion Soo Thunderbirds earlier today, president of hockey operations Kevin Cain has also resigned. …[read more]
Soo Thunderbirds GM steps down
Jamie Henderson has officially ended a five-year association with the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champion Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Flint Firebirds hire OHL vet as GM
George Burnett has been hired as general manager of the Flint Firebirds and Joe Stefan has been given the job as assistant GM of the Ontario Hockey League team. …[read more]
Is UNH recruit headed to Hounds?
Corson Green is a big defenseman with a future Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association commitment — but the youngster seemingly still has some interest in playing for the Soo Greyhounds, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 Ontario Hockey League draft. …[read more]
Matt Murray rises to the occasion
Through four up-and-down Ontario Hockey League seasons with the Soo Greyhounds, Matt Murray provided a few scattered snapshots that he had the makings of being a professional goalie. …[read more]
Blind River should pursue old scout
As the new-look Blind River Beavers seek a return to better days, there’s a veteran Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League scout who could assist in the rebuild project. …[read more]
Headrick would be an NHL steal
His name does not appear on any official rankings chart but I am of the notion that Lake Superior State University Lakers freshman Owen Headrick would be an absolute steal for any National Hockey League team willing to take a flyer on the 1997 birth-year defenseman at next month’s draft. …[read more]
Hound development camp details
Three Sault Ste. Marie products will be among the 31 prospects who will take part in a development camp that is being hosted by the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League this weekend. …[read more]
T-Birds down two assistants
As the back-to-back Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champion Soo Thunderbirds transition to new operators during the off-season, a second assistant coach has moved on to become a head coach elsewhere. …[read more]
Zack Dorval deserves a real shot
I am of the notion that even though Zack Dorval has struggled his first two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, the rugged forward is going to develop into an impact player. …[read more]
Pressure on Spitfires to contend
Windsor Spitfires are proof positive that it is difficult to sustain status as a consistent contender in the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Eagles boss impressed with camp
Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League held a spring camp on the weekend that attracted 36 players, including 11 veterans. …[read more]
Change of the guard awaits T-Birds
They repeated as champions of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with relative ease. They made it to the final game and just missed out in their bid to repeat as Dudley-Hewitt Cup, Central Canada Tournament champions. …[read more]
Moving up from the Fighting Irish
After a lengthy association with the Detroit Fighting Irish through levels and leagues, 1995 birth-year forward Christian Ramage is moving on to the college ranks, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
45 years in OHL for Soo, Sudbury
Neighbours from the north, Soo Greyhounds and Sudbury Wolves will both celebrate their 45th anniversary as members of the Ontario Hockey League effective the 2016-2017 season. …[read more]
Those howling Wolves of ’06-07
As the Niagara IceDogs have made it to this year’s Ontario Hockey League championship series despite being the no. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, we think back to the 2006-2007 season when the Sudbury Wolves wrote a Cinderella playoff story of their own. …[read more]
IceDogs run no surprise to Perlini
Niagara IceDogs are on a spectacular playoff run that includes a 12-1 record and a 10-game winning streak — and one of their top scorers is taking it all in stride. …[read more]
Building a team brick by Brick
It has been five years since the Blind River Beavers have had a winning season and the small-town Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise has changed direction as it seeks a return to better days and competitive ways. …[read more]
Tassone gets OHL tryout invite
Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League have extended a tryout invite to Mark Tassone of the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Good scouts trust their intuition
The good scouts are the ones who look beyond the obvious. The good scouts are the ones who do their homework and rely on their own intuition rather than just going with the flow. …[read more]
Elliot Lake to Elmira College
Hulking forward Spencer MacLean has committed to Elmira College, a New York-based, Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association program of good repute. …[read more]
On board in Blind River
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have elected their board of directors for the 2016-2017 season. …[read more]
What’s with all the OHL sweeps?
The Ontario Hockey League playoffs have turned into a breeze. …[read more]
King of the Beavers
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added a four-year veteran of the Ontario Hockey League to their coaching staff. …[read more]
Elliot Lake to Lebanon Valley
After a splendid season of playing junior hockey in northern Ontario, Cole Hepler is returning to his home state to begin his National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division 3 career. …[read more]
Soo Eagles to Aquinas College
Slick defenseman Levi Rowan is moving on from the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to play at the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 3 level, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed. …[read more]
The IceDogs cometh
Underachievers during the regular season, the Niagara IceDogs have come together in the playoffs and are on the cusp of advancing to the Ontario Hockey League championship series. …[read more]
Thunderbird success, in the moment
Looking ahead to next season, major change awaits the Soo Thunderbirds. But for now, the Thunderbirds are simply looking good. …[read more]
Lambert to lead Tech hockey program
The Tech 1921 Ltd. is expanding its new-endeavour, Sault Ste. Marie hockey holdings to the extent that it is hiring the reputable Denny Lambert as its full-time director. …[read more]
Can’t the kids just play hockey?
As some of the dust settles from the ongoing dispute between minor hockey factions in Sault Ste. Marie, one has to wonder if the adults who played any part in the debacle will pause for a minute and think about who the game is supposed to be for at this level. …[read more]
Speers, White to Albany Devils
Albany Devils of the American Hockey League have signed forward Blake Speers and defenseman Colton White of the Ontario Hockey League Soo Greyhounds to amateur tryout agreements for the remainder of the 2015-2016 season. …[read more]
Atom minor AA tryouts
A healthy group of 2007 birth-year skaters are signed up for this weekend’s Soo Jr. Greyhounds atom minor AA hockey tryouts. …[read more]