All posts by Randy Russon
Hounds pay ransom for Bailey
Soo Greyhounds have paid a heavy price to acquire the Kitchener Rangers leading scorer.
In an Ontario Hockey League trade finalized earlier today, the Greyhounds obtained 1995 birth-year forward Justin Bailey from the Rangers — and he did not come cheap. …[read more]
Tuneup Tuesday
Canada has returned to the top of the world junior hockey summit…There are hockey moms and then there is this hockey mom who owns two junior teams and manages the arena that both play out of…Here and there and around the rinks we go… …[read more]
Cody Caron traded to Kingston
Kingston Frontenacs have acquired 1996 birth-year forward Cody Caron from the Niagara Ice Dogs for a sixth-round draft pick in 2015.
A Sault Ste. Marie native, Caron had 1 goal and 44 penalty minutes in 34 games for Niagara this season. …[read more]
Thunderbird teams in first place
Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Soo Thunderbirds of the Great North Midget Hockey League are both in first place with play underway in the 2015 portion of this season’s schedule. …[read more]
Frontenacs deal with Battalion
Kingston Frontenacs general manager Doug Gilmour has confirmed finalization of an Ontario Hockey League trade with an Eastern Conference rival. …[read more]
Eagles swoop to road sweep
Buoyed by the goal-scoring of Mitch Vanderburg and backed by the goal-tending of Jack Berry, Soo Eagles fashioned a weekend road sweep of the Springfield Jr. Blues. …[read more]
Sudbury Wolves fire head coach
Paul Fixter has been fired as head coach of the Sudbury Wolves, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed.
Associate coach David Matsos takes over as interim head coach of the Wolves, who have the Ontario Hockey League’s worst record, a 7-25-2 mark. …[read more]
Second-half scrabble
It’s the so-called second half of the junior hockey season, the 2015 portion of the 2014-2015 menu.
In some cases, the haves and the have-nots have already been identified.
In other instances, places and positions are up for grabs and player profiles are being touched up. …[read more]
Eagles exchange Euro defencemen
Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League have dealt Latvian-born defenceman Kristofers Bindulis to the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League and replaced him with Slovakian-born defender Patrik Koch. …[read more]
CIHL admits mistakes, looks ahead
The Canadian International Hockey League is hoping that 2015 is a happy new year.
To be sure, the CIHL is embracing 2015 and moving ahead with plans to promote its student-athletes at three upcoming showcase tournaments. …[read more]
Laker shakers
Lake Superior State University Lakers — and in particular, two of their freshmen — will skate into 2015 on a hockey high.
The Lakers closed out the 2014 portion of their schedule earlier this week by winning both games to take home the Florida College Hockey Classic championship. …[read more]
Tuneup Tuesday
A schedule has been released for next week’s Canadian International Hockey League showcase tournament that is slated for Kalkaska…A member of the CIHL’s Batchewana Attack is skating with the Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League…It’s been a season to forget thus far for the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League… …[read more]
Those high-flying Soo Thunderbirds
They are perched on top as play sets to resume following the holiday recess.
Thirty games into the 2014-2015 campaign, Soo Thunderbirds have the best winning percentage in the nine-team Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Soo Eagles alumni update
This is the fifth season of existence for the Soo Eagles under the current ownership regime that includes coach-general manager Bruno Bragagnolo.
Through two seasons in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and now in their third term as members of the North American Hockey League, the Eagles have moved more than 25 players on to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Ontario Hockey League ranks. …[read more]
Irish strength
This is a hockey gang that is getting stronger.
With a record of 10-0-2 in its last 12 outings, Detroit Fighting Irish is in sole possession of second spot as the Midwest Jr. Hockey League moves towards the 2015 portion of the season. …[read more]
Soo has three first-place teams
Sault Ste. Marie is a town of first-place junior hockey teams.
Soo Greyhounds are in first place in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.
Soo Thunderbirds are in first place in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
Batchewana Attack is in first place in the Canadian International Hockey League. …[read more]
Merry Christmas
As we take a break from the game of hockey and celebrate the birth of Christ, I want to take a moment to wish the best of the holiday season to those who support HockeyNewsNorth.com as advertisers and/or readers. …[read more]
Six OHL teams to beware of
Let’s look past the Christmas break.
Here are six Ontario Hockey League teams — three from each of the Western Conference and Eastern Conference — to keep an eye on when play resumes in the second half of the 2014-2015 season. …[read more]
Mini monster of the Midwest
It doesn’t matter what junior league it is, to be averaging more than three points per game at this stage of a hockey season ranks as quite the high performance.
To be sure, Adam Jonak of the MC Monarchs of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League is having a season for the ages. …[read more]
T-Birds end 2014 with win
Rookie defenceman Andrew Barbeau scored his first Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League goal — and it stood as the game winner — as the Soo Thunderbirds closed out the 2014 portion of the season with a 4-2 triumph over the visiting Elliot Lake Wildcats on Sunday. …[read more]
Hat trick Nic
Nic Tassone has become the first member of the Soo Thunderbirds to hit the 20-goal mark this 2014-2015 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season. …[read more]
Top of the Hill
George Hill is making a case for being a go-to-goalie with the Detroit Fighting Irish of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League.
One of four active goalies on the Detroit roster, Hill has shrugged off a sluggish start to the 2014-2015 season with strong outings in each of his last four appearances between the crowded pipes of the Fighting Irish. …[read more]
Two home tilts for T-Birds
Soo Thunderbirds will close out the 2014 portion of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season with a pair of home games this weekend. …[read more]
Firehawks at Big Bear for three
Seeking to vacate the cellar of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League, Soo Firehawks are home for three games this weekend as they play host to the MC Monarchs. …[read more]
The puck stops with Peressini
Minus five of their top scorers either due to injury or the World Junior Hockey tryouts — Spencer Watson, Ryan Kujawinski, Lawson Crouse, Juho Lammikko and Sam Bennett are all missing from action — the Kingston Frontenacs have had difficulty putting the puck in the net as of late. …[read more]
Kalkaska showcase looms
It has the makings of a major event for the fledgling Canadian International Hockey League.
As of now, five teams are confirmed for a showcase tournament that the CIHL’s Kalkaska Rhinos will play host to on January 8, 9 and 10. …[read more]
Goalie leaves LSSU Lakers
Lake Superior State University Lakers head coach Damon Whitten has confirmed that freshman goalie Kevin Aldridge has opted to leave the program and return to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League. …[read more]
John Goodwin is a good one
The former scoring champion now coaches in the league that he used to dominate.
To be sure, he’s a few pounds heavier these days but he still has the baby face and a full head of brown hair with a mere trace of grey.
He’s 53-years old, has been married to a Sault Ste. Marie girl for more than 31 years and he and his bride are grandparents.
He is John Goodwin, who was an Ontario Hockey League superstar with the Soo Greyhounds beginning in 1978. …[read more]
Monday musings
Today we relay the stories of an Ontario Hockey League coach who recently won his 600th career game and a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League coach who has issues with the leadership and character of his team. We also check in with a goal-scoring, penalty-minute leader in the Midwest Jr. Hockey League and a new goalie in the Canadian International Hockey League. …[read more]
Soo teams are winners
Friday was a winning night for Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League, Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Batchewana Attack of the Canadian International Hockey League. …[read more]
Dorval “getting better every day”
It’s a big step to have to take as a 16-year old.
To be sure, it’s a giant leap from minor midget hockey to the major junior level. …[read more]
What the puck is going on?
The recent sale of the Perani Arena and Event Centre in Flint figures to lead to the winds of change affecting more than one junior hockey team and league. …[read more]
Just asking…just saying
I have a few questions to ask. I have a few things on my mind. …[read more]
Monday musings
Today’s tour takes us from the North American Hockey League to the Canadian International Hockey League over to the Midwest Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Here’s to you, Joe Drago
He is one of the good guys of the game. They don’t come much better than this guy.
The venerable Joe Drago has been acclaimed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors for Hockey Canada. …[read more]
Crunch time for Thunderbirds
Cochrane Crunch makes its first visit of the 2014-2015 season to Sault Ste. Marie tonight when it takes on the first-place Thunderbirds at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. …[read more]
Attack has “next-level” players
Suffice to say that Denny Lambert should know a good hockey player when he sees one.
Afterall, not only did the 44-year old Lambert play in more than 500 National Hockey League games as a journeyman left winger, he coached in the Ontario Hockey League with the Soo Greyhounds for eight seasons — five as a top assistant and three more as the headmaster. …[read more]
Irish cream rises to the top
For the time being at least, Detroit Fighting Irish has taken over first place in the Midwest Jr. Hockey League.
The Fighting Irish scored a 6-5 road decision over the MC Monarchs on Wednesday to move two points ahead of their arch-rivals into top spot. …[read more]
Sudbury Royals have a new coach
Richard Piette has been officially installed as the new head coach of the Sudbury Royals of the Canadian International Hockey League. …[read more]
The latest on Owen Headrick
He is a current Thunderbird and a future Laker and he is inching towards a return to active duty.
It’s been two months — almost to the day — since Owen Headrick underwent shoulder surgery and the likeable youngster from Garden River First Nation is on the road to recovery. …[read more]
Irish, Monarchs meet again
It’s another showdown tonight — 7:30 at Fraser Hockeyland Arena — when the MC Monarchs play host to the Detroit Fighting Irish in the latest faceoff between the two Midwest Jr. Hockey League neighbours.
The two teams are tied for first place — technically at least — in the MWJHL standings, one point ahead of the Traverse City Hounds. …[read more]
Rugged CIHL rivalry
They are separated by about 150 miles of rugged northern Ontario roads.
And to be sure, the Batchewana Attack and Espanola Rivermen are establishing a rugged Canadian International Hockey League rivalry. …[read more]
Monday musings
We begin today in the Ontario Hockey League and make subsequent stops in various other junior outposts on both sides of the International Bridge. …[read more]
Rebuilding the good ship Laker
Their top two goalies are freshmen. So are five of their top six defencemen.
Not only that, they have only three seniors on their roster.
Suffice to say that the Lake Superior State University Lakers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association are in a major rebuilding stage. …[read more]
Puck of the Irish
The record through 19 games is well above the .500 mark — 11-6-2 for 24 points to be exact — but Detroit Fighting Irish coach-general manager Dan Vasquez thinks it could be better.
“There have been games in which we out-shot our opponents by a wide margin but lost when we felt we should have won,” said Vasquez, whose Fighting Irish is in third place in the seven-team, Midwest Jr. Hockey League heading into a pair of home games this weekend. …[read more]
Good news for Soo crews
Four junior teams from the Sault Ste. Marie area — Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Batchewana Attack of the Canadian International Hockey League and Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League — are all at or near the top of the standings at this stage of the 2014-2015 season. …[read more]
Baby Birds flapping their wings
They have the veteran players who know their way around the junior hockey rinks.
But the Soo Thunderbirds have been getting major contributions from a number of rookie players as well. …[read more]
Soo Eagles home to Johnstown
With 27 points from a record of 13-10-1 — good for second place in the North Division of the North American Hockey League — Soo Eagles play host to the Johnstown Tomahawks tonight and Sunday. …[read more]