All posts by Randy Russon
Soo Thunderbirds to Batchewana Attack
Grant Syrette is heading across town from one junior A hockey team to another.
To be sure, the Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League has landed a feared left winger with Ontario Hockey League and Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League experience. …[read more]
My first OHL love
It was 1974 — 40 years ago now — and I was a season away from making my debut as a paid, part-time member of the Sault Ste. Marie sports media with radio station CKCY.
Just before that, it was as a journalism student at Sault College in 1974-1975 that I managed to get a few articles published in the local weekly then known as Shopper News, which became Sault This Week. …[read more]
Overage trio leads Hounds
A trio of overage skaters are among the more than 35 would-be, could-be Soo Greyhounds who will hit the ice in a couple of days as training camp begins for the Ontario Hockey League team.
Forwards Jean Dupuy and Bryan Moore and defenceman Alex Gudbranson are the three 1994 birth-year skaters who are expected to at least begin the 2014-2015 OHL season in Houndtown. …[read more]
Sudbury Royals getting their KICX
They are Sudbury’s newest junior hockey team and they are getting their message out to area fans and supporters via marketing and promotion.
Sudbury Royals are part of the new, eight-team, Ontario-based, junior-level, Canadian International Hockey League that will begin play this 2014-2015 season.
…[read more]
Maruk’s Milton Cobras go local
Milton Battle Arts Cobras of the new Canadian International Hockey League have signed a pair of homegrown forwards.
Montana Kingsbury and Paul Knight are both 1997 birth-year skaters who were born and raised in Milton.
…[read more]
Greyhounds hire new GM
Soo Greyhounds have hired 28-year old Kyle Raftis as their new general manager, multiple sources have confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com. …[read more]
Brett Cooke joins Espanola Rivermen
In keeping with an organizational mandate of providing opportunities for quality players from the North Shore, Espanola Rivermen of the new Canadian International Hockey League have signed 1996 birth-year defenceman Brett Cooke.
Cooke, who hails from the small northern town of Thessalon, heads down the highway to Espanola after spending the 2013-2014 season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with first the Elliot Lake Bobcats, then the Blind River Beavers. …[read more]
Two more Eagles advance to NCAA
Soo Eagles coach-general manager Bruno Bragagnolo has confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com that two more of his players have recently secured National Collegiate Athletic Association commitments for the 2014-2015 season.
Scott Cuthrell, a 1993 birth-year forward, and Matthew Montemurro, a 1994 birth-year defencemen, will both be advancing to the Division 3, NCAA ranks. …[read more]
USPHL to CIHL
Defenceman Adam Johns is taking his game from the Syracuse Stars of the United States Premiere Hockey League to the Espanola Rivermen of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
Johns, a 5-foot-11, 195 pound, 1994 birth-year skater who hails from the southeastern Michigan town of Clarkston, heads to Espanola for his final season of junior following an impressive showing at a recent tryout camp of the Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League. …[read more]
Rights to Ryan Vendramin
Soo Thunderbirds have secured the Junior A rights to right winger Ryan Vendramin from the Sarnia Legionnaires, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed.
Vendramin, a 6-foot-3, 180 pound, 1995 birth year forward from Sault Ste. Marie, split the 2013-2014 season between the Legionnaires of the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League and the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]
Net gains for Espanola Rivermen
Trevor Kalinowski and Keegan Paulette will form a 1-2 goaltending tandem to begin the 2014-2015 season for the Espanola Rivermen of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
Espanola general manager Chad Clarke told HockeyNewsNorth.com that the Rivermen — formerly of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and now of the CIHL — have committed roster spots to the 5-foot-10, 160 pound Kalinowski and the 6-foot-1, 195 pound Paulette. …[read more]
Birds play Rhodes hockey
It’s Bird season.
Soo Thunderbirds hit the ice of John Rhodes Community Centre in full force over the weekend preparatory to the 2014-2015 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season that begins during the second week of September.
…[read more]
Irish family
They are the new leaders of the Irish hockey family.
Detroit Fighting Irish of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League has named its captains for the 2014-2015 season.
…[read more]
Jimmy Roy shows his Spirit
Jimmy Roy is joining the St. Charles Spirit of the new Canadian International Hockey League from the Sudbury Nickel Barons of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]
Knights to Attack
Jesse Delavalle, a 6-foot-3, 195 pound, 1996 birth-year forward, has committed to play for the Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League for the 2014-2015 season.
…[read more]
T-Bird camp begins today
The defending regular-season champs from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will hold a weekend camp beginning today at 5 p.m. at John Rhodes Community Centre.
…[read more]
St. Charles signs five more forwards
Make that five more player signings for the St. Charles Spirit of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
Just after confirming that he had committed to 1994 birth-year centre Ben Miller — formerly of the Abitibi Eskimos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — St. Charles general manager Scott Ginson has told HockeyNewsNorth.com that five more forwards have signed with the CIHL team.
…[read more]
Berkley Bruins to Detroit Fighting Irish
Four players for cash.
Detroit Fighting Irish and Berkley Bruins of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League have finalized a major transaction.
…[read more]
Halverson holds Hounds hopes
Hopes are high for the Soo Greyhounds to carry on from a 2013-2014 term that yielded 95 regular-season points and two rounds of playoffs that ended with an exit.
Afterall, potential overages not included, the Greyhounds will return considerable veteran talent for the 2014-2015 Ontario Hockey League season led by scoring leaders Sergey Tolchinsky, Jared McCann, Michael Bunting, Blake Speers and David Miller — and the 109 goals that they combined for in 2013-2014.
…[read more]
Pilon twins join the Attack
Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League has committed roster spots to twin brothers Darian and Drake Pilon for the 2014-2015 season.
The brothers are 1998 birth-year forwards who played for the Soo Source For Sports AA midgets in 2013-2014 and were 1-2 in team scoring.
…[read more]
Getting ready to Attack
They represent the new Jr. A hockey team in Sault Ste. Marie.
Members of the new, eight-team, Ontario-based, Canadian International Hockey League, the Batchewana Attack will play out of Rankin Arena effective the upcoming 2014-2015 season.
…[read more]
Michigan Warriors to Ferris State Bulldogs
The leading scorer from the Michigan Warriors of the North American Hockey League is headed to the Division 1, Western Collegiate Hockey Association ranks.
…[read more]
13 players commit to Attack
They are lining up for the Attack.
Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League has received 10 player commitments in the past week, general manager Dennis Bolton has confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com.
…[read more]
Six skaters with a sweet Soo side
The warmth of the August sun is pointing to the ice of September.
As the clock ticks toward the 2014-2015 junior hockey season, let us take time to begin our watch on six notable players with a Sault Ste. Marie side to them.
…[read more]
Brett Findlay to Toronto Marlies
Echo Bay product Brett Findlay is poised to move up the hockey ladder.
Findlay, a 1992 birth-year forward who was part of an East Coast Hockey League championship team with the Alaska Aces in 2013-2014, has signed an American Hockey League contract with the Toronto Marlies.
…[read more]
Seven up for Batchewana Attack
Nate Harris, a 5-foot-10, 160 pound, 1996 birth-year forward from Glenbrook North High School in Chicago, has become the seventh player to sign with the Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
…[read more]
Lucky 13 for Sudbury Royals
Sudbury Royals of the new Canadian International Hockey League now have 13 players signed, general manager KB Beals has confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com. …[read more]
USHL to OHL
From one major junior league to another.
Defenceman Chad Duchesne is poised to leave the United States Hockey League for the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]
Fresh start in Mattawa
David Beauchamp is young — very young — as far as being an owner of a junior A hockey team goes.
Not yet 30-years old, Beauchamp is about to begin his second season as an owner in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
To be sure, Beauchamp is hoping for better days in 2014-2015 as owner and general manager of the Mattawa Blackhawks, formerly the North Bay Trappers.
…[read more]
Soo Firehawks name captains
Three 1994 birth-year skaters have been selected to serve as captains for the Soo Firehawks of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League.
The three — defencemen Matthew Majic and Matthew Maclaren and forward Anthony Laaskonen — are all Sault Ste. Marie area products who will be playing in their third season with the Firehawks in 2014-2015.
…[read more]
Two OHL draft picks to Batchewana
A duo of dandy defencemen from Sault Ste. Marie with ties to the Ontario Hockey League have signed with Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
Attack president-director of hockey operations David Maciuk told HockeyNewsNorth.com that Nick Trecroce and Adam Baggs have committed to Batchewana for the 2014-2015 season.
…[read more]
Soo Thunderbirds add hometown forward
Matt Pinder is returning home to Sault Ste. Marie to continue his junior hockey career, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed.
…[read more]
NY Apple Core to Batchewana Attack
Robert Delury, a 5-foot-11, 190 pound, 1995 birth-year forward from New York, has signed with the Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
…[read more]
Where is the Mattawa schedule?
Perhaps this is much ado about nothing.
But is it just me or has the Mattawa Blackhawks schedule been removed from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League website?
…[read more]
Another day in hockey paradise
Officially, Sault Ste. Marie is unofficially Hockeytown, at least to us Twin Soo residents who have ice in our veins.
Our status as Hockeytown comes from the fact that the Twin Soo market is home to no less than five teams in five different junior leagues and a Division 1 collegiate program.
At any rate, the dog has been fed, the morning walk has been completed and the grass has been cut and watered.
Ergo, let’s check in on the six high-level teams within the Twin Soo border.
…[read more]
CIHL switch
As it stands, the new Canadian International Hockey League will begin the 2014-2015 season with eight teams — four in northern Ontario and four in southern Ontario.
CIHL founder and president Tim Clayden said that the Central Ontario HTI Stars will be replaced by a Toronto entry and that the new league will proceed with eight teams as planned.
…[read more]
Early August brunch
Here ’n there on a Canadian holiday Monday:
…[read more]
August tryout camps
Various teams in various junior hockey leagues will be holding their main tryout camps during the month of August.
Following are details on several of them.
…[read more]
Branding the Michigan Warriors
Through their four-year existence in the North American Hockey League, the Michigan Warriors have been an on-ice success.
Under the tried, tested and true leadership of coach-general manager Moe Mantha, the Warriors have won two North Division playoff titles in the four years they have been playing out of Perani Arena in Flint.
…[read more]
Mattawa coach packs it in
In a surprise move — and with the start of the 2014-2015 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season less than five weeks away — Zane Neily has stepped down as head coach of the Mattawa Blackhawks.
Mattawa owner-general manager David Beauchamp confirmed Neily’s abrupt departure to HockeyNewsNorth.com.
…[read more]
Sudbury Royals sign Russian rocket
Score one for Sudbury’s new junior A hockey team.
Speedy Sergey Erileev is taking his goal-scoring machine to the Sudbury Royals of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
…[read more]
Soo Eagles promote from within
Alex Sawruk has been promoted to full-time associate coach with the Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed.
The 34-year old Sawruk, who hails from the Michigan Soo, was a volunteer assistant with the Eagles in 2013-2014. …[read more]
Soo Thunderbirds sign a speedster
Soo Thunderbirds have added a small-but-speedy centre to their roster.
Thunderbirds general manager Kevin Cain has confirmed that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team has signed 1997 birth-year pivot Matt Caruso.
…[read more]
A first for the new Batchewana Attack
Personnel from the Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League made their first public appearance at a press conference held earlier today.
Members of the local media representing HockeyNewsNorth.com, Sault This Week, SooToday.com, CTV Sault Ste. Marie and radio station Oldies 93 were on hand at Rankin Arena to hear from Attack primary owner David Maciuk, general manager Dennis Bolton and head coach Denny Lambert. …[read more]
Good intentions for two teams in one town
Where I live — the Canadian side of the International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie — has become home to two junior A hockey teams in two separate leagues.
And like it or not, it has resulted in a cross-fire of sorts between factions loyal to either side.
…[read more]
Sudbury signings include plum prospect
Sudbury Royals of the new Canadian International Hockey League have signed four players from their recent tryout camp, general manager KB Beals has confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com.
…[read more]
Andrew Barbeau has what it takes
Suffice to say that Moe Mantha knows a thing or two about defencemen, having patrolled the blueline in the National Hockey League over a career that spanned 12 seasons and 673 games. …[read more]
K is for Kujawinski
As Kingston Frontenacs look to build on a 2013-2014 regular season in which their 84 points were second most in the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League, 1995 birth-year centre Ryan Kujawinski is eagerly awaiting the 2014-2015 campaign. …[read more]