All posts by Randy Russon
OHL final four experience
It’s been said that there is no substitute for experience.
Well, the years of experience from among the general managers who have taken their teams to the conference finals in the Ontario Hockey League this season is significant, to say the least. …[read more]
Hounds, Hawks in Las Vegas
Six teams representing three junior hockey leagues sanctioned by the American Athletic Union will compete for a national championship in Las Vegas this week.
From this area, Traverse City Hounds will represent the Midwest Jr. Hockey League as champions from the 2013-2014 season. And Soo Firehawks, who lost to Traverse City in the league finals, are representing the MWJHL as its second seed. …[read more]
NAHL North showdown
The top two teams from the regular season will face off for the North American Hockey League’s North Division playoff championship.
Port Huron Fighting Falcons and Michigan Warriors will meet in a best-of-five series to determine the North Division rep at the NAHL’s Robertson Cup Championship Tournament. …[read more]
Why chirp the CIHL?
So, the newly-formed Canadian International Hockey League intends to take to the ice for the 2014-2015 season with between six to 10 Ontario-based teams.
The new Tier 2 junior league is designed to be a global loop made up of Canadian, American and European players.
Espanola Rivermen owner Tim Clayden is the founder of the CIHL and he brings his team there from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League where it finished third in the standings and first on the attendance chart in 2013-2014.
To be sure, Clayden isn’t leaving the NOJHL with hugs and kisses for certain team governors or commissioner Robert Mazzuca. …[read more]
KL ties up the Soo
Advantage, Kirkland Lake.
Kirkland Lake Gold Miners have seized home-ice advantage in their best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship series with Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Michigan Warriors moving on
Hail to the Warriors.
Colin Larkin scored a pair of goals — including the game winner with less than three minutes to play — and Trevor Gorsuch made 31 saves as Michigan Warriors completed a three-game, opening-round, playoff sweep of Janesville Jets on Friday with a 3-2 road win. …[read more]
D1 deal for Soo Eagles forward
Power forward Mike Sabatini has committed to play for the Canisius College Golden Griffins of the Division 1, Atlantic Hockey Association effective the 2014-2015 season.
Sabatini, a 6-foot-1, 185 pounder, led the Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League in scoring during the 2013-2014 season with 19 goals, 22 assists, 41 points in 58 games. …[read more]
Long-time NOJHL exec joins CIHL
The reputable Dean Pauli, who has held management positions with teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Ontario Jr. Hockey League, has joined the new Canadian International Hockey League as its Vice President and Chairman of the Discipline Committee.
A top investigator with the Ontario Provincial Police, Pauli is a Sault Ste. Marie native who has resided in the North Bay area for a number of years. …[read more]
Hockey season just keeps going
Fewer teams are playing today that were when the month started.
Some never made the playoffs to begin with.
Others have since been eliminated.
But activity has not subsided. …[read more]
Warriors get the message
Veteran headmaster Moe Mantha delivered a strong but simple message to his Michigan Warriors before the start of the North American Hockey League playoffs. …[read more]
What’s next for Hounds?
Anyone call for Erie Otters to sweep Soo Greyhounds in four straight in the second round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs?
I know I didn’t.
Maybe I was being a homer — though I am not known for giving the Houndtown discount — but I did feel the Soo had the team to take Erie in a seven-game series. …[read more]
LSSU Laker coach update
It figures that the search for a new head coach of the Lake Superior State University Lakers is winding down.
Friday is the closing date for applications for the position that has been vacant since Jim Roque was fired on March 11 after nine years as Laker bench boss. …[read more]
CIHL is official
The Canadian International Hockey League has made its formation official.
CIHL founder Tim Clayden has served official notice that the Tier 2 junior league will begin operations effective the upcoming 2014-2015 season. …[read more]
Michigan Warriors take charge
So far so good for Michigan Warriors, who have picked a good time to solve an opposing puzzle.
The Warriors have taken a two games to none lead in their first-round, best-of-five, North American Hockey League playoff series with Janesville Jets. …[read more]
Erie Otters a formidable force
Erie Otters are in a sweet spot heading into Game 3 of their second-round, best-of-seven, Ontario Hockey League playoff series with Soo Greyhounds.
The Otters snagged successive wins on the road last week to take a 2-0 series lead over the Greyhounds with Game 3 tonight in Erie.
Playoffs included, the Otters have an OHL-best record of 32-3-1 on home ice this season.
And home is where Erie is at tonight and Tuesday. …[read more]
Soo-KL for NOJHL crown
And then there were two.
One and two.
Soo Thunderbirds and Kirkland Lake Gold Miners were the top two teams during the 2013-2014 regular season.
Ergo, it seems only right that the Soo and Kirkland Lake have emerged from the first two rounds of the playoffs and will face off in a best-of-seven series for the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship. …[read more]
Coach Hartsburg
Like father, like son.
33-year old Chris Hartsburg is following in the coaching footsteps of his 54-year old dad, Craig Hartsburg.
And as the old man is in his 25th season in the coaching ranks — and second as the associate bench boss of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League — the kid is also doing alright for himself. …[read more]
In control in the NAHL North
Port Huron Fighting Falcons and Michigan Warriors have taken 2-0 leads in the opening round of their respective best-of-five playoff series. …[read more]
Hounds top dog Anthony Salinitri
Soo Greyhounds made Anthony Salinitri of the Windsor Jr. Spitfires their first-round selection at the 2014 Ontario Hockey League draft that is being held today via the Internet. …[read more]
Ashton Calder a hidden gem?
North American Central Scouting chief Mark Seidel calls Soo Indians winger Ashton Calder a “hidden gem” going into Saturday’s Ontario Hockey League draft. …[read more]
Hounds in a pressure cooker
Just as was the case in the first round of the playoffs, Soo Greyhounds are in a must-win situation on home ice.
Having lost Game 1 of their second-round, best-of-seven, Ontario Hockey League playoff series to the visiting Erie Otters on Wednesday, the Greyhounds are in desperate need of a victory tonight at the Essar Centre. …[read more]
Soo boys up for OHL draft
The annual Ontario Hockey League draft will be staged on Saturday and several Sault Ste. Marie skaters stand to have their name called.
Topping the list of rated players is Soo Thunder forward Zack Dorval, who actually hails from the northeastern Ontario town of Hearst.
Following Dorval among rated players are forwards Zachary Senecal and Nic Sicoly. …[read more]
Top two teams in NOJHL finals
This gives definite meaning to the regular season.
The first-and-second-place teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will face off in a best-of-seven championship series. …[read more]
Clock ticking on Espanola Rivermen
There is no turning back for the Espanola Rivermen.
In more ways than one. …[read more]
Top OHL prospects commit to NTDP
Two high-end forwards who were viewed as potential first-round selections at Saturday’s Ontario Hockey League draft have committed to USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program for the 2014-2015 season. …[read more]
CIHL moving forward
Officials connected to the proposed Canadian International Hockey League met on Tuesday evening in Toronto.
Long-time junior hockey operator Tim Clayden, who is the force behind the formation of the CIHL, said the new league will be ready to go for the 2014-2015 season with eight-to-ten teams. …[read more]
OHL draft is Saturday
Sarnia Sting, by virtue of having the worst record during the 2013-2014 regular season, will have the first overall pick at Saturday’s annual Ontario Hockey League draft.
The draft begins at 9 a.m. and will be conducted over the Internet.
From a local standpoint, Soo Greyhounds hold the 17th pick in the first round.
It is Erie in Houndtown
Round two of the playoffs is coming to Houndtown.
Having sidelined Owen Sound Attack in five games in their first-round, best-of-seven, Ontario Hockey League playoff series, Soo Greyhounds will face Erie Otters in the second set. …[read more]
LSSU coach search continues
The process remains ongoing.
After firing Jim Roque on March 11, Lake Superior State University Lakers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association are continuing their search for a new head coach. …[read more]
Stretch run told story in NAHL North
From top to bottom, it was a close race.
And it went to the second-last day of the 2013-2014 regular season to decide the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the North Division of the North American Hockey League.
At the end of the day, it was the Johnstown Tomahawks getting the last playoff spot, one point ahead of fifth-place Springfield Jr. Blues and three points more than sixth-place Soo Eagles. …[read more]
Tonight in the NOJHL
Final four playoffs resume in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League tonight with a pair of games.
Top-seeded Soo Thunderbirds will play host to fourth-ranked Abitibi Eskimos while third-place Espanola Rivermen are home to second-seeded Kirkland Lake Gold Miners. …[read more]
Let it ride
So, Espanola Rivermen owner Tim Clayden plans to leave the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League after this season for the proposed Canadian International Hockey League of which he would be a founding member.
So what? …[read more]
Here come the Abitibi Eskimos
Fresh — well, maybe not that fresh — from a seven-game conquest of Elliot Lake Bobcats in the opening round of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs, fourth-seeded Abitibi Eskimos will get their shot at the top-ranked Soo Thunderbirds.
The second-round series between the Eskimos and Thunderbirds will begin this weekend with Games 1 and 2 slated for Essar Centre in the Soo on Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. …[read more]
Make way for the CIHL
Espanola Rivermen owner Tim Clayden has served notice that he intends to move his team out of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and into the new Canadian International Hockey League effective the 2014-2015 campaign.
I asked Clayden why the Rivermen are leaving the NOJHL and what we can expect from the CIHL.
Following is a transcript of the interview. …[read more]
Running on empty
A team that has as much veteran talent as any in the Eastern Conference is on the verge of bowing out in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Sudbury Wolves, who were challenging Oshawa Generals for first place but instead finished a disappointing fifth in the Eastern Conference, regular-season standings, have taken their losing ways into the playoffs. …[read more]
Bad blood
They are teams of skill with lamplighters aplenty.
For starters, Kirkland Lake Gold Miners boast the high-scoring troika of Steve Babin, Austin Rust and Samuel Wilbur.
Not to be outdone, Espanola Rivermen can counter with gunslingers Corbin Bean, Brennen Dubchak and Brad Edwards, just to name three.
But the second-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series between second-seeded Kirkland Lake and third-seeded Espanola also has a pool of bad blood. …[read more]
NOJHL to Lindenwood
Lindsay Middlebrook is an Ontario-born, former National Hockey League goalie who is the coach of an American Collegiate Hockey Association school that will take to the ice for the first time in 2014-2015.
And the 58-year old Middlebrook has been putting together a roster for the Lindenwood University-Belleville Lynx built around players from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
It is what we think it is
Opinions and views are varying and open to debate.
They are neither right or wrong, except in the eyes of the beholder.
In other words, it is what we think it is, be it everyday life or the game of hockey. …[read more]
OHL Whalers leaving Plymouth?
Multiple sources, including one close to the team, have indicated that Plymouth Whalers are looking to relocate their money-losing, Ontario Hockey League franchise.
The Michigan-based Whalers have been playing out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth since 1997. …[read more]
Warriors in, Eagles out
Michigan Warriors are headed to the North American Hockey League playoffs.
Soo Eagles are not.
The I-75 highway rivals will be going in opposite directions when the playoffs begin in the North Division of the NAHL on the first weekend of April. …[read more]
Fort Knox, Blind River
Soo Thunderbirds have taken a 3-1 lead in their first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series with Blind River Beavers.
But it hasn’t been easy for the Thunderbirds, who finished in first place during the NOJHL regular season, 75 points ahead of the last-place Beavers. …[read more]
Stating the obvious
Soo Greyhounds need to rebound.
As with a victory tonight in Game 2 of their first-round, best-of-seven, Ontario Hockey League playoff series with Owen Sound Attack. …[read more]
Beavers out to get even
Can David upset Goliath again?
Playing at home tonight, Blind River Beavers will be out to try to even their first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series with Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Hounds await Attack
Houndtown will be home to a pair of Ontario Hockey League playoff games, tonight and Saturday.
Soo Greyhounds, seeded second in the Western Conference, will face the seventh-seeded Owen Sound Attack in the first-round, best-of-seven series. …[read more]
NAHL North nestle
Port Huron Fighting Falcons are in with 74 points.
Michigan Warriors are almost there with 63.
Which leaves four teams fighting for two playoffs spots in the North Division of the North American Hockey League.
And the clock is ticking. …[read more]
Birds blank Beavers
Soo Thunderbirds regained their scoring touch on Thursday and the end result was a one-sided whitewash. …[read more]
Soo Indians moving on, up
They played 58 games this 2013-2014 season as a major midget outfit that rose from the doldrums after being dormant in 2012-2013.
And Soo Indians not only fashioned a 31-26-1 record against top competition — the season concluded with a berth at the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association state championships — but a number of their players have attracted the attention of teams from various junior leagues. …[read more]
NOJHL playoff picture
Two teams have advanced to the second round of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs, two others have been eliminated and the remaining four are on ice tonight. …[read more]