Jordan Smith to the NHL
Sault Ste. Marie native Jordan Smith is headed to the Show. The 40 year old Smith has been hired as an assistant coach by the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.
…[read more]Peter Goulet to the OHL
A lengthy apprenticeship spanning a few decades has finally resulted in an Ontario Hockey League assistant coach position for the highly regarded Peter Goulet. Most recently with the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as a two time coach of the year, the 56-year old Goulet will join the OHL staff of new Brantford Bulldogs head coach Michael Babcock.
…[read more]The rise of Kenny Belanger
He has gone from a player who as a youngster was unceremoniously cut from a AAA program in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. to become a productive performer at the junior A and Ontario university levels.
…[read more]Soo Eagles + Soo Indians
This is setting up to further establish a pipeline between the under 18 and junior levels of the game. That is, the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are now officially overseeing the operations of the U18 Soo Indians of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association’s Tier 1 Elite League.
…[read more]Upstate NY via Espanola
Graduated Espanola Paper Kings forward Jason Galante has committed to attend Morrisville State University ahead of the ’26-27 season. Located in upstate New York, Morrisville is a Division 3 National Collegiate Athletic Association school.
…[read more]NOJHL grads off to school
Teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have long been suppliers of players to the Division 3 level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. And some of the more recent NCAA commitments ahead of the ’26-27 season are as follows.
…[read more]NB goalie to Powassan
Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have stayed in their own back yard to sign 2008 birth year goalie Carson Ruddy from the reigning Great North Under 18 Hockey League champion North Bay Trappers.
…[read more]Bertrand is back up North
Greater Sudbury product Anthony Bertrand is returning to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League from the Central Canada Hockey League.
…[read more]Southwind in Elliot Lake
Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have signed local product Gerald Southwind ahead of the ’26-27 season.
…[read more]Espanola to Cleveland, Ohio
Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have confirmed the commitment of forward Callum Millar to Hiram College of Cleveland effective the ’26-27 season. Hiram is a Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association school.
…[read more]BR goalie off to D3 school
Graduated Blind River Beavers goalie Justin Sullivan has committed to Southern New Hampshire University for the ’26-27 season. SNHU is a Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association school.
…[read more]School is in for Soo Eagles
Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are without peer when it comes to advancing players to the American college ranks. Indeed, in the 16 years that the venerable Bruno Bragagnolo has led the program as president, general manager and in various coaching roles, the Eagles have sent in the neighbourhood of 150 players to college hockey programs.
…[read more]Mazzuca in positions of power
The boss is still the boss. Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League commissioner Rob Mazzuca will continue to have considerable say and authority as the chair of the board for the Canadian Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Thrills of an NOJHL season
Sudbury Cubs are the champions of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for the third successive season by virtue of an unbeaten playoff run that produced a perfect 12-0 record. And it isn’t just Sudbury that accounted for some splendid story lines from the ’25-26 NOJHL season.
…[read more]Sudbury up 3-0 on Timmins
A shorthanded goal by Kaedyn Long and the shutout net minding of Iain Wintle helped to spark the visiting Sudbury Cubs to a 3-0 win over the Timmins Rock in Game 3 of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship series before more than 1,200 fans at venerable McIntyre Arena.
…[read more]Cubs up two on the Rock
It was yet another big crowd in the range of 1,000 fans at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex on Friday night. And the Sudbury Cubs skated to a second straight win over the visiting Timmins Rock to take a 2-0 lead in the best of seven Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship series.
…[read more]Sudbury rattles the Rock
Close to 1,000 fans were on hand at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex on Thursday to watch Sudbury’s best junior hockey team continue what has been a perfect playoff run to date.
…[read more]NOJHL finals set to start
And now there are two left. The best of seven Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship series between the two time reigning champion Sudbury Cubs and the Timmins Rock gets underway tonight at 7:00 at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex in the Nickel City.
…[read more]NOJHL finals schedule
The schedule is set for the best of seven series between the no. 1 seed Sudbury Cubs and the no. 4 seed Timmins Rock to decide this year’s Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League championship.
…[read more]A salute to the Soo Eagles
They lost their first nine games of the ’25-26 regular season and recovered enough to finish in seventh place among the 11 teams of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — and earn one of eight playoff spots. But the Soo Eagles were far from done.
…[read more]Rock on to the NOJHL finals
There is no bigger fan of the Timmins Rock than its supportive team president Ted Gooch. And Gooch relayed more than 200 words of praise to Hockey News North about his Timmins team that is headed to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League finals against the two time reigning champion Sudbury Cubs following a second round playoff series sweep of the arch-rival Hearst Lumberjacks.
…[read more]Sudbury Cubs still clicking
Is there any slowing down the Sudbury Cubs? The two time reigning champions in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have been virtually unstoppable since the calendar flipped to 2026.
…[read more]EL Vikings late May camp
They are primed to return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League effective the ’26-27 season. And the Elliot Lake Vikings — having been on a leave of absence for the past year and a half relative to structural issues at their now restored home arena — have an upcoming camp planned.
…[read more]Rock rolls into NOJHL semis
At the end of it all it was home ice advantage for the seventh and deciding game that tilted the Timmins Rock towards the semi-finals in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Surging Soo Eagles sweep
The odds of a no. 7 seed beating a no. 2 seed in a best of seven playoff series are very low. The odds of the no. 7 seed doing so in a four game sweep are even lower.
…[read more]NOJHL playoff tracker
First round playoff action is underway within the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Sudbury Cubs have a 2-0 lead on the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners while the surprising Soo Eagles are up two on the Powassan Voodoos as are the Hearst Lumberjacks ahead of the Espanola Paper Kings by the same margin. Meantime, the Timmins Rock and Soo Thunderbirds are even at a game apiece. All series are best of seven.
…[read more]EL Vikings back in business
It has been a long, difficult process but the Elliot Lake Vikings are poised to return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as active members effective the ’26-27 season. The slated comeback of the Vikings would be coincidental with the scheduled reopening of 59 year old Rogers Arena — formerly known as Centennial Arena — at some point this summer.
…[read more]NOJHL quarter finals
Eight teams will hit the ice this week as the playoffs begin in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. All four first round sets are best of seven series. Following is the schedule for all four of the opening round series.
…[read more]Sudbury Cubs, Kirkland Lake
The Northern Ontario Jr.Hockey League has confirmed the schedule for the opening round, best of seven playoff series between the no. 1 seed Sudbury Cubs and the no. 8 seed Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
…[read more]NOJHL playoffs are looming
The eight teams that will begin the playoffs in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have been accounted for. Still, there is much to play for in this, the final week of the ’25-26 regular season as there are three teams in the mix for second place.
…[read more]Power of the Sudbury Cubs
They are in pursuit of what is called a three peat. And to be sure, the two time reigning champion Sudbury Cubs have sights set on a third successive Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League crown.
…[read more]He’s a high scoring Horgan
Sudbury Cubs defenseman Spencer Horgan has become the highest scoring blue liner in the history of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. With 212 points in 163 regular season games in the NOJHL, Horgan has gone ahead of Noel Caya, who played for the erstwhile Rayside Balfour Canadians from 1981 to 1986.
…[read more]Cowan clicks for Beavers
It has been a turnaround season for Camden Cowan of the Blind River Beavers. A 2006 birth year forward, Cowan leads Blind River in scoring in his first season with the Beavers after being acquired in a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League trade with his hometown Soo Thunderbirds last summer.
…[read more]Soo Eagles fly over .500
It took them 41 games into this ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season schedule just to reach the .500 mark. And finally — at the 42 game mark — the Soo Eagles soared over the .500 level with a recent road triumph over the Blind River Beavers.
…[read more]Soo Eagles like local lads
It makes sense in many ways for a Junior A hockey team to try to enlist local talent providing that the players in question are a capable fit. In the case of the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, they have six players from the Twin Soo area who make up a significant side to their roster.
…[read more]Boville in the Bird cage
Big goalie Cam Boville is playing big for his hometown Soo Thunderbirds. The late blooming puck stopper has won four of his last five decisions — in his only loss he allowed just two goals — and now sports an overall record of 7-4-1 with a 2.50 goals against average and .918 save percentage.
…[read more]Plenty at stake in the NOJHL
There are heaps and leaps to play for — including ongoing development — in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League ahead of the end of the ’25-26 regular season schedule which is slated to conclude on March 15.
…[read more]Two more wins for Timmins
It was back on the October 17-18 weekend when the Timmins Rock lost a pair of home and home games to the Espanola Paper Kings by 3-1 and 5-4 (overtime) scores. In the three months since, Timmins has not lost a single contest.
…[read more]New net duo in Espanola
Goalie Carter Arnold recently joined the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to form a net tandem with Logan Vale. Arnold, who has a 2007 birth date, had been tending twine for the Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Hockey League.
…[read more]Three notable NOJHL moves
A tally of transactions at the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League trade deadline included several high performance players with links to the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]As the NOJHL moves forward
The game is played on the ice, in the moment. But the decision makers who are involved with the product and the programs are most often looking ahead. And the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as it strives to remain neat and tidy while staying in its own lane, is no different.
…[read more]Rousselle a dandy defender
He was born in December of 2008 which means Dylan Rousselle just turned 17 years old. And despite his young age and being a rookie defenseman with the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Rousselle has made significant strides thus far this season.
…[read more]A first for Cam Boville
Homegrown goalie Cam Boville made 25 saves for his first Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League shutout to back stop the Soo Thunderbirds to a 7-0 Friday night road verdict over the Espanola Paper Kings.
…[read more]Timmins Rock leads the way
Timmins Rock not only sits atop the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League attendance chart but it currently has the best winning percentage among the 11 teams.
…[read more]Soo T-Birds trade captain
Callum McAuley has become the latest local lad to ask for and receive a trade from the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. The Thunderbirds have dealt the 2006 birth year forward to the St. Mary’s Lincolns of the Greater Ontario Hockey League in a cash transaction.
…[read more]Gavin gets his game going
Rookie forward Gavin Killoran had a recent career outing for the Soo Thunderbirds. A local Sault Ste. Marie product with a 2008 birth date, Killoran fired home four goals as the Thunderbirds skated to a 6-2 decision over the visiting Espanola Paper Kings.
…[read more]World class Rock star
Star forward Brant Romaniuk of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League says the relationship that he has with his head coach Brandon Perry is “truly special.” The homegrown, 2007 birth year forward relayed that message to Hockey News North after being picked to the Canada East squad that will compete at next month’s World Junior A Challenge.
…[read more]The 500 club of Espanola
It is the epitome of dedication, commitment and hometown loyalty. In quiet and unassuming fashion, young Austin LeClair has hit the 500 game mark as the long time equipment manager for the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Fab five of the NOJHL
It doesn’t get much closer than this. A mere four points are all that separate the top five teams within the well balanced Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]