NOJHL prepping for ’21-22
In a sense, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is already ahead of the game as it plans and prepares for next season.
It includes the fact that Elliot Lake has confirmed a return from its 2020-2021 leave of absence for the 2021-2022 campaign — complete with a new name, a new coach and a new general manager.
Then there are examples of verity that elite full-time coaches such as Kyle Brick of the Blind River Beavers and Brent Hughes of the Espanola Express have affirmed their return for the 2021-2022 season to Hockey News North.
…[read more]BR boss welcomes EL return
The rabid, sometimes rowdy rivalry between the nearby junior hockey towns of Blind River and Elliot Lake is poised to be rekindled.
With a new name, new management and a new coach, Elliot Lake is set to return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for the 2021-2022 season after having taken a leave of absence for what became an abbreviated 2020-2021 campaign.
…[read more]NOJHL rebrand in Elliot Lake
After being on leave of absence for what became an abbreviated 2020-2021 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season, Elliot Lake is poised to return for the 2021-2022 campaign with new leadership and a new name.
Formerly the Elliot Lake Wildcats, the NOJHL team has changed its name to the Elliot Lake Red Wings.
…[read more]Northern boys of the NOJHL
Teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are able to recruit players from all over Canada, not to mention the United States. But homegrown players from northern Ontario remain popular among NOJHL teams.
…[read more]Brick house in Blind River
The most productive coach in franchise history is returning to the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for a sixth season, Hockey News North has confirmed.
Kyle Brick, who will turn 35 years of age later this month, has re-upped with the Beavers as coach and general manager for the 2021-2022 season as per team president Robert Morningstar.
…[read more]Splash on the Beaver dam
A normal regular season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is 56 games for each of its teams.
Well, in what was an abnormal, offbeat 2020-2021 season relative to COVID-19, it nonetheless — for example — led to the Blind River Beavers being able to play 21 games against two cohort opponents.
…[read more]Return ticket to Espanola
He has paid dues of advancement along the way, going from the AA levels of minor hockey in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie to AAA status.
And as the time passages of the game tick on, Cole Delarosbil has committed to returning to the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for what will be a third season, the 2021-2022 campaign.
…[read more]Summer tournament hockey
Dependent on factors related to COVID-19 and a return to more controllable numbers, summer tournament hockey may be more prevalent this year given the low total of games that were played at the junior and under 18 levels during the 2020-2021 season.
…[read more]Seguin heading to school
Graduated Timmins Rock gunslinger Derek Seguin is headed to North Bay to play Ontario university hockey for the Nipissing Lakers next season.
Seguin’s family advisor, Adrian Gedye of Pinnacle Hockey Management, confirmed the commitment of his client to Hockey News North.
…[read more]NOJHL news, views, dues
As a writer who writes up more than one team in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, here are a number of notations as we move on from the 2020-2021 abbreviation of a season to what we can have faith in at what could lie ahead at some point.
…[read more]Beavers set in net with Disano
He came through when called upon and earned the no. 1 job.
And along the way, Gavin Disano withstood baptism by fire as a young rookie goalie with the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]T-Birds retain tidy tradition
It was a season like no other, all due to COVID-19 and the restrictions and modifications that resulted from it. Among the nine Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League teams that saw action this 2020-2021 season, the Soo Thunderbirds were more fortunate than most as they got to play in 21 games. And along the way, the Thunderbirds maintained a tidy tradition of not having had a losing record since coming into existence as a member of the modern day NOJHL in 1999.
…[read more]NOJHL scores ‘E’ for effort
It stick handled around the COVID-19 opponent with a careful game plan and by following all the rules.
And while not all teams were able to finish what they started, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League stared down adversity and came away with an ‘E’ for effort in an abbreviated 2020-2021 season.
…[read more]NOJHL team has summer plans
The coach and general manager of the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League intends to ice a summer team that will compete in showcase tournaments, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Soo Eagles got game
A closed international border prevented the Soo Eagles from competing within the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League this season.
But the Michigan-based Eagles — the only American team in the 12-member NOJHL — still found a way to play a number of games over the past several months.
…[read more]Beavers take down the Birds
COVID-19 cohort competition and a rabid rivalry is alive and well in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League series between the Blind River Beavers and Soo Thunderbirds.
Playing at home today, the Beavers took down the Thunderbirds by a decisive 8-3 score to even the marathon, season-long, cohort series between the fiery foes at seven games apiece. It was the second straight home ice win by Blind River over the Soo to cap a two games in two days, weekend matinee series.
…[read more]Soo boys spark Blind River
Devin Mauro netted the tying tally in the third period, then sealed the deal in the shootout, and fellow Sault Ste. Marie product Gavin Disano made 48 saves as Blind River Beavers edged the visiting Soo Thunderbirds 5-4 in another cohort contest between the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League rivals on Saturday night.
…[read more]Beavers come up short
It was a spirited effort by a team that played with just two of its regular defensemen due to league suspension.
But despite numerous glorious scoring opportunities, the visiting Blind River Beavers came up short in yet another cohort match with the Soo Thunderbirds in Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League action on Thursday.
…[read more]Crunch and Rock carry on
Three games in as many days was the workload as Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cohort rivals Cochrane Crunch and Timmins Rock faced off on the weekend.
…[read more]NOJHL deserved better
It has followed all the rules — and then some — relative to COVID-19. Fifty three of its scheduled 58 games for this season have been played thus far and the only ones that were postponed were of the precautionary measure.
Still, the 12-member Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is down to four active teams and is poised to halt the 2020-2021 season at the end of this month when Blind River Beavers v. Soo Thunderbirds and Cochrane Crunch v. Timmins Rock finish their respective, current cohort schedule.
The NOJHL deserved better. And, as just one example, so did the up and coming Espanola Express.
…[read more]Stevenson still in the game
His hockey playing career ended a dozen years ago at age 34. But now, at 46 years of age and at his playing size and weight of 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Jeremy Stevenson still looks fit and trim enough to be patrolling the left wing.
A first round pick of the Cornwall Royals in 1990 who would finish his Ontario Hockey League career with the Soo Greyhounds, Stevenson defied the odds to play in 228 National Hockey League games after being an 11th round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 1994.
…[read more]Seven up for Birds, Beavers
Soo Thunderbirds and Blind River Beavers will take the COVID-19 affected Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season to a conclusive seven game series between the cohort rivals, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Four cohorts on NOJHL slate
Cochrane Crunch and Timmins Rock have drawn up a schedule of 10 games between each other over the next 20 days.
And Blind River Beavers and Soo Thunderbirds are working on their next slate of games as cohort opponents, which will likely be next week.
…[read more]Disano stands tall for BR
At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, Gavin Disano is on the short side when it comes to the preferences of Ontario Hockey League scouts and American college recruiters who evaluate goalies. But if a goalie can stop the puck and win games, how much does size really matter?
To be sure, Disano who is a 2003 birth year rookie with the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, has been standing tall between the pipes.
…[read more]Beavers take broom to Birds
Staring adversity straight in the chops, Blind River Beavers pulled out a stunning 5-4 victory over the Soo Thunderbirds today to complete a weekend sweep of their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cohort rivals.
…[read more]Beavers overcome T-Birds
Enough is enough.
Blind River Beavers halted a five game win-less streak against the Soo Thunderbirds today with a 4-1 victory.
Playing at home, the Beavers scored two power play goals and rode the good goal-tending of rookie Gavin Disano to end a skid in which Blind River had gone 0-4-1 over its previous five games against the Soo.
…[read more]NOJHL boss was OHL star
These days, Rob Mazzuca is well known as the likeable, respectable commissioner of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
With deep northern Ontario roots, Mazzuca — who has been the league’s commander in chief since 2011 — has brought a thorough, thoughtful, professional approach to his position and to the NOJHL itself.
…[read more]Crunch and Rock in cohort
They figure to be familiar and formidable foes by facing off 10 times in a 20 day frame.
As Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cohort opponents, the Cochrane Crunch and Timmins Rock are slated to play 10 games against each other between March 10 and March 30.
…[read more]Birds have Beavers baffled
Soo Thunderbirds have the Blind River Beavers number as of late.
Since the 2021 portion of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season began about a week ago, the Thunderbirds have taken four straight games from the Beavers with Blind River’s only point coming in a shootout loss.
…[read more]NOJHL a game at a time
Five for seven. As in, of the seven games that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League had scheduled for last week as it returned to play from COVID-19 hiatus, five of them went into the books.
Thus, the NOJHL is maintaining a good average of completion of scheduled matches. In all, when totaling the 51 slated games to date — November and December of 2020 and February of 2021 — 46 have gone on as scheduled.
…[read more]Making headway in Espanola
The times they are a changin’ in Espanola.
And it is change that has been for the better relative to the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Birds fly into top spot
Fast skating power forward Cooper Smyl fired three goals today to spark the surging Soo Thunderbirds to a 7-2 triumph over the Blind River Beavers.
The road win for the Thunderbirds boosted their record to 7-3-1 and moved them into first place in the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, just ahead of the idle Espanola Express, which has a 5-4-3 mark.
…[read more]Beavers earn tough point
It wasn’t a victory.
But Blind River Beavers coach Kyle Brick credited his team for a hard fought effort in gaining a point from a 6-5 shootout loss to the Soo Thunderbirds in Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League action from Friday night.
The visiting Beavers forced the shootout with a power play goal by Matt Cato with less than three minutes to play in the third period.
…[read more]NOJHL games postponed
Tonight’s and Saturday’s scheduled Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League games between the French River Rapids and the Espanola Express have been postponed, multiple sources have confirmed to Hockey News North.
…[read more]Nicholls boards the Express
He has served a full two year apprenticeship in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League. And now, 2003 birth year goalie Evan Nicholls has been granted the liberty to tend twine in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]NOJHL: So far, so good
Tests have been passed through the early going of return to play in the 2021 half of the interrupted Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season.
The resumption of play on Feb. 23 after a two month shutdown relative to COVID-19 has followed an impressive 2020 half for the NOJHL in which 41 of 44 scheduled games were completed.
…[read more]T-Birds add seasoned skaters
As play resumes in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League this week following a two-month shut down, the Soo Thunderbirds have added a pair of veteran forwards to their lineup, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]NOJHL rallies with rebound
Let the record show that junior hockey returned to northeastern Ontario on February 23 after two months on the sidelines.
The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — which got in an impressive 41 games between November 13 and December 22 of 2020 before Christmas holidays and then a province wide shutdown relative to COVID-19 led to the two month stoppage in play — is back on the ice with a safe schedule of games for the 2021 portion of the season.
…[read more]Express v. Rapids etc.
Better late than never.
The 2021 portion of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season will finally get underway tonight when the French River Rapids play host to their cohort rival Espanola Express in a slated 6:00 start.
The two teams have already faced off against each other six times this season with each side winning three games. Two of French River’s wins were in extra time.
…[read more]NOJHL confirms return
The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has just confirmed what Hockey News North had said would happen in a story posted earlier today — a return to play effective this week.
…[read more]NOJHL working on return
Sources are telling Hockey News North that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will return to play this week.
And the same sources are saying that teams will be restricted to playing within their own public health units, at least to begin.
In the case of the five-member West Division of the NOJHL, there is an odd number of teams. That is, unless a guest team from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League is allowed in.
…[read more]NOJHL guest team scenario
As amateur hockey teams and leagues try to stick handle around COVID-19 and return to game activity with the blessing of public health units, there are various scenarios in consideration.
One such suggestion would have, for example, the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League joining the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as a guest team.
…[read more]Assistants for the Rock
Timmins Rock president Ted Gooch has told Hockey News North that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team will not hire a new head coach until after the 2020-2021 season.
Gooch confirmed that in the wake of today’s resignation of Corey Beer, who was in his fourth season as bench boss of the NOJHL team.
…[read more]No more Beer in Timmins
Corey Beer has resigned as head coach of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to accept a position with the Okanagan Hockey Group.
The move to the Whitby, Ontario-based academy will allow Beer to be closer to his family. Beer and his girlfriend are expecting their first child.
…[read more]NOJHL poised to return
Barring any sort of setback relative to COVID-19, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League could resume regular season play within a week or so.
Sources have told Hockey News North that NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca and team representatives have scheduled a conference call for Tuesday evening relative to a return to play.
…[read more]NOJHL has passed COVID test
If a tried, tested and true track record stands up — as it should — then the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League should be cleared for a return to the ice once the provincial government lifts its lock down and stay at home edict.
Under the careful, calculated leadership of NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca, the league managed to play 41 of the 44 games that were scheduled between Nov. 13 and Dec. 22.
…[read more]Final playoff push for Kovacs
Sault Ste. Marie product Bronson Kovacs has had his wish granted to join a playoff contender in the Erste Liga pro hockey loop.
The 30-year old defenseman has been transferred to MAC Budapest from the Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák Steel Bulls.
Kovacs noted that as this is his sixth and final season of playing pro in Hungary, “I was granted my release so I could sign with a contender for my last playoff push.”
…[read more]Express route for OHL picks
Nestled on the Spanish River, about 35 miles west of Sudbury and 145 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie — and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17 — lies the little junior A hockey town of Espanola.
As the town is home to just under 5,000 residents, it also houses the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. And quite notably, the Express has become a route of choice for no less than nine Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft picks ranging in age from 16 to 18.
…[read more]Ready to play up north
They are waiting for the go ahead from the provincial government and the respective public health units and municipalities of northeastern Ontario.
In the interim, players and coaches on teams from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are prepared to return to the ice should the provincial stay-at-home lock down be lifted on schedule on February 11 — and if the various public health and city officials subsequently allow indoor rinks to re-open.
…[read more]