Gold Miners strike again
Make that another one-goal win for Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
Sam Wilbur’s goal with 42 seconds left in the third period lifted Kirkland Lake to a 3-2 triumph over visiting Espanola Rivermen in Game 3 of their best-of-seven, second-round, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series on Tuesday night. …[read more]
Kirkland Lake in command
Kirkland Lake Gold Miners can all but put away the Espanola Rivermen with a win tonight.
The Gold Miners lead their second-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series with the Rivermen two games to none by virtue of a pair of 2-1 victories. …[read more]
Soo, KL up two
Soo Thunderbirds and Kirkland Lake Gold Miners have both taken two-games-to-none leads in their second-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Espanola Rivermen award winners
Espanola Rivermen of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League recently held their awards-night banquet. …[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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Birds blank Beavers
Soo Thunderbirds regained their scoring touch on Thursday and the end result was a one-sided whitewash. …[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]
Rivermen can sweep Sudbury
Espanola Rivermen are one win away from advancing to the second round of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs.
The Rivermen lead the Sudbury Nickel Barons 3-0 in the best-of-seven series and will be on the road to try to complete the sweep tonight. …[read more]
It’s over in North Bay
It’s all over for the North Bay Trappers.
In more ways than one. …[read more]
Rivermen on the road
Espanola Rivermen take to the road tonight trying to take a further hold on their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series with Sudbury Nickel Barons. …[read more]
Birds in a battle with Beavers
What is going on here?
Wasn’t this supposed to be a sweep of a series?
Put the brooms away. There will be no sweeping.
Soo Thunderbirds and Blind River Beavers are tied at a game apiece in their first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Birds, Beavers are even
Soo Thunderbirds have evened their first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series with Blind River Beavers.
But it wasn’t easy. …[read more]
Espanola over Sudbury
Espanola Rivermen have taken a two games to none lead in their first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series with Sudbury Nickel Barons. …[read more]
Beavers v. Birds up close
Despite being outshot 36-15, Blind River Beavers stole a 3-2 road win over Soo Thunderbirds in Game 1 of their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series on Saturday night at the Essar Centre. …[read more]
So much for the Soo sweep
Playoffs really are a different story.
Eighth-seeded Blind River Beavers spotted first-place Soo Thunderbirds a 2-0 lead and then stole a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
This afternoon in Espanola
Game 2 in the first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series between Espanola Rivermen and Sudbury Nickel Barons will be played today.
Opening faceoff is 2 p.m. at Espanola Regional Recreational Complex. …[read more]
NOJHL openers
Soo Thunderbirds will take to the playoff trail beginning tonight when they play host to the Blind River Beavers.
Start time in what is Game 1 in the first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series is 7:30 p.m. at Essar Centre. …[read more]
Radke ready to roll
He is often overshadowed by two of his fellow defencemen, namely Tyler Jones and Owen Headrick.
But while Jones was named best defenceman and Headrick rookie-of-the-year in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, David Radke is also a much-valued member of the Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Espanola Rivermen support autism
Players and members of the Espanola Rivermen of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League recently took part in an Autism Acceptance event. …[read more]
Blind River Beavers award winners
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League held their end-of-the-regular-season banquet last Sunday.
Award winners are as follows. …[read more]
NOJHL playoffs start tonight
It’s that time of the season again.
Playoff time.
The first puck will drop on the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs tonight. …[read more]
Beavers facing a Bird bath
On paper, this looms as a whitewash of a playoff series.
For starters, first-place Soo Thunderbirds finished 75 points ahead of eighth-place Blind River Beavers during the 2013-2014 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season.
Then there’s the fact that the Thunderbirds won all eight of their regular-season meetings with the Beavers. …[read more]
NOJHL first-round forecast
It’s the beginning of the playoff season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
All four best-of-seven series get underway this week.
Following are my first-round predictions. …[read more]
Award winning Thunderbirds
Personnel from the no. 1 ranked Jr. A hockey team in Canada have been duly recognized.
Six members of the Soo Thunderbirds have won major awards in votes cast by representatives from each of the eight teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Espanola-Sudbury playoff schedule
Espanola Rivermen and Sudbury Nickel Barons have agreed to dates, times and locations for their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Birds-Beavers playoff schedule
Soo Thunderbirds and Blind River Beavers have finalized dates, times and locations for their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
NOJHL playoff matchups set
First round of the playoffs will get underway in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League next week and the matchups have been determined. …[read more]
Five T-Birds are all-stars
Soo Thunderbirds have a dominant presence on the 2013-2014 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League all-star teams.
Following are the first and second all-star squads as voted on by NOJHL team representatives. …[read more]
NOJHL to NCAA D3
Elliot Lake Bobcats captain John Waghorne will play Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association hockey at the University of Southern Maine next season. …[read more]
Personal goals within reach
As a team, Soo Thunderbirds have clinched first place in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League standings and will be the no. 1 seed when the playoffs get underway next week.
But the Thunderbirds still have two games to play in the regular season — on home ice this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. — and there are players who are within milestones. …[read more]
NOJHL issues
In many respects, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has been a good follow this 2013-2014 season.
Soo Thunderbirds and Kirkland Lake Gold Miners have not only been the top two teams in the NOJHL with 40-plus regular-season victories apiece but both are highly-rated within the Canadian Jr. A Hockey League rankings.
As well, Abitibi Eskimos and Espanola Rivermen have made for quite the race for third-and-fourth place.
The Rivermen have not only been a first-year, on-ice success in Espanola but are the NOJHL attendance leaders with a per-game average of just over 500.
But there are issues for the NOJHL to deal with it as it peeks ahead. …[read more]
Brandon and the boys
Three young Sault Ste. Marie hockey players — who are also fans of the Soo Thunderbirds — got to meet one of their favourites from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team recently. …[read more]
Buzz over NOJHL move to Cochrane
The arrival of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in Cochrane effective the 2014-2015 season should have a major impact on the community, according to the town’s mayor and the owner of the team.
“We are absolutely excited, it’s part of a build and development program in the community that we have been part of for the past three years,” mayor Peter Politis said of the relocation of the Elliot Lake Bobcats to Cochrane. …[read more]
Tough tests loom for T-Birds
Okay, we know that Soo Thunderbirds have clinched first place in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League standings and will meet the lowly Blind River Beavers in the first round of the playoffs.
But despite their lofty standing in the NOJHL, tough tests loom for the Thunderbirds come playoff time. …[read more]
T-Bird, Trapper in a tussle
It was a tussle between a T-Bird and a Trapper when Anthony Butorac of the Soo and Darian Skeoch of North Bay squared off on Friday night. …[read more]
Thunderbirds are no. 1
Soo Thunderbirds secured the no. 1 seed in the upcoming Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs with an 8-1 cuffing of the North Bay Trappers on Friday at the Essar Centre. …[read more]
Birds to watch
These Birds are made for watching.
On the cusp of clinching top spot in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League standings, Soo Thunderbirds will look to further fashion their record of 45-5-3 tonight when they play host to the North Bay Trappers.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Essar Centre.
On a team of talent and true grit, here are just five of many Birds worth watching. …[read more]
Latest on the Espanola Rivermen
In the wake of the $5,000 fine and indefinite suspension that Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League commissioner Robert Mazzuca handed Espanola Rivermen owner-governor-director of operations Tim Clayden on Wednesday — over comments he made to HockeyNewsNorth.com earlier that day — Scott Ginson has been promoted to vice president of operations. …[read more]
Suspicious suspension of NOJHL owner
This one reeks of vindictiveness.
If I am Espanola Rivermen owner-governor Tim Clayden, I am consulting with a lawyer on this one.
Two days after giving written notice to fellow Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League governors that his Rivermen would be looking to play in a new league come the 2014-2015 season, Clayden has been fined $5,000 and suspended indefinitely by commissioner Robert Mazzuca. …[read more]
Espanola Rivermen owner speaks out
As an owner, operator and general manager, Tim Clayden is known as one of the shrewdest and best Junior A hockey operators in Canada.
Now the owner of the Espanola Rivermen — who as a first-year franchise are leading the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in attendance — Clayden is exploring other avenues for his team.
Following is the transcript of a lengthy interview I conducted with Clayden. …[read more]
46 goals for Thunderbird captain
Soo Thunderbirds captain Gavin Burbach has a shot at a 50-goal season.
Burbach, a 1993 birth-year forward who is in his fourth season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, needs four goals in the Thunderbirds final three games of the 2013-2014 campaign to hit the 50-goal mark. …[read more]
303 watch NOJHL in Mattawa
North Bay Trappers played host to the Soo Thunderbirds on Sunday afternoon in a neutral site game that was held in Mattawa.
And the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League game drew a crowd of 303 to Mike Rodden Arena and Community Centre in Mattawa. …[read more]
Trappers setting up in Mattawa
The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will move to the frozen stage of the Ottawa River town of Mattawa today in the form of the transplanted North Bay Trappers.
The Trappers will play their next three home games of this 2013-2014 NOJHL season at Mattawa’s Mike Rodden Arena and Community Centre. …[read more]
Who is leaving the NOJHL?
The clock is ticking.
There is absolutely no doubt that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will have a different look to it come the 2014-2015 season. …[read more]
NOJHL moves into Mattawa
North Bay Trappers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have scheduled their next three home games for the Mike Rodden Arena and Community Centre in nearby Mattawa. …[read more]