Impeccable U18 Hounds
The top team in the eight member Great North Under 18 Hockey League will put its unbeaten record up for bid this weekend. Soo Jr. Greyhounds, with a shiny showing of 9-0-0 to date, will be home to the 7-2-0 North Bay U18 Trappers for a pair of games.
Action is slated for Saturday evening at 6:30 and Sunday morning at 11:00, with both games slotted for John Rhodes Community Centre. The U18 Jr. Greyhounds have overwhelmed their opponents to date, out-scoring their rivals by a 55-10 margin.
Hudson Chitaroni leads the Jr. Greyhounds in scoring with nine goals, eight assists, 17 points. He is one of a number of plum 2007 birth year skaters on the Jr. Greyhounds who are favourable prospects for the 2023 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. Others include fellow forwards Brendan Cooke and Deven Jones McDonald and defensemen Candon O’Neill and Declan Gallivan. Of note, Cooke does not turn 15 until December 22 of this year.
The U18 Jr. Greyhounds are also flush with 2006 birth year skaters including forwards Cole Cond, Gabe Palumbo and Jacob Smith and defenseman Evan Roach. Roach is already an OHL draft pick, having been taken by the hometown Soo Greyhounds at the 2022 priority selections.
Meanwhile, having allowed just 10 goals in nine games reflects the overall team play of the Jr. Greyhounds as well as the performances of goalies Maverick Fletcher and Nathan Maguire.