Great North title tournament
Sault Ste. Marie is hosting the Great North Under 18 Hockey League playoff championship tournament this week. And the Soo U18 Greyhounds, as the host team — and first place finisher during the regular season — are certainly in a desirable position to repeat as league champs.
All eight teams from the Great North will compete at this week’s championship tournament led by the powerhouse U18 Greyhounds who posted a regular season record of 26-2-0 and out-scored the opposition by a 152-46 margin while permitting very few shots on goal.
The Soo is one of only three teams among the eight members to have winning records during the regular season. The North Bay U18 Trappers, with a 21-7-0 record and the Kapuskasing Flyers, with an 18-9-1 mark, were the others.
A big advantage for the U18 Greyhounds is that, among the league’s three biggest market programs, the Soo is the only one to ice a single team this season. By comparison, both North Bay and Sudbury have two teams in the league. North Bay has the U18 Trappers and U16 Trappers while Sudbury has the U18 Nickel Capitals and U16 Nickel Capitals.
Just stating the facts, folks, like them or not.
(above photo by Bob Davies)
OUR TOP 15
Meanwhile, we have 15 players with 2007 birth dates from the GNU18HL who Hockey News North feels have the best chance to be selected at the April 21-22 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
Our carefully thought out and processed list of potential picks from the Great North for the looming OHL priority selections draft includes eight forwards, five defensemen and two goalies.
In order, as of this date, here is who we like best by position from the ’07 age group.
FORWARDS: 1. Cole Dubowsky, Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals. 2. Hudson Chitaroni, Soo U18 Greyhounds. 3. Brendan Cooke, Soo U18 Greyhounds. 4. Brant Romaniuk, North Bay U16 Trappers. 5. Max Campbell, Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals. 6. Coulson Bell, Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals. 7. Deven Jones McDonald, Soo U18 Greyhounds. 8. Anthony Bertrand, Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals.
DEFENSEMEN: 1. Alexandre Valade, Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals. 2. Candon O’Neill, Soo U18 Greyhounds. 3. Cole Ellis, Timmins Majors. 4. Declan Gallivan, Soo U18 Greyhounds. 5. Carter Carriere, Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals.
GOALIES: 1. Nick Marson, Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals. 2. Alex Hall, Timmins Majors.