Eagles poised to return to NOJHL
Pending approval from the various governing bodies, Soo Eagles are set to return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League effective the 2015-2016 season.
The changing climate and moving footprint of the North American Hockey League has led the Michigan-based Eagles to seek a return to the NOJHL.
When current Eagles ownership led by majority stakeholder Ron Lavin and coach-general manager Bruno Bragagnolo left the NOJHL in 2012 after two successful seasons as members, they joined an NAHL that had a presence in three other Michigan towns — Kalamazoo, Port Huron and Flint.
But in successive years since 2013, NAHL teams in Kalamazoo, then Port Huron and then Flint either went dormant or relocated to another state.
The continuous exodus out of Michigan would have left the Soo as the only remaining NAHL team in the state and force the Eagles into leaving the North Division for the Midwest Division which would mean lengthy — and expensive — road trips against teams located in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Alaska.
“We would have been left with no travel partners in the state of Michigan,” said Lavin. “The harsh reality is that we would be more than 500 miles away from our average opponent.”
As an aside, the fact that the Illinois-Wisconsin-Minnesota-Alaska-based teams made it quite clear that they do not want to have to travel up to the Soo on a regular basis, it is not even certain that the NAHL Board of Governors would have approved the Eagles moving to the Midwest Division.
To be sure, Lavin and Bragagnolo could have just left town and not applied to the NOJHL to keep the Eagles in the Soo.
“We have built up a strong relationship with fans and supporters over the five years (two in the NOJHL and three in the NAHL) that we have been in the Soo,” Lavin said evenly. “There is no way we were going to leave the Soo. No way. That thought never even occurred to Bruno or me.”
Lavin said that with the move to the ever-growing NOJHL, he will remain as majority owner of the Eagles, possibly with three minority local partners — and Bragagnolo will continue to oversee the hockey operations.
Lavin called the NOJHL “a good league with a good reputation that is well-run by its commissioner, Rob Mazzuca. Going from the NAHL to the NOJHL keeps quality junior hockey in Soo, Michigan.”
As a bonus, the return of the Eagles to the NOJHL would revive the torrid, cross-border rivalry with the Soo Thunderbirds.
When the Eagles were members of the NOJHL during their 2010-2011 championship season and the 2011-2012 campaign when the Thunderbirds won the league title, games between the two teams often drew crowds of more than 1,000 fans.
With the Eagles set to return to the NOJHL, Lavin will continue to operate in the NAHL with a relocated franchise in Middletown, New Jersey.
Very pleased to see the eagles on the way back to the league ! they were always a fun squad to watch over the years !
This is Great News!!! Looking at it I much perfer the NOJHL to the NAHL. Especially the rivalry with the Canadien Teams.
Sounds like the team is off to New Jersey: http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=14789
So much for the “no way” comments from Bruno.
M Halers,
Yes, the NAHL team is off to New Jersey as per what I wrote in this article, FYI.
This is the way to go dammit! Now that the Eagles will go back to were they be long let us hope that they relize that this will requir a change in Scouting! This is Canada now!!!!!!
Well I mussed say that I agree with old tired ass Hurd LOL! It is GREAT to see the Eagle’s back in the NOJ!! I do say that the 1st Order of Bisiness for Bruno will be to hire old Charlie Murray to over see the Scouting Dept on the Canadian side. This is a “No Brainer”!!!!!!
Best Junior Hockey Rivalry = Soo Eagles and Soo Thunderbirds without a dout.
Most certainly this is good news … for the Twin Sault hockey rivalrey & for the NOJ to get back in to Michigan with what is proven owner-ship and mgmt.
I was alwaeys a big fan of the N.O.J.H.L. — — the N.A.H.L. not so much.
I am defanitly in favor of this move.There is more excitement when playing the Teams frm Canada IMHO.
F.Y.I.
…Hi me again I talk to many fans around town today (Sault Michigan) and the majority agree with this move back to the Northern Ontario Canada Junior League.
Randy: Will Bruno be coaching the Soo Eagles or the New Jersey team?
Fanman,
That remains to be seen, is what Bruno told me over dinner tonight.
I can’t wait for this rivalry. It is one of the best in junior hockey for sure.
Its great that they are keeping some level of jr hockey in Sault Michigan, however it will not bring the high level jr player to the area to play in the nojhl like it did playing in the nahl. It is good for the local kids to continue to play, but the chance to go to D1 college hockey as been lowered. This league does not bring in the college scouts like the nahl does. 3 or 4 teams will blowout the rest on most nights, and it will be a 2-3 team league again.
Mike2,
“…not bring the high level jr player to the area…” Assuming your from the Soo; not only do you have the highest level of JR players in the area, you had world-class JR players playing in your back yard. In fact, the most highly regarded JR aged player, who will be drafted 1st overall in the 2015 NHL Draft played four (4) times in your backyard; yes that is Connor McDavid, of the Erie Otters. Not to mention 1st round NHL draft picks such as Darnell Nurse, Anthony DeAngelo, and numerous other NHL drafted Soo Greyhound players such as Michael Bunting and SEVERAL others; who played the last six months in your backyard. In fact, the Greyhounds had sent highly drafted OHL prospect Boris Katchouk (who was recalled by the Hounds for a few games) to the Soo Tunderbirds this past season. The NOJ has/had several kids who go on to play in the OHL, DI and even pro (maybe some day you should look-up some of the Soo Thuderbirds Alum placements).
The NOJ has been a steady long-standing league, which has outlasted the NAHL in the respective Soo(s) (is that grammatically correct); of which, after attending both Soo Eagles games and Thunderbirds games this season, I find the NOJ much more of a game likened to the OHL vs dump & chase (boring).
I can’t find the up-to date commit link on the NOJHL site.