Beavers add, subtract
The doors swing in, the doors swing out. Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have acquired goalie Connor Dunham Fox via the Kenora Islanders of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League while dealing forward Brendan Cooke to the Leamington Flyers of the Ontario Jr. Hockey League in separate cash transactions.
Dunham Fox faced a barrage of shots while tending goal for two lowly teams during the 2023-2024 season. The 2005 birth year goalie began the ’23-24 season in the NOJHL with the Iroquois Falls Storm before being dealt to Kenora and the SIJHL. It was the ability of Dunham Fox to handle a heavy workload for both Iroquois Falls and Kenora that attracted the 6 foot 4, 200 pound puck stopper to Blind River head coach and general manager Kyle Brick.
“We are very excited to add Connor,” Brick relayed to Hockey News North. “He showed he could make big saves and manage a heavy work load with his time In Iroqouis Falls. And he faced even more of a shooting gallery when he was with Kenora. We can’t wait to see him in a Beavers jersey.”
The rubber that Dunham Fox faced in ’23-24 is simply mind boggling. He faced 649 shots in 825 minutes of action while under constant siege in Iroquois Falls. And in 641 minutes of play in Kenora, Dunham Fox was peppered with 584 shots.
As for Blind River trading Cooke — a 5 foot 10, 170 pound native of Thessalon, Ontario– to Leamington and the OJHL, Brick as the Beavers coach and GM said the 2007 birth year youngster requested to be moved.
“Since day one we have wanted players who want to be here,” Brick said evenly. “Brendan believes it is best for his development to move on and we wish him nothing but the best in Leamington.”
Cooke played in 62 games for Blind River — regular season and playoffs included — over the course of the ’23-24 campaign and clicked for 13 goals, 16 assists 29 points. With a December 22, 2007 birth date, Cooke was the youngest player in the NOJHL in ’23-24.
The skilled skater was picked by the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League from the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in the eighth round of the 2023 OHL priority selections draft. In going to Leamington and the OJHL, Cooke will be joining a team that is the affiliate of the OHL Firebirds.