Beavers snag two more scouts
The new-look Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added two more scouts to their staff.
Senior advisor/scouting director Charly Murray has confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com the addition of (retired) Colonel Michael Carr and Jim Thomas to the Beavers hockey department.
The 65-year Murray, who recently signed on with Blind River after assisting the reigning NOJHL champion Soo Thunderbirds as a special assignment scout in 2015-2016, has a long association with both Carr and Thomas.
Carr is a former NOJHL assistant coach/off-ice trainer with both the Soo Eagles and erstwhile Northern Michigan Black Bears. Thomas is a former hockey coach at Sault College with scouting connections in the Sudbury and Manitoulin areas.
Murray, who also has a prior association with Blind River and the Soo among other NOJHL teams, said Carr will scout the Florida area for the Beavers. Thomas, on the other hand, will assist Murray with his scouting/recruiting duties.
Earlier, David Legree, a former Ontario Hockey League goalie with the Soo Greyhounds from the mid-1970s, joined the Beavers as their mid-west United States scout based out of Sioux City, Iowa.
“These guys bring a ton of experience with them and I’m very grateful for them to be assisting us in building the Beavers organization to a powerful presence once again in the NOJHL,” said Murray.
The addition of Murray to the Beavers and his subsequent landing of Legree, Carr and Thomas to assist him as scouts follows the hiring of Kyle Brick as head coach, Dylan King as assistant coach and the appointment of Dennis Lawrence as administrative general manager in what looms as a fresh start in Blind River.
The Beavers missed the playoffs in 2015-2016 and finished 11th in the 12-team NOJHL.