Big Jake joins the Soo Eagles
Hulking right winger Jake Hernandez has committed to the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for the 2015-2016 season, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Hernandez is no stranger to the Michigan Soo.
A 1995 birth-year skater, Hernandez joined the Eagles late in the 2014-2015 season when the Soo squad was a member of the North American Hockey League. He played in five NAHL games for the Eagles, including one playoff match.
A product of the Detroit suburb of Woodhaven, Hernandez spent the majority of the 2014-2015 season with the Detroit Fighting Irish of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League. In 26 games with the Fighting Irish last season, Hernandez posted 20 goals, 12 assists, 32 points and 128 penalty minutes.
Hernandez had offers to attend main NAHL tryout camps of the New Jersey Titans and Johnstown Tomahawks later this month but opted to accept an overture from Eagles coach-general manager Bruno Bragagnolo to play in the NOJHL for the Soo.
“It’s my final season of junior and I want to go up to the Soo and play a lot and have a good season,” Hernandez told HockeyNewsNorth.com.
Bragagnolo feels that Hernandez has a lot to offer the Eagles as they return to the NOJHL from the NAHL after a three-year absence.
“We believe Jake can be a physical presence for us with scoring ability,” praised Bragagnolo. “He has a strong work ethic with a strong will to succeed. We think he can be a very hard player to play against and expect him excel in the NOJHL.”
PHOTO: Jake Hernandez is joining the Soo Eagles of the NOJHL for the 2015-2016 season. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)
We are very proud of Jake and are very happy for the fans in the SOO as they get to watch a quality kid and a fierce competetor every night. Not to mention all those xtra fans who board that Hernandez Bus north for the weekend Viva Hernandez