Big three of the NOJHL
Two teams have already hit the 20-win mark in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and a third is close behind with 19.
With a record of 20-3-3, Cochrane Crunch sits atop the NOJHL standings followed closely by the Soo Thunderbirds with a 20-2-0 mark and the Powassan Voodoos with a 19-2-0 showing.
Cochrane is the NOJHL version of flash-and-dash with the top three point-getters in the league led by Hunter Atchison with 28 goals, 33 assists, 61 points, Seamus Maguire with 17-29-46 totals and Dustin Cordeiro at 26-18-44.
Meanwhile, Powassan has two players among the NOJHL’s top 15 scorers — Tyler Peters has 19-22-41 totals and Jake Staples has 15-13-28 numbers.
Notably, the Thunderbirds — who have the best winning percentage in the NOJHL — do not have a single player among the league’s top 15 scorers.
But the Thunderbirds have eight players with 15 points or better, including forwards Darian Pilon, Matt Pinder, Brett Jeffries, Joey Miller, Matt Caruso and Nathan Hebert and defencemen Caleb Boman and Matthew Busby. Another Thunderbird, forward Jaren Bellini, is tied for second on the team with 10 goals.
Lest anyone think it is a given that one of Cochrane, the Soo or Powassan will be joining the host Kirkland Lake Gold Miners as the two NOJHL reps at next spring’s Dudley-Hewitt Cup, Central Canada Championships — think again.
Besides the big three and Kirkland Lake, the Elliot Lake Wildcats and Rayside-Balfour Canadians can both be termed legitimate contenders at this stage of the NOJHL season.
A lack of dissipline is what will eventualy hurt the Zoo Birds case in point being that idiot # 18 who got his ass beat at the end of the fight with Hernandes on Saturday nite and didnt know enough to skate off the ice … instead he chirped the Eagles’ bench. Again this shows the lack of class on the Zoo Birds and it starts with there Coach and carries on down to a 4th Line cement head.
Rayside are definatly a contender that might have a better record than they have with more of a commitment from some of the Local players who have jobs and who treat playing in the NOJHL like playing in the Mens League. Its a nice hockey team to watch I will say that with Players who will play up in the O or U.S. College such as Chenier, Mooney and Tonn.
“American Eagle” I agree with you 100 % with regards to the Soo Thunderbirds ….. they are not a very classy team at all , they to like to run up the score and flaunt it. There is a way to act when a team is winning and personally this Soo team is anything but a class act except for Kevin Cain who was always a class act when he coached the Beavers.
“American Eagle” you have a point on the Thunderbirds running up the scores and showing it off, not a fan of that either. But #18 off the tbirds did what every single person who wins a heated fight does, it got his team going and it showed because the score from there on out was one sided. as for Hernandez he got his ass beat.
HockeyFan77…what friggin game were you watching??!!!?? You musta had too many beers LOL.
Let me say that the Soo Thunderbirds are very eazy to cheer AGAINST
You know what…The Birds have played 22 Games and have 20 Ws and that is the bottom line all you winey you Seagles Fans.
Down goes one of the Big Three! Again.
Hey, Eagle,,,,,,,,give it a break, you have the same rant every time the Tbirds clobber the Eagles. The last time I checked the Eagles have more penalty minutes and more suspensions than the Birds. The Birds can play it anyway the Eagles want it. Quit the crying, your team sucks.
It seems Powassan is tinkering with the chemistry far too much. Not recognizing the little things like …quality line changes, head down back checking. It looks like it will get noticed when a former league MVP is no longer carrying the load.
Down 6-1. A late goal from the weakest team in the league to spoil the win?????
This team looked a lot easier to coach in October.