Desbois boys of EL Vikings
Local lad Connor Desbois will be following in his father’s footsteps when he hits the ice for the new Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League this coming season.
Desbois, an Elliott Lake product who is a 2006 birth year forward, is the son of Kevin Desbois. The older Desbois was a defenseman with the old Elliot Lake Vikings of the NOJHL from 1994 to 1996. His playing career came to an end when he suffered a broken leg.
The younger Desbois has spent the past two seasons with the Sudbury Nickel Capitals of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League. In total, the 5-foot-7, 160 pound Desbois produced 10 goals, eight assists, 18 points in 58 games, playoffs included, for the Nickel Capitals. He also appeared in 12 NOJHL games as an affiliate player for the Elliot Lake Red Wings and netted one goal, two assists, three points.
Now, effective the 2023-2024 season, young Desbois gets to don the Vikings jersey that his dad once wore.
As Hockey News North was first to report earlier this week, long-time local resident Jef Jarmovitch has taken over operation of the Elliot Lake Red Wings from Paul Noad and rebranded the NOJHL franchise as the Elliot Lake Vikings.
Junior hockey has had a presence in Elliot Lake since 1965. It began with the Vikings, who first played in the old International Jr. B Hockey League, then the NOJHL. And since 1997, when the Vikings went off to sea, there have been the Elliot Lake Ice, Elliot Lake Bobcats, Elliot Lake Wildcats and Elliot Lake Red Wings of the NOJHL. (The Bobcats were also part of the Greater Metro Jr. Hockey League.)
But now, thanks to Jarmovitch, the Vikings are back in Elliot Lake and will return to their vintage green and gold colours of the old days effective the 2023-2024 season.