Gavin gets his game going
Rookie forward Gavin Killoran had a recent career outing for the Soo Thunderbirds. A local Sault Ste. Marie product with a 2008 birth date, Killoran fired home four goals as the Thunderbirds skated to a 6-2 decision over the visiting Espanola Paper Kings.
It marked the second straight multiple point game for the 6 foot 1, 170 pound Killoran. In his previous outing, Killoran had a goal and two assists as the Thunderbirds scored an 8-5 road decision over the Hearst Lumberjacks.
Through 26 games — the halfway point of the ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season — Killoran has 11 goals, 11 assists, 22 points for a T-Bird squad that is In a five team race for first place with the Sudbury Cubs, Timmins Rock, Espanola and Hearst.
Killoran is a developing forward who turned a productive ’24-25 season with the Soo Under 18 Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League into becoming an Ontario Hockey League supplemental draft pick of his hometown Soo Greyhounds.
Killoran clicked for 19 goals, 35 assists, 54 points in 37 games, regular season and playoffs included, for the U18 Jr. Greyhounds in ’24-25. All of that was enough to get Killoran taken by the Greyhounds in the second round of the 2025 OHL supplemental draft, which is basically designed for players bypassed by OHL teams in their first year of eligibility.
Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis referred to the “smarts and good speed” of Killoran as reasons for making the local lad an OHL draft pick.