Here ‘n there in the NOJHL
Five of the 11 teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are in clear-cut contention for top spot a month into the ’26-27 regular season. As for the rest of the pack, there is somewhat of a log jam.
Chasing The Birds. Soo Thunderbirds are perched atop the standings with 19 points from a record of 9-2-1 heading into play this week. But the Thunderbirds have already played a league high 12 games and the three teams directly below them have multiple games in hand. The new-look Kirkland Lake Gold Miners (6-1-1), the Soo Eagles (6-2-1) and the TImmins Rock (6-2-1) are all within close range of the Thunderbirds with 13 points from much fewer games played.
Then There Are These Teams. Powassan Voodoos — who have five games in hand on the first place Thunderbirds — have a record of 4-2-1 followed by the 4-4-1 Iroquois Falls Storm, the Hearst Lumberjacks at 4-5-0, the 4-6-0 Blind River Beavers, the Elliot Lake Vikings at 2-4-2, the Espanola Paper Kings at 3-6-0 and the 1-9-0 French River Rapids.
A First For French River. The Rapids recently won their first game of the season after nine straight losses. Dacey Dupuis scored in overtime to lift French River to a 4-3 triumph over Elliot Lake.
Stopping The Puck. Thunderbirds goalie Cam Boville has the best overall stats of any NOJHL puck stopper to date. The well travelled Boville, a Sault Ste. Marie product who has a 2006 birth date, boasts a 1.48 goals against average to go with a .948 save percentage and record of 4-1-1.
Rock Stars. Forwards Maxx Hamelin (8-11-19) and Evan Katic of Timmins are 1-2 on the NOJHL scoring parade.
Six Packs. Blind River Beavers have three players who have all scored six goals this season — Camden Cowan, Ryder Hill and Jake Bond.
The Kohler Kid. 5 foot 7 rookie Nathaniel Kohler, a 2009 birth year forward from Chicago, leads the Soo Eagles in scoring with four goals, five assists, nine points in nine games.
