NOJHL deserved better


By
March 15, 2021
Cameron Walker

It has followed all the rules — and then some — relative to COVID-19. Fifty three of its scheduled 58 games for this season have been played thus far and the only ones that were postponed were of the precautionary measure.

Still, the 12-member Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is down to four active teams and is poised to halt the 2020-2021 season at the end of this month when Blind River Beavers v. Soo Thunderbirds and Cochrane Crunch v. Timmins Rock finish their respective, current cohort schedule.

The NOJHL deserved better. And, as just one example, so did the up and coming Espanola Express.

Not only was the Express on track for its first winning season in a franchise history that began as an expansion team in 2015, Espanola stood to — and still stands to — return each and every one of its players for the 2021-2022 season.

As the youngest team — by far — in the NOJHL and without a single 20-year old (2000 birth year) player on its roster, the 2020-2021 version of the Express was loaded with young Ontario Hockey League prospects who were also garnering interest from Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association schools, thanks to the proactive efforts of Espanola president and general manager Jason Rapcewicz and head coach Brent Hughes.

Among the OHL draft picks are four young forwards who were among Espanola’s top five scorers when the Express season was recently halted as per Public Health Sudbury and Districts directive.

The four, with their OHL draft affiliation in brackets, are Cameron Walker (Kingston Frontenacs), Bradley Brunet (Niagara Ice Dogs) Luke Bibby (Owen Sound Attack) and Devon Savignac (North Bay Battalion.)

All four have youth on their side — Bibby has a 2004 birth date while Walker, Brunet and Savignac were all born in 2003.

At the time that Espanola had to shut down its season, it had a record of 5-4-3 through 12 games. And Walker (seven goals, seven assists, 14 points), Brunet (5-8-13), Bibby (9-3-12) and Savignac (6-5-11) were all go-to players for aforementioned Express bench boss Brent Hughes, who brought a fresh approach to the Express as a 38-year old who had the prior experience of three straight winning seasons as an assistant coach with the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League.

The 5-4-3 record was not only impressive, considering the prior history of the franchise but, as previously noted, that every current player on the Express is eligible to return for the 2021-2022 season.

Yikes, that previous history.

Since entering the NOJHL as an expansion franchise in 2015, the Express has made the playoffs only twice while never posting a winning record over five previous seasons.

In fact, when Espanola made the playoffs in 2019-2020 with a record of 17-34-5, it was the most wins in a season by the Express since its debut term of 2015-2016 when it posted a 12-39-3 mark.

Meanwhile, from 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, the Express missed the playoffs all three seasons with respective records of 9-45-2, 2-52-2 and 10-43-3.

Do all the math and in five regular seasons of existence before this one, the Express resembled a track wreck with an overall record of 50-213-15.

At any rate, despite the abrupt end to its on, off, on, off again season, look for Espanola to carry on in 2021-2022 with a firm foundation in place. And if Rapcewicz, as the president and GM, can keep Hughes around as the coach, the Express could really be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Cole Delarosbil of the Espanola Express. (photo by Bob Davies)

Meanwhile, it is not just the younger players who form what the Express has laid out as part of its vision and plan.

There are older players such as a pair of 2001 birth year skaters from Sault Ste. Marie who have a passion for the game and laid that on the line in proving their dedication by moving from the Soo to Espanola to play hockey — forward Cole Delarosbil and defenseman Jordan Ritchie.

For it is determined young men such as Delarosbil and Ritchie who serve as a foundation for a small market NOJHL franchise like Espanola.

Meantime, the law abiding NOJHL will sledge on through the end of this month as teams from Blind River, the Soo, Cochrane and Timmins put a wrap on the 2020-2021 campaign.

And here’s hoping that the NOJHL not only returns in full force for the 2021-2022 campaign but with all members on board.

Copy that, good folks of the NOJHL.


What you think about “NOJHL deserved better”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *