Development is NOJHL focus

Big on development with a good track record of sending players to the Ontario Hockey League and various colleges and universities, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League recently held its 2024 Annual General Meeting. And a major takeaway from the AGM is further emphasis on player development.

Among the agreed upon regulations are the following:

I: 16-year-old players cannot be a healthy scratch within team lineups.

II: A minimum of four hours of practice will be held per week.

III: A minimum number of minutes played per game will be implemented.

IV: 16-year-old players cannot have their Canadian Jr. Hockey League playing rights dealt, or released, without consent of the player, parent/guardian, team and league and subject to Ontario Hockey Federation 16-year-old policy.

V: Educational, emergency, disciplinary and medical reasons are the only considerations on why a 16-year-old may not be included in a team’s game-day lineup.  

VI: 16–17-year-old goaltenders must play in a minimum of 30 per cent of the total number of games in a regular season.

VII: 17-year-old players must participate in a minimum of 80 per cent of the regular season games and have a minimum of four hours of practice time per-week.

VIII: 16–17-year-olds cannot have their CJHL playing rights transferred after they are signed with a team in their first season with an NOJHL team and subject to OHF and Hockey Canada regulations and league approval.  

IX: The NOJHL has implemented a reporting system based on the NOJHL analytical program that will be sent each and every game to the respective team and league office.

X: The NOJHL will verify and monitor the regulation.

XI: Any extenuating circumstances involving 16 or 17-year-old players, that contradicts this regulation, will require approval of NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca.

In discussing the implementations, Mazzuca as the NOJHL commissioner noted that, “with all choices players and parents have today in deciding where the best opportunities for their development, both on and off the ice, we believed it is necessary to clearly declare what this regulation is.

“I am going to state the obvious, we are a Junior A Hockey development league,” added Mazzuca. “The NOJHL has a proven track record and foundation for developmental opportunities for athletes across Ontario, in particular Ontario Hockey League draft selections, as well as in NCAA and USPORTS programs.

“Also of note, over the past five years, four NOJHL alumni have gone on to be drafted by National Hockey League clubs. With the ever-increasing number of NOJHL’ers moving on to compete at the next levels, it shows our development model is indeed working.”

In just the past two years alone, no less than three OHL draft picks who developed in the NOJHL for one season subsequently went on to become National Hockey League draft picks.

They are forward Cooper Foster (Soo Thunderbirds to Ottawa 67’s to Pittsburgh Penguins), defenseman Andrew Gibson (Soo Thunderbirds to Soo Greyhounds to Detroit Red Wings to Nashville Predators) and goalie Landon Miller (Soo Thunderbirds to Soo Greyhounds to Detroit Red Wings.)

Before that, French River Rapids star Phillip Daoust moved on to the Quebec Maritime Jr. Hockey League and has since become a signed prospect of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.

Sidebars: The NOJHL’s ’24-25 regular season will get underway on September 12 and will see each team play 25 games at home and another 25 on the road. With one division of 12, the top eight teams in the final standings will make the playoffs … The shootout has been eliminated and will see games that are tied after regulation go to a seven minute overtime period, skating three players aside. Should contests remain without a winner being decided after OT, the game will end in a tie and each squad will earn one point. Teams will still receive two points for wins in regulation and OT as well as one for extra time defeats … The ’24-25 NOJHL season will be the 14th for Rob Mazzuca as commissioner. The previous longest serving commish was the legendary Joe Drago at 13 years. Mazzuca, who played in the NOJHL before becoming a first round pick to the OHL way back when, has also been acclaimed to his position as chair of the board for the Canadian Jr. Hockey League.