NOJHL gets ready to go
Opening face-off is drawing near. Now lined up as one division of 12 teams — there is no more East and West — regular season play in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is set to start on September 12.
Following is a fragmentary assembly of players and teams with an association to the NOJHL who are worthy of mention ahead of the ’24-25 season.
REIGNING CHAMPS. Sudbury Cubs compiled an 89 point regular season in ’23-24 — second only to the Blind River Beavers — before turning it up even higher in the playoffs. The Cubs won 12 of 16 playoff games to bring the NOJHL championship trophy to Greater Sudbury.
Now, looking to the ’24-25 season, while the Cubs have moved on from some key components of ’23-24, they have returning strength that includes veteran goalie Noah Beaulne, major junior experienced defenseman Mason Chitaroni and a marquee off season acquisition in forward Lucas Signoretti. All have 2004 birth dates.
Signoretti, who was obtained from Sudbury’s nearby rival Espanola Paper Kings, led the NOJHL in scoring in ’23-24 with explosive totals of 47 goals, 70 assists, 117 points in just 50 games.
Another notable addition to the Cubs den is skilled skater Mason Walker. The 2008 birth year forward was a ninth round pick by the Sudbury Wolves at the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. On the small size at 5 foot 8, 160 pounds, Walker finished second in the entire Great North Under 18 Hockey League in scoring in ’23-24 despite playing for the league’s only under 16 team — the Sudbury U16 Wolves — and against older competition. In 41 games — regular season and playoffs included — for the U16 Wolves, Walker lit it up to the tune of 37 goals, 34 assists, 71 points.
EAGLE EYES. He was the first choice of president and general manager Bruno Bragagnolo to become the new head coach of the Soo Eagles. Suffice to say that Bragagnolo got what he wanted in Jeremy Rebek.
The 48-year old Rebek had spent the previous three seasons as a valuable assistant coach with the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL. He also had a previous relationship with the Thunderbirds as a highly successful assistant several years ago. Rebek takes over as the Eagles head coach following the departure of Doug Laprade, who had been the Eagles bench boss since 2018.
All in all, Rebek — who is a standout former OHL, European pro and world class defenseman in his playing days — was part of three NOJHL championship teams with the Thunderbirds as a chief strategist.
On the player side, the Michigan based Eagles were able to recruit and sign three young players from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. They include a pair of 2008 birth year defensemen and 2024 OHL draft picks in Cole Wreggitt (Sudbury Wolves) and Liam Watson (North Bay Battalion.)
In all, the Eagles signed three players from the ’23-24 edition of the U18 AAA Soo Jr. Greyhounds. In addition to Watson and Wreggitt the other is Coulson Bell. A 2007 birth year forward, Bell is a medium size skater known for his hustle and willingness to play in the dirty areas.
BRICK HOUSE. Kyle Brick has become the dean of NOJHL head coaches despite being only 38 years of age. About to enter his eighth full season behind the bench in Blind River, Brick — who is also the general manager — has had the most success of any head coach in a Beavers franchise history that dates back to 2001. Which is rather impressive since the Beavers’ NOJHL head coaching alumni also includes Jim Capy and Todd Stencill.
To date, Brick has been at the helm in Blind River for 250 regular season victories plus a number of playoff triumphs. Under Brick, the Beavers have never had a losing season with the likeable lad from the tidy town of Thessalon calling the shots.
VIKINGS OF VALOUR. Mike Nesbitt agreed to a two year contract with Vikings’ owner Jef Jarmovitch to take the helm in Elliot Lake as head coach and general manager effective the ’24-25 season. Nesbitt had spent the past several seasons as the head coach and GM with the Comox Valley Glacier Kings of the Vancouver Island Jr. Hockey League.
Elliot Lake finished last overall in the 12-team NOJHL in ’23-24 under the coaching of both Chris Keleher and Jon Campbell but Nesbitt has been a busy guy during the off season by trading for and recruiting a number of good players.
Nesbitt also coaxed four highly regarded northern lads to return to Elliot Lake — Sault Ste. Marie product Sam Verbonac, Sudbury skaters Carter Carriere and Anthony Bertrand and Espanola resident Matt Kallo. All are defensemen with the exception of Bertrand, who is a forward.
Kallo, a steady defenseman with a 2005 birth date, is the elder of the group. He opted to return to Elliot Lake for another season after originally planning on going to college in Sudbury. Between Elliot Lake and Blind Rive, Kallo has skated in 99 career games in the NOJHL.
PAPER CAPERS. Espanola Paper Kings president and head coach Jason Rapcewicz and general manager Marc Gagnon made the recruiting of Northern Ontario products a big time priority during the off season.
It began with local Espanola product Lucas Dubois. A 2007 birth year forward, the 5 foot 10, 180 pound Dubois skated for the New Liskeard Cubs of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in ’23-24 and produced 14 goals, five assists, 19 points in 29 games. He also played in two NOJHL games for Espanola as an affiliate player and netted a goal, two assists, three points.
The Paper Kings also signed a pair of 2008 birth year forwards who were 2024 OHL draft picks from the Sudbury U16 Wolves — Ashton Pitawanakwat (Barrie Colts) and Kaden Wicklander (Brantford Bulldogs.)
Among others who played in the Great North in ’23-24, Espanola has defenseman Carter Makasoff and forward Carter Drigo from the Sudbury U18 Wolves and hulking defender Brayden Westberry from the league champion Timmins Majors on board as NOJHL rookies.
ROCK STAR COACH. 35-year old Brandon Perry is back with the Timmins Rock for a fourth season as its crackerjack head coach and general manager. Perry has been a big winner for his hometown Rock in three prior seasons as the hockey boss, which includes winning the NOJHL championship in the spring of 2023.
With Perry behind the bench in Timmins, the Rock has reeled off successive regular season records of 33-8-7, 43-8-5 and 41-15-2. And it is expected that the Rock will again be ready to roll in ’24-25.
FRENCH RIVER CAPO. If not for Greater Toronto Area resident Paul Frustaglio, there might not be junior hockey in French River.
But the ageless Frustaglio, who regularly commutes from the GTA to French River during a given season — he has been president, head coach and general manager of the Rapids since 2017 — has given a lot to the community and the NOJHL. Low key and just a true, blue kind of person, Frustaglio has not produced many winning teams since his arrival in French River seven years ago.
Instead, his focus is on developing young hockey players. And of the many youngsters who have progressed in the NOJHL with French River, there are forwards Philippe Daoust and Chase Lefebvre. Still young at age 22, Daoust is a signed National Hockey League prospect of the Ottawa Senators. Meanwhile, the 20-year Lefebvre has made a good name for himself with the Peterborough Petes, and was part of their OHL championship team of two years ago.
And among the newcomers to French River for the ’24-25 season is 2008 birth year forward Tucker Roberts, who was a 10th round pick by the Sudbury Wolves at the 2024 OHL priority selections draft. Roberts was a productive performer for the Under 16 York Simcoe Express in ’23-24. Regular season and playoff included, Roberts rang up 20 goals, 34 assists, 54 points in 42 games.
ICE CHIPS. As previously noted, the NOJHL’s ’24-25 regular season will get underway on September 12. All teams will 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.