NOJHL to OHL to NHL deals
Goalies Evan Cormier and Ken Appleby have both gone from tending twine in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League to signing National Hockey League contracts.
Cormier, who starred in the NOJHL with the erstwhile North Bay Trappers and in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit, recently signed an NHL contract with the New Jersey Devils as a first-year pro.
And Appleby, who has prior NHL experience with New Jersey, recently signed an NHL contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Appleby played in the NOJHL with the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils (who are now the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners) and was a 2015 Memorial Cup championship goalie in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals.
The 21-year old Cormier hails from Bowmanville and the 23-year old Appleby is from North Bay.
PHOTO: Evan Cormier, as a member of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.