NOJHL “will move forward”

It is now a certainty that big market Sudbury will not have a presence in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League for the ’26-27 season. The recent announcement by owners Mark Burgess and son Connor Burgess that the three time reigning champion Cubs have voluntarily turned their franchise over to the NOJHL sent shockwaves throughout the junior hockey world. Having said that, the departure of Sudbury still leaves the NOJHL with 11 teams and as commissioner Rob Mazzuca relayed to Hockey News North, “we will move forward.”

And really, what else should the long-time NOJHL commissioner say? The Burgess Family has chosen to depart the NOJHL. No one asked them to leave. But they have opted to do so and without sounding dismissive, then so be it.

Personally, I have always liked Mark Burgess. I have known him for more than 30 years, back to when he took over ownership of the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League from his late dad, Ken. Mark and I have always had a good relationship. I supported him and he supported me and we are always upfront with each other.

But the Burgess Family is no more with the NOJHL. However, their decision to leave the NOJHL is not even close to a death knell for the league, which is still 11 teams strong. And while there will be no Sudbury team in the NOJHL for the ’26-27 season, I am thinking that the league should be able to attract a new ownership group to the Nickel City for the ’27-28 campaign.

Is it unfortunate that the NOJHL will not have a Sudbury team for ’26-27? Yes. Is it going to hurt the league long term? I don’t think so as the league has too much going for it in terms of stability in the majority of its markets.

There is also stability in the commissioner’s office.

Born and raised and still residing in Sudbury, the aforementioned 64-year old Rob Mazzuca — who, by the way, has been the chair of the board for the Canadian Jr. Hockey League since 2021 — will begin his 16th season as the commissioner of the NOJHL come ’26-27 season. Under Mazzuca, the NOJHL has grown from seven teams to its current membership and the league as a whole has weathered more than one storm.

Yes, there will be no Sudbury for the NOJHL in ’26-27. Yes, this is a blow for the NOJHL, at least for now — and until the wind shifts direction.

But this too — like previous storms — shall pass. And the smoke will clear.

And as the NOJHL — and its many supporters and whatever detractors there are out there — bids adieu to the Sudbury Cubs, let us end this column with these words, from west to east:

Soo Eagles. Soo Thunderbirds. Blind River Beavers. Elliot Lake Vikings. Espanola Paper Kings. French River Rapids. Powassan Voodoos. Timmins Rock. Iroquois Falls Storm. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners. Hearst Lumberjacks.