Opening night in the NOJHL


By
September 11, 2015

It’s a night of opening acts in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as all 12 teams take to the ice to begin the 2015-2016 regular season.

SOO EAGLES V. SOO THUNDERBIRDS. It was like a playoff game when the cross-border rivals met in an exhibition match last weekend. It should be more of the same when the Twin Soo teams meet 12 times during the regular season.

RAYSIDE-BALFOUR CANADIANS V. ESPANOLA EXPRESS. The NOJHL returns to Espanola after a one-year hiatus following the demise of the Canadian International Hockey League.

IROQUOIS FALLS ESKIS V. COCHRANE CRUNCH. The opener of a home-and-home series between the two nearby rivals. Which of the two junior hockey hotbeds is going to out-draw the other at the gate?

BLIND RIVER BEAVERS V. ELLIOT LAKE WILDCATS. An age-old rivalry that dates back to more than 40 years ago when the Blind River Beavers and Elliot Lake Vikings were drawing blood as nasty rivals in the erstwhile International Jr. B Hockey League resumes tonight.

POWASSAN VOODOOS V. FRENCH RIVER RAPIDS. A frenzied crowd is expected in Noelville tonight as the NOJHL establishes its presence in the eager French River community.

TIMMINS ROCK V. KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS. Is there anyone in the league more full of them self than Timmins president Scott Marshall?


What you think about “Opening night in the NOJHL”

  1. Great round up!
    The Timmins /KL match up -wow hahaha! !
    Cheers! !
    I’ll be surfing on Fast hockey. Paying closest attention to the, recently much larger, Powassan line up. I’ll also keep an eye on those former Blackhawks

  2. Good to see a close game in Espanola tonight. They still have some work to do with their team and of course mending the fences with fans and supporters of the team after the team’s failed effort in the CIHL. Only about 350 fans showed up to the home opener. In comparison, the previous NOJHL team drew well over 550 per game, and had over 700 people in their home opener, albeit, that was the first taste of junior A hockey in Espanola since 2003-04.

    The fan experience needs some serious work there. The arena is ice cold in the winter, and the sound system makes it that you can’t hear anything being announced in the crowd, yet the players, coaches, and referees alike think the music and announcements are far too loud. More sound in the crowd, less sound on the ice maybe? The speaker system needs some serious work, but I feel like the cries for help are falling on deaf ears.

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