Races for NOJHL places
Sudbury Cubs are atop the standings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with a near flawless record of 20-2-2. But the Cubs have company in the contender department of the NOJHL that includes the Hearst Lumberjacks, Timmins Rock, Blind River Beavers and Soo Eagles.
With 35 points, Hearst is seven back of Sudbury. The Lumberjacks have a record of 17-6-1 and their 35 points are just one more than the Timmins Rock, which sports a 17-7-0 mark. Next up are the 15-9-1 Blind River Beavers with 31 points and the 13-6-2 Soo Eagles, with 28 points.
Notably, the Eagles have played three fewer games than Sudbury, Hearst and Timmins and four less than Blind River. With first year head coach Jeremy Rebek at the helm, the Eagles have a 5-0-1 record in their last six games and are 7-2-1 over their past 10 outings.
Following the top five are the Soo Thunderbirds with 24 points, Powassan Voodoos with 23 and the French River Rapids in current possession of the eighth and final playoff spot with 19 points. Powassan holds two games in hand on the Thunderbirds and has played one fewer match than French River.
Iroquois Falls Storm is tied with French River with 19 points but the Rapids have a game in hand.
Also within range of the eighth and final playoff spot are the Espanola Paper Kings with 18 points from a record of 8-12-2. The Paper Kings have two games in hand on Iroquois Falls and one on French River.
At the bottom of the standings are the still-homeless Elliot Lake Vikings with 10 points from a record of 5-15-0 and the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners with just six points from a record of 2-19-2. Kirkland Lake has played three more games than Elliot Lake.