Soo boys land in Blind River
It will be quite the Sault Ste. Marie presence in Blind River when first pucks drop on the ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season next week.
It begins with a trio of graduates from the AAA Soo Jr. Greyhounds program who have signed with the Blind River Beavers of the NOJHL
All three are forwards. They are Wyatt Jarratt, who has a 2009 birth date, Danny MacDonald, who was born in 2008, and Caleb Walker, who has a 2007 birth date.
The 6 foot 1, 175 pound Jarratt played for the Under 16 level Jr. Greyhounds in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in ’24-25 and totalled 19 goals, 24 assists, 43 points in 39 games, regular season and playoffs included.
As for MacDonald and Walker, they both skated in the Great North for the Under 18 level Jr. Greyhounds in ’24-25.
The 5 foot 10, 155 pound MacDonald produced 13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points in 33 games for the U18 Jr. Greyhounds. He then played in three games in the NOJHL for Blind River as an affiliate and had a goal and an assist.
As for the 6 foot 1, 170 pound Walker, he clicked for 25 goals, 21 assists, 46 points in 37 games, regular season and playoffs included, for the U18 Jr. Greyhounds in ’24-25. He also was impressive in 12 NOJHL games with Blind River as an AP — five in the regular season and seven in the playoffs — and had three goals, four assists, seven points.
Blind River head coach and general manager Kyle Brick commented to Hockey News North about the off season signings of Jarratt, MacDonald and Walker.
“We are excited with the signing of Wyatt, we believe he will be able to step in and have an impact for us immediately. Wyatt is a player who I have been familiar with for a long time … we like his size, compete level and his ability to score in the dirty areas. He will be a great piece to the puzzle as we head into next season,” Brick said of Jarratt.
“Danny is a guy who we believe can score at any level as his offensive awareness is off the charts. He also showed us he is able to produce in a big game by scoring in the playoffs for us. We are excited to see Danny contribute at the Junior level,” Brick said of MacDonald.
“Caleb was a no brainer for us … he was a stand out in the playoffs, playing on our top line. Walks stepped right into our room and did not miss a beat … he is a big personality that fit right in. He checks a lot of boxes on the ice as well and proved last year he can not only play at this level but can contribute on a regular basis,” Brick said of Walker.
Meanwhile, Camden Cowan over the summer became the latest high end hockey player from Sault Ste. Marie to pack his equipment and head 90 miles east along Highway 17 to Blind River ahead of the ’25-26 season.
The 5 foot 8, 160 pound Cowan was acquired by Blind River from the Soo Thunderbirds in an NOJHL cash transaction.
Regular season and playoffs included for the Thunderbirds in ’24-25, Cowan skated in 48 games and produced five goals, 15 assists, 20 points. It was the first season of junior hockey for Cowan, a Sault Ste. Marie product who has a 2006 birth date.
Prior to playing in the NOJHL for the Thunderbirds, Cowan was a productive forward for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League in ’23-24. Effectively utilized by U18 Jr. Hounds head coach Denny Lambert, Cowan skated in 26 games and had 12 goals, 17 assists, 29 points.