T-Birds deploy forward depth
They are the reigning Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League champs and while they have lost a few star players — defencemen Owen Headrick and David Radke to Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association schools and goalie Mario Culina to the Ontario Hockey League — Soo Thunderbirds define depth on the front lines.
And it was four forward lines deep that stood out as a difference when the Thunderbirds swept the cross-border Soo Eagles on the weekend in a home-and-home series that started the 2015-2016 regular season.
There are top, high-end veteran forwards led by the dependable, consistent Jaren Bellini, along with Matt Pinder, Joey Miller and Brett Jeffries. Add in fellow returnees Matt Caruso, Matt Mitchell and Nathan Hebert and we’re already into a third line of veterans.
The rookie class of forwards were introduced during the Border Battle openers with the Eagles and 1998 birth-year skaters Darian Pilon and Drake Pilon passed with flying colours as did baby Bird Mark Tassone, a 1999 birth-year bonus.
Back of the blueline, the Birds are not as seasoned or skilled sans Headrick, Radke and Culina and it remains to be seen if management maestros Kevin Cain and Jamie Henderson will go shopping.
It’s just two games into their title defence but the Thunderbirds are moving forward — literally and figuratively.
PHOTO: Veteran forward Matt Mitchell provides secondary line depth for the reigning NOJHL champion Soo Thunderbirds. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)
Cockiest team in the NOJ.
Soo Eagles did have a 2 goal lead within a minute into the game at home…Thunderbirds are far from unstoppable and the Soo Eagles are very capable later in the year of taking them down especially when some of their higher end forwards (Rappaport, Ketner, Hoffelich, Huckins, Hubbard) get rollin and adjusted to a new league