‘We have D1 players in the NOJHL’
It doesn’t take an educated or practical imagination to deduce that Doug Laprade knows a Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association hockey player when he sees one. Not only was Laprade — who now coaches the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — a Division 1 skater with the 1988 national champion Lake Superior State Lakers but he was later a volunteer assistant coach and repeat NCAA champ at his alma mater.
Laprade, who has been the head coach of the Michigan-based Eagles since 2018, is of the firm notion that there are a number of players in the NOJHL who are of Division 1, NCAA caliber.
Guesting on a recent edition of the Hockey North Show on Sault Ste. Marie radio station Eagle 95.1, Laprade noted that “not only do we have a couple of kids on the Eagles who are definite D1 players but there are a few others in our league who can play at the D1 level. I don’t what we have to do to convince the D1 schools to see what we have in the NOJHL. The caliber of players in our league just keeps getting better and better. There is no question in my mind that we have D1 players in the NOJHL.”
The even-keeled Laprade, a teaching coach and student of the game in one, pointed out the number of NOJHL players who have already been developed for — and are currently being prepped for — teams in the major junior, Ontario Hockey League.
“That speaks volumes about our league,” he said.
As for this edition of the Eagles, they will finish in second place in the West Division behind their arch-rival Soo Thunderbirds. And Laprade likes the balance and competitiveness of the NOJHL.
“Besides having a lot of good players and good coaches there are a lot of good teams,” Laprade noted. “There are us and the Thunderbirds and Blind River and Sudbury and look at how Elliot Lake played down the stretch to get the last playoff spot in our division. Then there are three or four really good teams out in the East Division.”
A product of Thunder Bay, Ont., the 53-year-old Laprade has resided in the Michigan Soo since he first arrived on scholarship to play Division 1 hockey at Lake Superior State in 1987. As a hard driven, two way right winger, Laprade was part of the Lakers national championship team of 1988 under mercurial head coach Frank Anzalone. Laprade also became a National Hockey League draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
In 1992, as a volunteer assistant coach, Laprade was part of another national championship team at Lake Superior State under esteemed bench boss Jeff Jackson, who is now the head coach of perennial, Division 1 NCAA powerhouse Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
NOJHL V. SIJHL
Both Laprade and Eagles general manager Bruno Bragagnolo would like to see more inter-league games in the future between NOJHL teams and members of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
When the Province of Ontario was in shutdown in January and leagues such as the NOJHL and SIJHL were forced into a refrain from play, the Eagles played host to the Wisconsin Lumberjacks in a pair of exhibition matches at Pullar Stadium in the Michigan Soo. The Eagles of the NOJHL skated to a pair of narrow 4-3 wins over the Lumberjacks of the SIJHL.
“They were two really good games,” said Laprade. “I definitely would like to see us play more games against teams from the SIJHL in the future.”
Bragagnolo agreed.
“The games don’t have to be part of the regular season schedule. Just to play some exhibition games against each other would be good for players, teams and fans in both leagues,” said Bragagnolo. “We really liked playing against Wisconsin. They have some good players on that team and (owner, general manager and coach) Doug Lein is a good guy who runs a good program out there.”
And both Laprade and Bragagnolo said they would be open to taking part in an annual pre-season tournament next fall that the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the SIJHL plan to again play host to. Which is music to the ears of Kam River general manager Kevin McCallum.
“We would definitely want a team or two from the NOJHL to come our tournament,” McCallum told Hockey News North.
A great idea for more recognition for both leagues to colleges and universities
There is most definitely D1 players in the NOJHL for sure. It seems the scouts over look these leagues for whatever reason?
Just look at the Lakers roster and you can tell that pretty easy and it’s sad in my opinion.
More local talent if it’s there makes more sense to me.
A few years back the Eagles had a first round pick of the Red Wings Jake Patterson. So that should tell someone something.
I guess Jake was a 3rd round 80th overall.