Around the rinks

By Randy Russon
October 27, 2015
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Good day hockey fans, I am back from a three-day, mini-vacation to Detroit, home of my favourite (though I am not sure why) National Football League team. Time now to head out on a trip of a different sort and pay a visit to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, the Greater Metro Hockey League, the Great North Midget Hockey League, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the North American Hockey League, the North American 3 Hockey League and the U.S. Premier Hockey League.

NOJHL

Powassan Voodoos have retained the no. 1 ranking in the entire Canadian Jr. Hockey League with a perfect record of 13-0. Forward Tyler Peters is Powassan’s main points man with 27, including 13 goals…Dustin Cordeiro of the Cochrane Crunch has become the first NOJHLer to hit the 20-goal mark…A pair of defencemen lead the Rayside-Balfour Canadians in scoring with 18 points each. They are Kyle Fransen with 7 goals, 11 assists and Ryan Mooney with 5 goals, 13 assists…The reigning champion Soo Thunderbirds are a serious contender with 14 wins in 15 starts. Veteran junior forward Matt Pinder leads the T-Birds with 10 goals, 10 assists, 20 points…Forward Roman Gaudet has played in only 7 games for the Soo Eagles but has 5 goals, 5 assists, 10 points…Blind River Beavers have won only 3 of 18 games to date but 1999 birth-year forward Max Khull is second on the team in scoring with 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points.

OHL

The new Flint Firebirds are chugging along with a record of 5-5-1 while featuring high-scoring defenceman Vili Saarijarvi, a prospect of the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings. The Finnish flash has 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points…Rookie forward Boris Katchouk, who played in the NOJHL with the Soo Thunderbirds last season, has 5 goals, 3 assists, 8 points for the 5-5-2 Soo Greyhounds.

GMHL

Alliston Coyotes are off to an 11-1 start and feature explosive forward Viacheslav Chegrintcev, who has 48 points in 12 games…After starting the season 0-6, the Bracebridge Blues have since gone 4-2 and are led by forward Sandis Mezaraups and his 28 points.

GNMHL

Soo Major Thunderbirds are fourth in the seven-team major midget loop with a record of 4-4-3. Lucas Theriault leads the Soo squad with 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points followed by Nick Smith with 7-6-13 totals.

WCHA

A pair of freshman forwards lead the 2-4 Lake Superior State Lakers in scoring. Gage Torrel has 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points and Mitch Hults is next with 3-1-4 numbers.

NAHL

Coulee Region Chill is off to a sluggish 3-8 start but goalie Hunter Vorva has been impressive with a 2-4 record, 2.27 goals against average and .938 save percentage.

NA3HL

Metro Jets lead the East Division with a record of 10-2-1 and veteran forward Kevin Shand has produced 9 goals, 10 assists, 19 points in just 10 games while backup goalie Trevor Kalinowski has a 3-0 record, 0.97 goals against average and .968 save percentage…La Crosse Freeze is second in the Central Division with a 9-3 record and is led by forward Daniel Toycen and his 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points.

USPHL

The 8-5 Detroit Fighting Irish has been getting a boost from 1998 birth-year forward Dakota Potter and his 11 goals, 4 assists, 15 points…Motor City Chiefs are struggling with a record of 2-7-1 but forwards Trevor Pode and Andrew Baxter have 10 goals apiece…Andrej Fasko has 11 goals for the 3-8-1 Alpena Flyers.