Eagles swoop to road sweep
Buoyed by the goal-scoring of Mitch Vanderburg and backed by the goal-tending of Jack Berry, Soo Eagles fashioned a weekend road sweep of the Springfield Jr. Blues. …[read more]
Hounds extend first-place lead
Traverse City Hounds have opened up a six-point lead on the second-place Detroit Fighting Irish atop the Midwest Jr. Hockey League standings.
TC boosted its record to an impressive 25-1-1 on Saturday with a 9-2 road decision over the Soo Firehawks at Big Bear Arena. …[read more]
Sudbury Wolves fire head coach
Paul Fixter has been fired as head coach of the Sudbury Wolves, HockeyNewsNorth.com has confirmed.
Associate coach David Matsos takes over as interim head coach of the Wolves, who have the Ontario Hockey League’s worst record, a 7-25-2 mark. …[read more]
Hounds handle Firehawks
Traverse City Hounds got a hat trick from Cam Fisher en route to a 7-2 triumph over the Soo Firehawks in Midwest Jr. Hockey League action from Friday.
Travis Kirk and Blake Anderson each had a goal and an assist and Clayton Dowlan and Kevin Cole tallied once apiece for first-place TC, which improved its record to 24-1-1. …[read more]
Second-half scrabble
It’s the so-called second half of the junior hockey season, the 2015 portion of the 2014-2015 menu.
In some cases, the haves and the have-nots have already been identified.
In other instances, places and positions are up for grabs and player profiles are being touched up. …[read more]
Mario Culina is player-of-the-month
Soo Thunderbirds rookie goalie Mario Culina has been named the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League’s player-of-the-month for December. …[read more]
Eagles exchange Euro defencemen
Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League have dealt Latvian-born defenceman Kristofers Bindulis to the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League and replaced him with Slovakian-born defender Patrik Koch. …[read more]
CIHL admits mistakes, looks ahead
The Canadian International Hockey League is hoping that 2015 is a happy new year.
To be sure, the CIHL is embracing 2015 and moving ahead with plans to promote its student-athletes at three upcoming showcase tournaments. …[read more]
Laker shakers
Lake Superior State University Lakers — and in particular, two of their freshmen — will skate into 2015 on a hockey high.
The Lakers closed out the 2014 portion of their schedule earlier this week by winning both games to take home the Florida College Hockey Classic championship. …[read more]
Tuneup Tuesday
A schedule has been released for next week’s Canadian International Hockey League showcase tournament that is slated for Kalkaska…A member of the CIHL’s Batchewana Attack is skating with the Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League…It’s been a season to forget thus far for the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League… …[read more]
Those high-flying Soo Thunderbirds
They are perched on top as play sets to resume following the holiday recess.
Thirty games into the 2014-2015 campaign, Soo Thunderbirds have the best winning percentage in the nine-team Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Soo Eagles alumni update
This is the fifth season of existence for the Soo Eagles under the current ownership regime that includes coach-general manager Bruno Bragagnolo.
Through two seasons in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and now in their third term as members of the North American Hockey League, the Eagles have moved more than 25 players on to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Ontario Hockey League ranks. …[read more]
Irish strength
This is a hockey gang that is getting stronger.
With a record of 10-0-2 in its last 12 outings, Detroit Fighting Irish is in sole possession of second spot as the Midwest Jr. Hockey League moves towards the 2015 portion of the season. …[read more]
Soo has three first-place teams
Sault Ste. Marie is a town of first-place junior hockey teams.
Soo Greyhounds are in first place in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.
Soo Thunderbirds are in first place in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
Batchewana Attack is in first place in the Canadian International Hockey League. …[read more]
Merry Christmas
As we take a break from the game of hockey and celebrate the birth of Christ, I want to take a moment to wish the best of the holiday season to those who support HockeyNewsNorth.com as advertisers and/or readers. …[read more]
Two Hounds, two others
Here are four Christmas presents from the Midwest Jr. Hockey League, which has unwrapped its players of the week for the period ending Sunday, December 21.
The awards are voted on by coaches, general managers and MWJHL staff. …[read more]
Six OHL teams to beware of
Let’s look past the Christmas break.
Here are six Ontario Hockey League teams — three from each of the Western Conference and Eastern Conference — to keep an eye on when play resumes in the second half of the 2014-2015 season. …[read more]
Mini monster of the Midwest
It doesn’t matter what junior league it is, to be averaging more than three points per game at this stage of a hockey season ranks as quite the high performance.
To be sure, Adam Jonak of the MC Monarchs of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League is having a season for the ages. …[read more]
T-Birds end 2014 with win
Rookie defenceman Andrew Barbeau scored his first Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League goal — and it stood as the game winner — as the Soo Thunderbirds closed out the 2014 portion of the season with a 4-2 triumph over the visiting Elliot Lake Wildcats on Sunday. …[read more]
Attack home to surging Rhinos
The 2014 portion of the Canadian International Hockey League schedule wraps up today when the first-place Batchewana Attack plays host to the third-seeded Kalkaska Rhinos. …[read more]
Firehawks vacate basement
Soo Firehawks have moved past the Alpena Flyers into sixth place in the seven-team Midwest Jr. Hockey League.
Playing at home on Saturday, the Firehawks got two goals from Cody Anderson en route to a 3-1 win over the third-place MC Monarchs. Anderson now has 16 goals in 20 games on the season. …[read more]
Hat trick Nic
Nic Tassone has become the first member of the Soo Thunderbirds to hit the 20-goal mark this 2014-2015 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season. …[read more]
Top of the Hill
George Hill is making a case for being a go-to-goalie with the Detroit Fighting Irish of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League.
One of four active goalies on the Detroit roster, Hill has shrugged off a sluggish start to the 2014-2015 season with strong outings in each of his last four appearances between the crowded pipes of the Fighting Irish. …[read more]
Two home tilts for T-Birds
Soo Thunderbirds will close out the 2014 portion of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season with a pair of home games this weekend. …[read more]
Firehawks at Big Bear for three
Seeking to vacate the cellar of the Midwest Jr. Hockey League, Soo Firehawks are home for three games this weekend as they play host to the MC Monarchs. …[read more]
The puck stops with Peressini
Minus five of their top scorers either due to injury or the World Junior Hockey tryouts — Spencer Watson, Ryan Kujawinski, Lawson Crouse, Juho Lammikko and Sam Bennett are all missing from action — the Kingston Frontenacs have had difficulty putting the puck in the net as of late. …[read more]
Kalkaska showcase looms
It has the makings of a major event for the fledgling Canadian International Hockey League.
As of now, five teams are confirmed for a showcase tournament that the CIHL’s Kalkaska Rhinos will play host to on January 8, 9 and 10. …[read more]
Goalie leaves LSSU Lakers
Lake Superior State University Lakers head coach Damon Whitten has confirmed that freshman goalie Kevin Aldridge has opted to leave the program and return to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League. …[read more]
Thunderbirds, Attack both win
Two-for-two in the Soo.
Sault Ste. Marie’s two Junior A hockey teams both scored home-ice victories on Tuesday night. …[read more]
Pre-Christmas week in the CIHL
Four games are slated in the Canadian International Hockey League this week after which it will break for Christmas holidays.
The action begins tonight when the first-place Batchewana Attack plays host to the second-seeded Espanola Rivermen in a 7 p.m. clash at Rankin Arena. …[read more]
John Goodwin is a good one
The former scoring champion now coaches in the league that he used to dominate.
To be sure, he’s a few pounds heavier these days but he still has the baby face and a full head of brown hair with a mere trace of grey.
He’s 53-years old, has been married to a Sault Ste. Marie girl for more than 31 years and he and his bride are grandparents.
He is John Goodwin, who was an Ontario Hockey League superstar with the Soo Greyhounds beginning in 1978. …[read more]
Monday musings
Today we relay the stories of an Ontario Hockey League coach who recently won his 600th career game and a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League coach who has issues with the leadership and character of his team. We also check in with a goal-scoring, penalty-minute leader in the Midwest Jr. Hockey League and a new goalie in the Canadian International Hockey League. …[read more]
Fighting Irish, Hounds are 1-2
The top two teams in the Midwest Jr. Hockey League both registered victories on Sunday.
Detroit Fighting Irish out-scored the Michigan Ice Dogs 6-4 while the Traverse City Hounds took the measure of the Decatur Blaze by a 6-4 margin. …[read more]
Some Saturday night winners
Checking out a few games from Saturday involving teams that we follow in the Ontario Hockey League, North American Hockey League and Midwest Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Irish shows its community spirit
Detroit Fighting Irish coach-general manager Dan Vasquez says his first-place Midwest Jr. Hockey League team is not just about on-ice performance.
While the Fighting Irish will play host to the Michigan Ice Dogs today in a 1:10 p.m. game at the Ice Box Sports Centre in Brownstown, it spent a busy Saturday off the ice doing community service. …[read more]
Soo teams are winners
Friday was a winning night for Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League, Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Batchewana Attack of the Canadian International Hockey League. …[read more]
Dorval “getting better every day”
It’s a big step to have to take as a 16-year old.
To be sure, it’s a giant leap from minor midget hockey to the major junior level. …[read more]
What the puck is going on?
The recent sale of the Perani Arena and Event Centre in Flint figures to lead to the winds of change affecting more than one junior hockey team and league. …[read more]
Four of the best of the Midwest
The Midwest Jr. Hockey League has announced its most-recent players-of-the-week.
The following players-of-the-week cover the period ending Sunday, December 7. …[read more]
Just asking…just saying
I have a few questions to ask. I have a few things on my mind. …[read more]
Monday musings
Today’s tour takes us from the North American Hockey League to the Canadian International Hockey League over to the Midwest Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Here’s to you, Joe Drago
He is one of the good guys of the game. They don’t come much better than this guy.
The venerable Joe Drago has been acclaimed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors for Hockey Canada. …[read more]
Attack on the Royals
Batchewana Attack spotted Sudbury Royals a 2-0 lead and skated back for a 5-2 win in Canadian International Hockey League play on Saturday. …[read more]
Rhinos rout Rivermen
Kalkaska Rhinos exploded for four second-period goals en route to a 6-2 rout of the visiting Espanola Rivermen in Canadian International Hockey League action on Saturday. …[read more]
Best of the Midwest
The top three teams in the Midwest Jr. Hockey League — Detroit Fighting Irish, MC Monarchs and Traverse City Hounds — all skated victory laps on Saturday. …[read more]
Soo, MC win; Irish gets a point
Soo Firehawks and MC Monarchs posted Friday night victories while first-place Detroit Fighting Irish gained a point on the road in Midwest Jr. Hockey League action. …[read more]
Rivermen row past Royals
Isaak Picken scored just past the four-minute mark of overtime to lift the Espanola Rivermen to a 6-5 win over the new-look Sudbury Royals in Canadian International Hockey League action on Friday.
A crowd of 629 spectators took in the close encounter at the Espanola Community Centre. …[read more]
Crunch time for Thunderbirds
Cochrane Crunch makes its first visit of the 2014-2015 season to Sault Ste. Marie tonight when it takes on the first-place Thunderbirds at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. …[read more]
Attack has “next-level” players
Suffice to say that Denny Lambert should know a good hockey player when he sees one.
Afterall, not only did the 44-year old Lambert play in more than 500 National Hockey League games as a journeyman left winger, he coached in the Ontario Hockey League with the Soo Greyhounds for eight seasons — five as a top assistant and three more as the headmaster. …[read more]