So much for the Soo sweep
Playoffs really are a different story.
Eighth-seeded Blind River Beavers spotted first-place Soo Thunderbirds a 2-0 lead and then stole a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
This afternoon in Espanola
Game 2 in the first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series between Espanola Rivermen and Sudbury Nickel Barons will be played today.
Opening faceoff is 2 p.m. at Espanola Regional Recreational Complex. …[read more]
NOJHL openers
Soo Thunderbirds will take to the playoff trail beginning tonight when they play host to the Blind River Beavers.
Start time in what is Game 1 in the first-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series is 7:30 p.m. at Essar Centre. …[read more]
Eagles on air at Port Huron
Four points out of the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the North Division of the North American Hockey League with seven games to play in the regular season, Soo Eagles are in Port Huron tonight and Sunday afternoon.
Game times are 7 p.m. tonight and 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN 1400 Radio with John Bell calling the play-by-play. …[read more]
Laker is top WCHA rookie
Forward Alex Globke of the Lake Superior State Lakers has been named Western Collegiate Hockey Association rookie-of-the-year. …[read more]
Radke ready to roll
He is often overshadowed by two of his fellow defencemen, namely Tyler Jones and Owen Headrick.
But while Jones was named best defenceman and Headrick rookie-of-the-year in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, David Radke is also a much-valued member of the Soo Thunderbirds. …[read more]
Espanola Rivermen support autism
Players and members of the Espanola Rivermen of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League recently took part in an Autism Acceptance event. …[read more]
Potential Laker coaching candidates
There is a hockey buzz about both sides of the International Bridge in the wake of the recent firing of Jim Roque as head coach of the Lake Superior State University Lakers.
Roque was let go as LSSU coach after the Lakers failed to make the playoffs in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association this 2013-2014 season.
As a national search for a new coach at LSSU is underway, there have been no shortage of names being mentioned as potential candidates to replace Roque, who had a below-average, nine-year run as the Lakers bench boss. …[read more]
The Wright way
Two seasons removed from the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, 1993 birth-year left winger Jake Wright is finishing his junior career in style.
In this, his second season out in Eastern Canada, the Sault Ste. Marie native won the Maritime Hockey League scoring championship as a member of the Woodstock Slammers. …[read more]
Metro v. Flint
Two Michigan teams separated by a mere 30 miles of Interstate 75 highway will meet starting tonight in a first-round, best-of-three, North American 3 Hockey League playoff series.
Flint Jr. Generals will play host to the Waterford-based Metro Jets in Game 1 of the series.
While the two teams may be close geographically, they were far apart in the regular-season standings. …[read more]
Blind River Beavers award winners
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League held their end-of-the-regular-season banquet last Sunday.
Award winners are as follows. …[read more]
NOJHL playoffs start tonight
It’s that time of the season again.
Playoff time.
The first puck will drop on the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoffs tonight. …[read more]
An Eagle and his dad
Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League held a Parents Weekend on March 7-8.
Among the parents of the Eagles who traveled to the Soo to see their son play were Tom and Dawn Cuthrell of Waterford, Michigan. …[read more]
Hounds goalie gets national nod
Soo Greyhounds backup goalie Brandon Halverson has received some national recognition.
The 1996 birth-year rookie has been named Canadian Hockey League goaltender-of-the-week. …[read more]
Looking for new Laker coach
A national search for a new hockey coach at Lake Superior State University is underway.
After a ho-hum, nine-year run as head coach of the Lakers, Jim Roque was fired from his position on Tuesday.
The dismissal of Roque ends an association with LSSU that dates back to 1983 when he was a freshman forward with the Lakers. …[read more]
Bell tolls at Burger Bash
Here is another photo from the Soo Eagles Burger Bash that was held on Monday at the Elks Lodge. …[read more]
Beavers facing a Bird bath
On paper, this looms as a whitewash of a playoff series.
For starters, first-place Soo Thunderbirds finished 75 points ahead of eighth-place Blind River Beavers during the 2013-2014 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season.
Then there’s the fact that the Thunderbirds won all eight of their regular-season meetings with the Beavers. …[read more]
As playoff season approaches
A sportswiter’s smaze of smattering snippets: …[read more]
Soo Eagles Burger Bash
Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League pride themselves on being a community-minded organization.
The Eagles on Monday night hosted a Burger Bash at the Elks Lodge and players and team personnel mingled with fans and supporters. …[read more]
It’s official: NA3HL to Jamestown
Junior hockey is indeed returning to Jamestown, NY for the 2014-2015 season.
Jamestown Area Hockey Associates — an ownership group comprised of local businessmen and community leaders — made it official at a press conference today.
HockeyNewsNorth.com first reported back on February 16 that a Jamestown group had agreed in principle to purchase the Michigan Mountain Cats of the North American 3 Hockey League. …[read more]
NOJHL first-round forecast
It’s the beginning of the playoff season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
All four best-of-seven series get underway this week.
Following are my first-round predictions. …[read more]
How about those Metro Jets
Metro Jets are headed to the playoffs.
The comeback kids clinched the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the East Division of the North American 3 Hockey League with a 5-0 shutout of the visiting Toledo Cherokee on Saturday. …[read more]
Sault High settles for second
For the second successive season, Sault High Blue Devils have placed second at the Division 3, state championships.
Chasing its first high school hockey state championship since 1989, Sault High ran into a hot goaltender and lost 2-1 to Farmington Falcons on Saturday afternoon at Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth. …[read more]
Four-point weekend for Eagles
Only three weekends remain in the North American Hockey League regular season and four teams — including Soo Eagles — are in a frantic chase for two playoff spots in the North Division. …[read more]
Award winning Thunderbirds
Personnel from the no. 1 ranked Jr. A hockey team in Canada have been duly recognized.
Six members of the Soo Thunderbirds have won major awards in votes cast by representatives from each of the eight teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Espanola-Sudbury playoff schedule
Espanola Rivermen and Sudbury Nickel Barons have agreed to dates, times and locations for their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Birds-Beavers playoff schedule
Soo Thunderbirds and Blind River Beavers have finalized dates, times and locations for their opening-round, best-of-seven, Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Eagles on ice tonight
Soo Eagles will try to keep pace in the race for the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the North Division of the North American Hockey League when they play host to Michigan Warriors tonight.
Game time is 7 p.m. at Pullar Stadium. …[read more]
NOJHL playoff matchups set
First round of the playoffs will get underway in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League next week and the matchups have been determined. …[read more]
Sault High in title tilt
Sault High Blue Devils will play Farmington today for the Division 3 state championship.
Game time is 2 p.m. at Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth and Dave Watson will have the live radio play-by-play on 1230 WSOO. …[read more]
Five T-Birds are all-stars
Soo Thunderbirds have a dominant presence on the 2013-2014 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League all-star teams.
Following are the first and second all-star squads as voted on by NOJHL team representatives. …[read more]
Hounds are best in West
With five games to play in the Ontario Hockey League regular season and 86 points from a record of 40-17-6, Soo Greyhounds have clinched first place in the West Division.
The Greyhounds are thus awarded the Bumbacco Trophy as West Division, regular-season champions. …[read more]
Eagles home to Warriors for two
Two points out of the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the North Division of the North American Hockey League, Soo Eagles will play host to second-place Michigan Warriors tonight and Saturday at Pullar Stadium.
Game times are 7:30 p.m. tonight and 7 p.m. on Saturday. …[read more]
NOJHL to NCAA D3
Elliot Lake Bobcats captain John Waghorne will play Division 3, National Collegiate Athletic Association hockey at the University of Southern Maine next season. …[read more]
Still hope for Elliot Lake
There may be junior hockey in Elliot Lake next season afterall.
To be sure, Elliot Lake Bobcats of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have confirmed they are relocating to Cochrane after this season.
But sources are saying the City of Elliot Lake is looking at the possibility of operating a community-owned junior hockey team effective the 2014-2015 season. …[read more]
Turning the Paige
After being sidelined for more than three months with a concussion, Paige Skoog is once again the main man between the pipes for the Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League.
And the second-year NAHL goalie will try to backstop the Eagles into the North Division playoffs with nine games to play in the regular season.
Two points out of the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the North Division, the Eagles will play host to the second-place Michigan Warriors this Friday and Saturday at Pullar Stadium. …[read more]
Personal goals within reach
As a team, Soo Thunderbirds have clinched first place in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League standings and will be the no. 1 seed when the playoffs get underway next week.
But the Thunderbirds still have two games to play in the regular season — on home ice this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. — and there are players who are within milestones. …[read more]
Showdown in NA3HL East
The race for the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the East Division of the North American 3 Hockey League will be decided this weekend.
Toledo Cherokee currently holds down fourth place with 46 points from a record of 20-20-6. Right behind Toledo are the Metro Jets with 42 points from a record of 20-24-2. …[read more]
Happy young Warriors fans
It is always nice to see smiles on the faces of young kids.
As in the above photo, for instance. …[read more]
NOJHL issues
In many respects, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has been a good follow this 2013-2014 season.
Soo Thunderbirds and Kirkland Lake Gold Miners have not only been the top two teams in the NOJHL with 40-plus regular-season victories apiece but both are highly-rated within the Canadian Jr. A Hockey League rankings.
As well, Abitibi Eskimos and Espanola Rivermen have made for quite the race for third-and-fourth place.
The Rivermen have not only been a first-year, on-ice success in Espanola but are the NOJHL attendance leaders with a per-game average of just over 500.
But there are issues for the NOJHL to deal with it as it peeks ahead. …[read more]
Pretty sure about Ryan Burr
He is one of those later-developing players.
Born in November of 1995, he also has what hockey people refer to as a late birthday. …[read more]
Five Soo Indians prospects
From a major midget hockey team team laden with prospects for the next level, here are five players from the Soo Indians who are of considerable note: …[read more]
Brandon and the boys
Three young Sault Ste. Marie hockey players — who are also fans of the Soo Thunderbirds — got to meet one of their favourites from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team recently. …[read more]
Buzz over NOJHL move to Cochrane
The arrival of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in Cochrane effective the 2014-2015 season should have a major impact on the community, according to the town’s mayor and the owner of the team.
“We are absolutely excited, it’s part of a build and development program in the community that we have been part of for the past three years,” mayor Peter Politis said of the relocation of the Elliot Lake Bobcats to Cochrane. …[read more]
First-place Flint has playoff focus
Putting the finishing touches to a rousing regular season with a weekend sweep of the Toledo Cherokee, Flint Jr. Generals are now focused on the upcoming North American 3 Hockey League playoffs.
First-place Flint will begin the NA3HL East Division playoffs on the March 15-16 weekend. …[read more]
Soo Indians headed to Detroit
Soo Indians have advanced to the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association major midget state championships, which begin next week in the Detroit suburb of Taylor.
Playing on the road on the weekend, coach Pat Carricato and his Soo squad overcame a one-game-to-none deficit with two straight wins to defeat the Lansing Capitals in a qualifying series for the MAHA state playdowns. …[read more]
Tough tests loom for T-Birds
Okay, we know that Soo Thunderbirds have clinched first place in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League standings and will meet the lowly Blind River Beavers in the first round of the playoffs.
But despite their lofty standing in the NOJHL, tough tests loom for the Thunderbirds come playoff time. …[read more]
T-Bird, Trapper in a tussle
It was a tussle between a T-Bird and a Trapper when Anthony Butorac of the Soo and Darian Skeoch of North Bay squared off on Friday night. …[read more]
Pay-to-play is where it’s at
Tier 2 junior hockey has become an expensive sport for owner-operators to be involved in.
Unlike the Ontario Hockey League — where huge fan support and corporate-sponsorship dollars have allowed the major junior loop to become the $200 million business that it is — mere survival is often a month-to-month, season-to-season way of life in lower-level junior. …[read more]