Crunch and Rock in cohort
They figure to be familiar and formidable foes by facing off 10 times in a 20 day frame.
As Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League cohort opponents, the Cochrane Crunch and Timmins Rock are slated to play 10 games against each other between March 10 and March 30.
…[read more]Birds have Beavers baffled
Soo Thunderbirds have the Blind River Beavers number as of late.
Since the 2021 portion of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season began about a week ago, the Thunderbirds have taken four straight games from the Beavers with Blind River’s only point coming in a shootout loss.
…[read more]Sault High home at last
Following five straight road tilts, Sault High Blue Devils will finally be at home this weekend.
The friendly ice of Big Bear Arena awaits the Blue Devils in the aftermath of their latest away game, which was a narrow 3-2 loss to the Alpena Wildcats tonight.
…[read more]NOJHL a game at a time
Five for seven. As in, of the seven games that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League had scheduled for last week as it returned to play from COVID-19 hiatus, five of them went into the books.
Thus, the NOJHL is maintaining a good average of completion of scheduled matches. In all, when totaling the 51 slated games to date — November and December of 2020 and February of 2021 — 46 have gone on as scheduled.
…[read more]Making headway in Espanola
The times they are a changin’ in Espanola.
And it is change that has been for the better relative to the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Birds fly into top spot
Fast skating power forward Cooper Smyl fired three goals today to spark the surging Soo Thunderbirds to a 7-2 triumph over the Blind River Beavers.
The road win for the Thunderbirds boosted their record to 7-3-1 and moved them into first place in the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, just ahead of the idle Espanola Express, which has a 5-4-3 mark.
…[read more]Beavers earn tough point
It wasn’t a victory.
But Blind River Beavers coach Kyle Brick credited his team for a hard fought effort in gaining a point from a 6-5 shootout loss to the Soo Thunderbirds in Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League action from Friday night.
The visiting Beavers forced the shootout with a power play goal by Matt Cato with less than three minutes to play in the third period.
…[read more]NOJHL games postponed
Tonight’s and Saturday’s scheduled Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League games between the French River Rapids and the Espanola Express have been postponed, multiple sources have confirmed to Hockey News North.
…[read more]Nicholls boards the Express
He has served a full two year apprenticeship in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League. And now, 2003 birth year goalie Evan Nicholls has been granted the liberty to tend twine in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]NOJHL: So far, so good
Tests have been passed through the early going of return to play in the 2021 half of the interrupted Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season.
The resumption of play on Feb. 23 after a two month shutdown relative to COVID-19 has followed an impressive 2020 half for the NOJHL in which 41 of 44 scheduled games were completed.
…[read more]T-Birds add seasoned skaters
As play resumes in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League this week following a two-month shut down, the Soo Thunderbirds have added a pair of veteran forwards to their lineup, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]NOJHL rallies with rebound
Let the record show that junior hockey returned to northeastern Ontario on February 23 after two months on the sidelines.
The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — which got in an impressive 41 games between November 13 and December 22 of 2020 before Christmas holidays and then a province wide shutdown relative to COVID-19 led to the two month stoppage in play — is back on the ice with a safe schedule of games for the 2021 portion of the season.
…[read more]Express v. Rapids etc.
Better late than never.
The 2021 portion of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season will finally get underway tonight when the French River Rapids play host to their cohort rival Espanola Express in a slated 6:00 start.
The two teams have already faced off against each other six times this season with each side winning three games. Two of French River’s wins were in extra time.
…[read more]A winning story
Hockey News North has received the following press release relative to a school based fitness curriculum that includes National Hockey League star Nick Foligno.
…[read more]NOJHL confirms return
The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has just confirmed what Hockey News North had said would happen in a story posted earlier today — a return to play effective this week.
…[read more]NOJHL working on return
Sources are telling Hockey News North that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will return to play this week.
And the same sources are saying that teams will be restricted to playing within their own public health units, at least to begin.
In the case of the five-member West Division of the NOJHL, there is an odd number of teams. That is, unless a guest team from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League is allowed in.
…[read more]Soo via Kingston
Even the best of teams can only have so many star players.
In fact, it is the best of teams who make good use of the grinders.
And it was during the Ontario Hockey League glory years of Sam McMaster as general manager and Terry Crisp as coach that the powerhouse Soo Greyhounds twice made trades with the lowly Kingston Canadians in which they exchanged high scoring forwards for fibrous left wingers.
…[read more]Sault High is all even
A road victory at Big Rapids has lifted the Sault High Blue Devils to the .500 mark through four games of the recently started Michigan high school hockey season.
…[read more]Moving out of the dog house
As the 1984-1985 championship campaign ended a spectacular five year run for the Soo Greyhounds under the coach and general manager duo of Terry Crisp and Sam McMaster, the next five seasons would be all downhill for the Red and White.
But as the Greyhounds went from the penthouse in 1984-1985 to the outhouse in 1985-1986, a pair of right wingers escaped the dog house via trade and finished their Ontario Hockey League careers with a flourish.
…[read more]NOJHL guest team scenario
As amateur hockey teams and leagues try to stick handle around COVID-19 and return to game activity with the blessing of public health units, there are various scenarios in consideration.
One such suggestion would have, for example, the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League joining the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as a guest team.
…[read more]Eskymos 5, Blue Devils 4
Sault High Blue Devils have yet to pass a road test in the early going of the Michigan high school hockey schedule.
The Blue Devils came up just short on Wednesday, dropping a 5-4 decision to the Escanaba Eskymos.
Sault High will have another road test on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Big Rapids for a 2 p.m. start.
…[read more]On the road and on the air
Sault High Blue Devils will continue a 10-game regular season slate tonight with a road match.
The Blue Devils are in Escanaba to play the Eskymos in what will be the third outing of the COVID-19 delayed, 2020-2021 season for Sault High.
…[read more]Assistants for the Rock
Timmins Rock president Ted Gooch has told Hockey News North that the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team will not hire a new head coach until after the 2020-2021 season.
Gooch confirmed that in the wake of today’s resignation of Corey Beer, who was in his fourth season as bench boss of the NOJHL team.
…[read more]No more Beer in Timmins
Corey Beer has resigned as head coach of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to accept a position with the Okanagan Hockey Group.
The move to the Whitby, Ontario-based academy will allow Beer to be closer to his family. Beer and his girlfriend are expecting their first child.
…[read more]NOJHL poised to return
Barring any sort of setback relative to COVID-19, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League could resume regular season play within a week or so.
Sources have told Hockey News North that NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca and team representatives have scheduled a conference call for Tuesday evening relative to a return to play.
…[read more]Sault High slate is set
A 10-game regular season to be followed by the playoffs is what has been set up for the Sault High Blue Devils.
Having now played two games in a 2020-2021 regular season that finally began on February 10 relative to COVID-19, Sault High has three more matches slated for this month and another five in March.
Playoffs will then begin on March 15 as part of a state format in which all high school hockey teams in Michigan qualify for the post season.
…[read more]Devils night goes to Gaylord
The battle of the Blue Devils went to Gaylord. Playing at home, Gaylord Blue Devils hissed past the Sault High Blue Devils 7-3 in Michigan high school hockey action from Saturday night.
…[read more]Battle of the Blue Devils
The chilly confines of the Otsego County Sportsplex will serve as the frozen stage for a Michigan high school hockey showdown tonight when the Gaylord Blue Devils play host to the Sault High Blue Devils.
Sault High, which began the 2020-2021 season earlier this week with a 2-1 win over the Cheboygan Chiefs, will face off against a Gaylord squad which will be playing its third game in four nights, having blanked the Cadillac Vikings 4-0 before dropping a 6-4 decision to the Midland Chemics.
…[read more]Michigan Sault hockey hub
There are four high profile hockey teams that are based in the small town of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which has a population of less than 14,000 full-time residents.
They include the Lake Superior State University Lakers, the Soo Eagles juniors, the under 18 Soo Indians, and the Sault High Blue Devils.
And following clearance from the state of Michigan, high school hockey has finally been able to begin the 2020-2021 regular season. Thus, the return to play of the Sault High squad.
…[read more]Statement from David Branch
Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch has issued the following statement relative to return to play discussions for the 2020-2021 season.
…[read more]OHL boss is optimistic
The 18 teams of the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League have already combined to play well over 150 games thus far into the COVID-19 affected, 2020-2021 regular season.
Meanwhile, the 22-member Western Hockey League is slated to begin play on February 26 with games involving its Alberta-based teams.
Over to the Ontario Hockey League — where COVID-19 cases continue to drop province wide — no firm start date has been determined for its 20 teams, three of which are American-based. But commissioner David Branch is optimistic that the OHL, which along with the QMJHL and WHL are under the umbrella of the Canadian Hockey League, will play hockey this season.
…[read more]Sault High hockey set to go
High school hockey in the state of Michigan has been cleared to begin the 2020-2021 season.
And the Sault High Blue Devils will begin play tonight against the visiting Cheboygan Chiefs with a 7:00 match at Big Bear Arena.
All Sault High games will be broadcast live on local radio station Eagle 95.1 http://EagleRadio951.com with Tim Ellis calling the play by play and his brother, Clayt Ellis, providing the colour commentary.
Four other games are on the slate for Sault High this month and they are as follows.
…[read more]Telling it like it is
If I had a dime for every time I spoke my mind and got in trouble for it, I would have at least a couple hundred thousand extra dollars in my bank account.
Just like if a player could speak his mind about a coach and not have to worry about being labelled as a trouble maker and either be released or traded.
Or if a coach could reasonably criticize a referee without fear of reprisal from not only the ref himself but from the league in the form of a fine or suspension.
…[read more]Tales of an old hockey writer
It has been a few years in the making.
And now, my book, Tales Of An Old Hockey Writer, is slated to be published and ready for release at some point in 2021.
The book will date back to the mid 1970s when I first became a paid member of the media after a mediocre departure from Sault College where I really liked English classes with Neil Carter and learned a few things in Broadcast Journalism from Tom Iley.
…[read more]NOJHL has passed COVID test
If a tried, tested and true track record stands up — as it should — then the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League should be cleared for a return to the ice once the provincial government lifts its lock down and stay at home edict.
Under the careful, calculated leadership of NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca, the league managed to play 41 of the 44 games that were scheduled between Nov. 13 and Dec. 22.
…[read more]Final playoff push for Kovacs
Sault Ste. Marie product Bronson Kovacs has had his wish granted to join a playoff contender in the Erste Liga pro hockey loop.
The 30-year old defenseman has been transferred to MAC Budapest from the Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák Steel Bulls.
Kovacs noted that as this is his sixth and final season of playing pro in Hungary, “I was granted my release so I could sign with a contender for my last playoff push.”
…[read more]Express route for OHL picks
Nestled on the Spanish River, about 35 miles west of Sudbury and 145 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie — and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17 — lies the little junior A hockey town of Espanola.
As the town is home to just under 5,000 residents, it also houses the Espanola Express of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. And quite notably, the Express has become a route of choice for no less than nine Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft picks ranging in age from 16 to 18.
…[read more]Ready to play up north
They are waiting for the go ahead from the provincial government and the respective public health units and municipalities of northeastern Ontario.
In the interim, players and coaches on teams from the Great North Under 18 Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are prepared to return to the ice should the provincial stay-at-home lock down be lifted on schedule on February 11 — and if the various public health and city officials subsequently allow indoor rinks to re-open.
…[read more]Stars still high on Porco
Almost two years after taking Nick Porco in the fifth round of the 2019 National Hockey League draft, the Dallas Stars still like what they have in the 19-year old winger from Sault Ste. Marie.
Joe McDonnell, who is the director of amateur scouting for the Stars and the person responsible for picking Porco, made that quite clear when talking to Hockey News North.
…[read more]Nick Porco with Texas Stars
As the Ontario Hockey League remains in limbo as to when or if the 2020-2021 season will begin, junior age players from the various teams are, in the meantime, getting opportunities to play pro.
One such prospect is Nick Porco, a 19-year old left winger from Sault Ste. Marie who is a member of the OHL’s Barrie Colts and a National Hockey League draft pick of the Dallas Stars.
…[read more]Jack Kopacka packs his bags
Former Soo Greyhounds winger Jack Kopacka has had his National Hockey League rights transferred.
The 6-foot-2, 200 pound Kopacka, who had three productive seasons with the Greyhounds after being an eighth round pick at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft, is now the NHL property of the Ottawa Senators following a trade today with the San Jose Sharks.
…[read more]NE Ontario season scenarios
The best that hockey leagues in northeastern Ontario can hope for relative to the provincial government’s stay at home order is that the current lock down will be lifted on schedule on or about the weekend of February 12.
Hope is an operative word in this current climate of COVID-19. And given that northeastern Ontario is not home to any COVID-19 hot spot areas, a return to play in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and Great North Under 18 Hockey League may be within reach at some point in February.
…[read more]Knights before Hunters
Given their sustained success as co-owners and as general manager and head coach, it sometimes seems as though the dynamic duo of Dale Hunter and Mark Hunter have always operated the London Knights.
But the Knights had an illustrious — if not as prolific — presence in the Ontario Hockey League long before the Hunter boys arrived in London back in 2000.
In short, there were Knights before there were Hunters.
…[read more]NHL staffs plentiful Soo crew
There is more to the current Sault Ste. Marie connection to the National Hockey League than the many players who are either from the Soo or who played for the Ontario Hockey League Greyhounds.
A lot more.
As a matter of fact, there are in excess of 20 guys with a link to the Soo who are part of NHL staffs as coaches, general managers and scouts.
…[read more]RIP, George Wood
We have lost another good one.
Just 53 years old, George Wood passed away suddenly on Sunday, leaving behind a loving family including parents, wife, sons and many others.
Quietly active in the community as a business owner and low-key hockey parent, George typified a good, simple, humble guy — someone who was happy just to talk about his family, fish, hunt and have a beer.
…[read more]He does it the Wright way
He is one of the really good guys of the Sault Ste. Marie amateur hockey scene.
In fact, he is just a really good guy, period.
As a player, Aidan Wright was a steady, stay-at-home defenseman who took a long and winding road from the Sault and back again to play four full seasons of hockey at the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association level.
…[read more]Life in the lock down
And so they wait, with any resumption of a season solely in the hands of public health units and the Ontario government.
As with the rest of the province as it relates to the amateur level of the game, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League is in a shut down state as per the government lock down.
Players on the nine NOJHL teams that were set to resume play this month before the lock down order was issued have remained together in their respective communities, hopeful and prayerful of a return to play at some point this season.
…[read more]SIJHL reacts to lock down
The commissioner of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League did not mince words in addressing the Ontario government’s latest lock down and state of emergency edict.
SIJHL commissioner Darrin Nicholas has issued a terse statement on behalf of the northwestern Ontario based league.
…[read more]Beavers first won with Capy
The early years of the Blind River Beavers in what is the modern day Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League yielded very few victories for the small market franchise.
To be sure, the Beavers won just 31 of 178 games over four seasons that began with their debut campaign of 2000-2001.
…[read more]