Boville in the Bird cage
Big goalie Cam Boville is playing big for his hometown Soo Thunderbirds. The late blooming puck stopper has won four of his last five decisions — in his only loss he allowed just two goals — and now sports an overall record of 7-4-1 with a 2.50 goals against average and .918 save percentage.
…[read more]What’s up with Sault Major?
Imagine how strong the Under 16 AAA level of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds program would be if four plum 2010 birth year skaters had not departed the Sault Major Hockey Association to pursue their dreams and aspirations elsewhere. Whatever their reason or reasons for leaving the comfort of their families in Sault Ste. Marie are, standout forwards Colin Kennedy, Cole Guizzetti and Eli Chapman and stalwart defenseman Mateo Muto are all excelling in reputable AAA programs a good distance from home.
…[read more]Sault side to BioSteel champs
It was a big event accomplishment by BioSteel Sports Academy of Windsor that featured a pair of Sault Ste. Marie products in defenseman Mateo Muto and forward Eli Chapman.
…[read more]Plenty at stake in the NOJHL
There are heaps and leaps to play for — including ongoing development — in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League ahead of the end of the ’25-26 regular season schedule which is slated to conclude on March 15.
…[read more]Two more wins for Timmins
It was back on the October 17-18 weekend when the Timmins Rock lost a pair of home and home games to the Espanola Paper Kings by 3-1 and 5-4 (overtime) scores. In the three months since, Timmins has not lost a single contest.
…[read more]Bloodlines of Colin Kennedy
He is poised to become a first or second round pick at this year’s 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. And while Sault Ste. Marie product Colin Kennedy — a 2010 birth year forward who is in his second season as a productive two points per game skater with the famed Little Caesars program of Detroit — is a rising star in his own right, he also holds the bonus of having high end hockey bloodlines.
…[read more]Brantford pipeline via Sault
They are a well assembled, finely tuned Ontario Hockey League machine with championship aspirations for this season. And while the Brantford Bulldogs are flush with 2006 and 2007 birth year forwards that include National Hockey League first round draft picks Jett Luchanko, Marek Vanacker and Jake O’Brien, their general manager has not lost sight of the future and younger players such as 2008 birth year right winger Nik Rossetto.
…[read more]New net duo in Espanola
Goalie Carter Arnold recently joined the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to form a net tandem with Logan Vale. Arnold, who has a 2007 birth date, had been tending twine for the Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Hockey League.
…[read more]Picture perfect Carter George
As debuts go, it could not have gone any better. Team Canada bronze medal winning goalie Carter George fashioned a 20 save shutout in his opening performance as a member of the Soo Greyhounds.
…[read more]Three notable NOJHL moves
A tally of transactions at the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League trade deadline included several high performance players with links to the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Top four OHL contenders
Now that the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline has passed — it was a frenzied, frantic process — the 2026 segment of the regular season schedule is in resumption with rosters set for the stretch run. And from among a host of contenders for this year’s OHL championship there are four teams that stand out more than the others, at least to us.
…[read more]Hounds gain Carter George
Soo Greyhounds have brought in world class goalie Carter George from the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for seven future Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft picks.
…[read more]Way to go, Tyler Diluzio
A good kid from a good Sault Ste. Marie family had a hockey weekend to remember while standing tall as an affiliate player for the Under 15 AA Sudbury Jr. Wolves — and against his hometown Soo Jr. Greyhounds no less.
…[read more]Raftis is a high ranking GM
There are reasons why — year in and year out — teams in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League combine for much better win-loss records than those clubs that make up the Eastern Conference.
…[read more]As the NOJHL moves forward
The game is played on the ice, in the moment. But the decision makers who are involved with the product and the programs are most often looking ahead. And the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as it strives to remain neat and tidy while staying in its own lane, is no different.
…[read more]Guizzetti … Chapman … Muto
It is about freedom of movement. It is about choice, opportunity and pursuing a passion. Not only that, their reason or reasons for departing the oft maligned Sault Major Hockey Association to play elsewhere is their business.
…[read more]Brantford Alexanders: ’78-84
They were here for a good time, not a long time. To be sure, their history is one of modest length yet the Brantford Alexanders remain an iconic Ontario Hockey League franchise mainly because of the number of high performance players who wore their red-white-and-black jersey from 1978 to 1984.
…[read more]OHL Western world is wild
Buckle up. It is setting up to be a wild ride in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League in the 2026 portion of this season’s schedule. No less than five teams are vying for any one of the top four spots — which means home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Following are my three favourites in the Western Conference, with due respect to the Kitchener Rangers and London Knights.
…[read more]Rousselle a dandy defender
He was born in December of 2008 which means Dylan Rousselle just turned 17 years old. And despite his young age and being a rookie defenseman with the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Rousselle has made significant strides thus far this season.
…[read more]Evan Headrick traded to Erie
Garden River First Nation product Evan Headrick is getting a fresh start to his Ontario Hockey League career. Kitchener Rangers have dealt the 2008 birth year forward to the Erie Otters in exchange for overage (2005 birth year) forward Dylan Edwards.
…[read more]Paul Gagne was a good one
He was playing juvenile hockey in his small, remote northeastern Ontario home town of Iroquois Falls when the head coach and general manager of the Windsor Spitfires happened to take note of his skills. And Wayne Maxner thought so much of Paul Gagne that the Spitfires coach and GM took the 5 foot 10, 180 pound forward with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1978 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]A first for Cam Boville
Homegrown goalie Cam Boville made 25 saves for his first Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League shutout to back stop the Soo Thunderbirds to a 7-0 Friday night road verdict over the Espanola Paper Kings.
…[read more]Guizzetti a top OHL prospect
Sault Ste. Marie product Cole Guizzetti has been identified as one of the Top 80 prospects in the province well ahead of the June, 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Wheeler dealer GM Raftis
Relative to Ontario Hockey League general managers who are being noteworthy operative in the exchange market, Kyle Raftis of the Soo Greyhounds continues to make major moves ahead of the looming January 10 trade deadline. Raftis may not be quite as immersed as Spencer Hyman — the bustling rookie GM of the Eastern Conference powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs who has already acquired a pair of first round National Hockey League draft picks via the OHL trade route this season — but the Greyhound hockey boss has not been sitting idle either.
…[read more]Timmins Rock leads the way
Timmins Rock not only sits atop the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League attendance chart but it currently has the best winning percentage among the 11 teams.
…[read more]My very first hockey jersey
Being a hockey writer, this is a story that, after all these years, never gets old in my mind. I am now in my early 70s but the little kid in me still remembers back to when I was just a wee youngster.
…[read more]Soo T-Birds trade captain
Callum McAuley has become the latest local lad to ask for and receive a trade from the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. The Thunderbirds have dealt the 2006 birth year forward to the St. Mary’s Lincolns of the Greater Ontario Hockey League in a cash transaction.
…[read more]Same rules for volunteers
Being a volunteer coach doesn’t mean that he or she gets to ignore the rules, policies and procedures of a given team, league, or association. Yet, there are some volunteer coaches out there who think that they can break or ignore rules and procedures because they aren’t being paid.
…[read more]NHL scout likes new Hound
A seasoned National Hockey League scout with ties to Sault Ste. Marie has good things to say about sizeable centre Colin Fitzgerald, who the Soo Greyhounds recently acquired in a major Ontario Hockey League trade with the Peterborough Petes.
…[read more]Gavin gets his game going
Rookie forward Gavin Killoran had a recent career outing for the Soo Thunderbirds. A local Sault Ste. Marie product with a 2008 birth date, Killoran fired home four goals as the Thunderbirds skated to a 6-2 decision over the visiting Espanola Paper Kings.
…[read more]World class Rock star
Star forward Brant Romaniuk of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League says the relationship that he has with his head coach Brandon Perry is “truly special.” The homegrown, 2007 birth year forward relayed that message to Hockey News North after being picked to the Canada East squad that will compete at next month’s World Junior A Challenge.
…[read more]The 500 club of Espanola
It is the epitome of dedication, commitment and hometown loyalty. In quiet and unassuming fashion, young Austin LeClair has hit the 500 game mark as the long time equipment manager for the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Fab five of the NOJHL
It doesn’t get much closer than this. A mere four points are all that separate the top five teams within the well balanced Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Beavers deal for two skaters
Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added a defenseman and a forward via the cash transaction route, Hockey News North has confirmed.
…[read more]Frantic race for first place
How tight are the standings in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League? Well, the fifth place Timmins Rock actually has the second best winning percentage among the 11 teams of the NOJHL. Huh?
…[read more]D1 for Sault College women
They are moving up to the top floor of the American Collegiate Hockey Association. After a half dozen wildly wonderful seasons of winning at the ACHA Division 2 and 3 national championship levels, the Sault College Cougars women’s team has been elevated to Division 1 status effective the ’26-27 season.
…[read more]Ted Nolan assists U9 practice
It seems as though legendary Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Jr. Hockey League and National Hockey League head coach Ted Nolan is never far away from a rink. Just recently, Nolan ran a practice for the Under 9, tier 1 level Niagara Nationals, who are coached by fellow Sault Ste. Marie product Freddie Coccimiglio.
…[read more]50 years covering the Hounds
It was 50 years ago — October of 1975 — that I officially became a member of the Sault Ste. Marie sports media as a part time sports caster and reporter for radio station CKCY. And part of my duties as a roving sports reporter — for the tidy sum of $3 an hour — was to cover the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Eli Chapman, Mateo Muto
A pair of plum recruits from Sault Ste. Marie are among the top performers for the Under 16 AAA Prep Level BioSteel Sports Academy of Windsor. They are forward Eli Chapman and defenseman Mateo Muto.
…[read more]Soo Eagles seeing the way
They started the season winless in their first nine games and in last place among the 11 teams of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with a record of 0-8-1. Slowly but surely however the Soo Eagles have taken flight and now have a record of 8-13-1 — and are in possession of one of the eight playoff positions heading into a pair of road games this weekend.
…[read more]Ex-Hound fired up in Flint
Alex Kostov is clicking at the most productive rate of his Ontario Hockey League career. The fourth year forward, who has a 2006 birth date, recently scored no less than seven goals in two games to power the Flint Firebirds to successive wins over the North Bay Battalion and Guelph Storm.
…[read more]The return of Nik Rossetto
Sault Ste. Marie product Nik Rossetto recently made his ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League debut for the Brantford Bulldogs after missing the first 16 games of the season while recovering from a shoulder injury.
…[read more]Rapcewicz rolls in Espanola
It could be argued, with considerable conviction, that there might not be junior hockey in the small town of Espanola these days without the presence and persistence of long-time resident Jason Rapcewicz.
…[read more]Six teams over .500 mark
There is relative balance within the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as six of the 11 teams are above the .500 level with the ’25-26 regular season schedule nudging towards November.
…[read more]Rossetto helps Steel a title
Sault Ste. Marie spark plug Brett Rossetto played a starring role in the Hamilton Steel stunning the favoured — and host — Toronto Jr. Canadiens in the under 15 level championship game of the recent Tyler Cragg AAA Memorial Hockey Tournament.
…[read more]Pair of Paper King transactions
As homegrown forward Lucas Dubois will look for a reset in the Provincial Jr. C Hockey League the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have added forward Luc Warner from the Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Paper Kings between the pipes
Long-time Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League goalie coach Bill Vanderleest is quite taken by the current net duo of the Espanola Paper Kings. A Sault Ste. Marie resident who commutes to and from Espanola to work with the Paper Kings goalie tandem of Logan Vale and Jack Helkie, Vanderleest is of the notion that he has two of the best in the NOJHL in Vale and Helkie.
…[read more]NOJHL lads from up north
Teams from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are free to recruit players from across Canada and into the United States. Still, more than 70 players from the northeastern region of Ontario are on current rosters of teams in the NOJHL.
…[read more]Greyhounds, Firebirds deal
Soo Greyhounds and Flint Firebirds have finalized a one for one trade involving two forwards who are former first round Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft picks.
…[read more]