EL Vikings late May camp
They are primed to return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League effective the ’26-27 season. And the Elliot Lake Vikings — having been on a leave of absence for the past year and a half relative to structural issues at their now restored home arena — have an upcoming camp planned.
…[read more]Rock rolls into NOJHL semis
At the end of it all it was home ice advantage for the seventh and deciding game that tilted the Timmins Rock towards the semi-finals in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Surging Soo Eagles sweep
The odds of a no. 7 seed beating a no. 2 seed in a best of seven playoff series are very low. The odds of the no. 7 seed doing so in a four game sweep are even lower.
…[read more]NOJHL playoff tracker
First round playoff action is underway within the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. Sudbury Cubs have a 2-0 lead on the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners while the surprising Soo Eagles are up two on the Powassan Voodoos as are the Hearst Lumberjacks ahead of the Espanola Paper Kings by the same margin. Meantime, the Timmins Rock and Soo Thunderbirds are even at a game apiece. All series are best of seven.
…[read more]EL Vikings back in business
It has been a long, difficult process but the Elliot Lake Vikings are poised to return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League as active members effective the ’26-27 season. The slated comeback of the Vikings would be coincidental with the scheduled reopening of 59 year old Rogers Arena — formerly known as Centennial Arena — at some point this summer.
…[read more]NOJHL quarter finals
Eight teams will hit the ice this week as the playoffs begin in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. All four first round sets are best of seven series. Following is the schedule for all four of the opening round series.
…[read more]Sudbury Cubs, Kirkland Lake
The Northern Ontario Jr.Hockey League has confirmed the schedule for the opening round, best of seven playoff series between the no. 1 seed Sudbury Cubs and the no. 8 seed Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
…[read more]NOJHL playoffs are looming
The eight teams that will begin the playoffs in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have been accounted for. Still, there is much to play for in this, the final week of the ’25-26 regular season as there are three teams in the mix for second place.
…[read more]Power of the Sudbury Cubs
They are in pursuit of what is called a three peat. And to be sure, the two time reigning champion Sudbury Cubs have sights set on a third successive Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League crown.
…[read more]He’s a high scoring Horgan
Sudbury Cubs defenseman Spencer Horgan has become the highest scoring blue liner in the history of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. With 212 points in 163 regular season games in the NOJHL, Horgan has gone ahead of Noel Caya, who played for the erstwhile Rayside Balfour Canadians from 1981 to 1986.
…[read more]Cowan clicks for Beavers
It has been a turnaround season for Camden Cowan of the Blind River Beavers. A 2006 birth year forward, Cowan leads Blind River in scoring in his first season with the Beavers after being acquired in a Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League trade with his hometown Soo Thunderbirds last summer.
…[read more]Soo Eagles fly over .500
It took them 41 games into this ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season schedule just to reach the .500 mark. And finally — at the 42 game mark — the Soo Eagles soared over the .500 level with a recent road triumph over the Blind River Beavers.
…[read more]Soo Eagles like local lads
It makes sense in many ways for a Junior A hockey team to try to enlist local talent providing that the players in question are a capable fit. In the case of the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, they have six players from the Twin Soo area who make up a significant side to their roster.
…[read more]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]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]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]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]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]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]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]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]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]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]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]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]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]Mid October in the NOJHL
Let us go here and there and just about everywhere a month into the ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season.
…[read more]NOJHL Showcase Roundup
Two days of the annual Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League showcase event featured all 11 NOJHL teams plus St. Andrew’s College of Aurora as a guest entry. All teams played two games in Sudbury in front of not only fans and supporters but a host of scouts and recruiters from various levels of the game, including the National Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League, not to mention Canadian and American schools.
…[read more]Thunderbirds and Beavers
It is a classic Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League rivalry that dates back to the year 2000. And there never seems to be any lack of a story line when it comes to the big market Soo Thunderbirds and their much smaller market rival Blind River Beavers.
…[read more]Eagles … Rapids … Losier
Upcoming in the days ahead is the annual Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League showcase event in Sudbury. All 11 NOJHL teams will play two games apiece and be joined by St. Andrew’s College of Aurora as a guest entry. Meanwhile, the NOJHL is more than three weeks into the ’25-26 regular season.
…[read more]Early season story lines
We are about a month or so into the ’25-26 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season. Championships are not won during the fall months but stakes can be put in position and the anxiety button to qualify for one of the eight playoff spots in the 11 member NOJHL can begin to pulsate, if only slightly.
…[read more]Good coaches of the NOJHL
What defines a good junior hockey coach? There are numerous factors, such as time tested experience, success, development of players, and integrity. To be sure, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has its share of head coaches who click off all of the above attributes.
…[read more]Opening acts in the NOJHL
Espanola Paper Kings — with a pair of improbable blowout victories — are among the early season story lines in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]NOJHL champs begin with win
Sudbury Cubs started their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League title defense with a firm 4-0 white wash of the Timmins Rock in the ’25-26 regular season opener.
…[read more]Ready, set, go in the N.O.
Several story lines to retain for reference as the ’25-26 regular season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League moves forward:
…[read more]Solid as a Rock in Timmins
Timmins Rock is an annual contender for championship status in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. The NOJHL attendance leaders on a yearly basis, head coach Brandon Perry and the Rock are coming off a fourth-place finish in ’24-25 with 69 points from a record 33-16-3.
…[read more]Paper Kings eyeing playoffs
After narrowly missing the playoffs by a mere two points in ’24-25, the Espanola Paper Kings will be out to make a return to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League post season in ’25-26.
…[read more]Brick on the Beaver pond
Since taking over as the head coach in Blind River back in 2016, Kyle Brick has built the Beavers into a first rate outfit that is a perennial contender in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]French River looking to rise
French River Rapids will be aiming to move up in the standings among the 11 teams of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in ’25-26 following a 10th place finish in ’24-25. The youthful Rapids posted a record of 16-33-3 in ’24-25 and lost their final 10 games of the season to miss out on the eighth and final playoff spot.
…[read more]NOJHL showcase schedule
The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has confirmed the dates and times for its annual Showcase event, which this year is slated for October 7-8 at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex in Sudbury.
…[read more]