As recently as the 2012-2013 season, the NOJHL (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) was still a seven team loop.
Gradual expansion would progress to the point where every year since the 2015-2016 campaign, the northern junior loop would feature 12 teams spread out from Hearst to the north, Powassan to the east and both the Soo Eagles (MI) and the Soo Thunderbirds (ON) in the west.
Those who follow hockey closely in these parts will quickly attest that a near doubling in the number of teams was not precipitated by a doubling of the hockey talent being produced in the NOHA - though every team can lay claim to at least a small handful of players who have spent time in the minor hockey association that governs this part of the province.
The simple truth is that the NOJHL has never been as geographically diverse, in terms of the talent pool represented in the league, than it currently is.
Scanning the team rosters, one could create quite the pin-pad with a map of North America - and beyond: Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta, Québec, New Brunswick, Thailand, Ukraine, New York, California, Arkansas, New Jersey, Nova Scotia, Washington, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maryland, Saskatchewan, France and, of course Ontario are all covered.
Part of the attraction for all of this out of province and out of country hockey talent was evident this week as the 12-team delegation made their way to the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex in Sudbury, site of the NOJHL Showcase.
A native of Steamboat Springs (Colorado), Jack Robinson’s voyage to the Blind River Beavers is not terribly atypical of so many U.S.-born prospects finding their way north across the border. “I went to a Prep School in Andover (New Hampshire) and my coach knew the Brockville (Braves) coach,” explained the 20 year-old forward who has accumulated 11 points in his opening nine games in this, his second year in Blind River, the team that acquired him from the CCHL.
“There’s countless (NCAA) schools here today – and I am sure there will be schools here tomorrow,” said Robinson, his Blind River team registering a key 5-2 win Tuesday over the Hearst Lumberjacks. “I am just trying to catch an eye and get to a school.”
“It’s important that our players get a chance to display their abilities in front of schools and scouts,” said NOJHL commissioner Rob Mazzuca. “I enjoy seeing the players; I enjoy watching the games. It’s great to see the kids interacting with and talking to schools. That gives me a great deal of pleasure.”
For that to happen, much has to go right with the players’ experience as they leave the comfort of their own homes, allowing them a taste of being on their own before having to tackle the college or university setting. “This is my fourth billet house since leaving Colorado and they have all been unbelievable billets,” said Robinson.
“It’s nice having a few guys from Blind River to show you around town, introduce you to people outside of hockey. I’m living with (teammate) Evan (Fraccaro – from Newmarket) and we’re cooking all of our own meals,” Robinson added with pride. “We have the whole basement to ourselves and I think it’s really prepared me.”
“I’m excited to go to college.”
If nothing else, Robinson and so many other Americans have grown worldlier through their experience in the NOJHL. “None of my credit cards worked when I got here,” he said with a laugh. “I’m kind of figuring that out. And kilometres per hour, gas prices, everything like that is an adjustment.”
A well-spoken and quite grounded young man who is tackling a Nutrition Certificate from Cornell University where one of his uncles works, Robinson is hopeful that is smooth skating style and offensive production this year will be enough to move to the next level. Still, he is thankful for the foundational skills developed as a member of the Rocky Mountain Rough Riders AAA teams, workouts are very much paying dividends in the NOJHL.
“We had two days a week practices on smaller ice surfaces and there were a lot of battle drills, battle practices,” he said. “This league is very physical and fast paced, so having those skills definitely helps here.”
Now in his 13th year at the helm of the NOJHL, Rob Mazzuca understands as well as anyone the absolute necessity for the league to have an appeal to out of district talent if teams are to survive.
“We’ve come a long way from seven teams,” he said on Tuesday. “The direction of the board is good; it’s a good group of guys. We have some great coaches. We have a few bumps with a few teams, the situation (arena) in Elliot Lake – but we’ll get through it. We’ve gotten through other things before.”
It certainly helps when the on-ice product is both entertaining and competitive.
Sure, the Greater Sudbury Cubs made it nine straight wins, blowing open a 3-1 affair with four unanswered third period goals in a 7-1 triumph over the Timmins Rock, with Nolan Newton netting a pair for the winners.
But the Soo Thunderbirds – Powassan Voodoos match-up was a dandy as the T-Birds overcame a 4-2 third period deficit with goals from Jackson Truchan, Alex Remenda and Kaden Dundas, the game-winner coming with three seconds to play as the Lock City crew pulled one out of the fire with a 5-4 win.
The Elliot Lake Vikings and Iroquois Falls Storm went a step further, requiring a shootout to settle matters as a penalty shot goal from Alex Chewanish proved to be the difference in a 4-3 Storm victory over the Vikes.
In other games, the Espanola Paper Kings doubled the French River Rapids 6-3, the Soo Eagles overpowered the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 5-1 and the Blind River Beavers outscored the Hearst Lumberjacks 3-0 in the third period en route to their 5-2 win.
