To the best of our knowledge, the 2026-2027 NOJHL (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) season is the first time since the league re-emerged in 1978-1979 that the loop has not housed a team in the Greater Sudbury Region.
And while it has not been all that unusual over the past decade or so to see locally trained talent dispersed all across northern Ontario, looking to continue their development at outposts in any of the 11 current Canadian franchises (it does not appear that many a Sudbury native ever suited up with the Soo Eagles), this fall left the locals who wanted to stay closer to home with no other option but to look in the direction of Powassan, Espanola, Sault Ste Marie and the like.
A 19 year old goaltender who parlayed a very successful season with the St Charles College Cardinals (2023-2024) into a second straight more-than-solid campaign with the Sudbury U18 AAA Wolves (2024-2025), Declan McNamara made his way back north following a standout winter with the Atlantic City Seals of the Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP).
“I took the year to go and develop and had a lot of success,” said McNamara, who joined former Powassan coach Peter Goulet at the Chowder Cup in Boston in the summer of 2025, where he was recruited by Seals GM Matt Lemma. “I saw a lot of shots, more than 700 in regular season – and returned with a lot of confidence.”
McNamara is one of the dozens of players with Sudbury ties who are back home this week, participating in the 9th edition of the NOJHL Showcase Tournament at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, this although the Greater Sudbury Cubs have stepped away from the league this year.
Though McNamara and the Powassan Voodoos dropped a 4-1 decision Tuesday to the Soo Thunderbirds, his early season numbers have been sparkling: 2-1 record in three games with a goals against average of 1.67 and a save percentage of .940. “I’ve been controlling my rebounds really well,” he said.
“And communication is super important with my defensemen. And then the confidence – the mental game is such a big part.”
Thankfully, his New Jersey experience of 2025-2026 left McNamara in a great state of mind as he signed on with Powassan this past summer – not to mention blessed with some very special memories of his time on the eastern seaboard of the United States. “We had this hockey beach house – with all of the guys from around Canada and the States in one big beach house,” said McNamara.
“That was really cool. We had a really good group.”
Also returning closer to home this winter is highly skilled forward Kaden Wicklander, an 11th round draft pick of the Brantford Bulldogs in 2024. After spending the 2024-2025 season with the Espanola Paper Kings and recording better than a point per game as a 16 year-old (54 pts in 46 games), Wicklander made the trek south to join the Brantford Titans of the GOJHL last year (30 points in 39 games), before opting to rejoin the Paper Kings.
The early results have been more than a little encouraging as is sitting in the top-20 in league scoring, with ten points in eight games including a four-point outing (3G + A) in the Showcase opened as Espanola stopped the Elliot Lake Vikings 5-3 on Tuesday.
“I just want to work hard, get some wins for the boys and have fun,” said Wicklander. “If you’re having fun, you’re winning.”
Wicklander combined with linemates Carter Drigo (who played with Wicklander in Espanola two years ago) and long-time Sudbury AAA teammate Denver Mulligan for eight points versus the Vikes, a highly encouraging production considering that Mulligan was a defenceman for almost his entire hockey career.
“I’ll help out with some little pointers here and there but honestly, he doesn’t need much,” said Wicklander. “He’s a really smart kid.”
While no one would suggest that the departure of the Cubs is good for the league in the grand scheme of things, there is no denying that the battle that now exists to supplant the three-time defending NOJHL champs is a fascinating one indeed.
“Looking at my first year compared to this year, there is definitely more hope in the room now,” said Wicklander. “I feel like the league is up for grabs. The teams are very even – so it’s (often) whoever is willing to work harder.”
Hard work is at the very root of the game that Jackson Mead plays.
A 16 year-old power forward who was drafted in the 13th round of the 2026 OHL draft by the Barrie Colts, Mead has more than hit the ground running with the Soo Thunderbirds this fall. With 12 points in his first 11 appearances in the NOJHL, Mead has not only cracked the top ten in scoring but was named as Rookie of the Month in September.
“I’m happy with the jump I’ve been able to make to play at a more physical and faster level, to be able to make plays and not just blend in,” said Mead after recording an assist in the T-Birds win over Powassan, giving the 6’3” 200-pounder points in nine of the 11 games he has played to date.
That said, Mead is also keenly aware that moving from the U16 AAA Wolves last year to a team that is hoping to contend for an appearance at the Centennial Cup is going to involve wrapping his mind around a somewhat different style of hockey.
“This year, we definitely have a lot more structure than what I am used to,” he said. “Our coaches have like 11 different breakouts – so we have to be doing a little homework now and then to stay on top of it.”
Truth be told, Mead plays a highly transferrable game, one that he can hopefully carry with him right up to the OHL and beyond. “I see myself as a power forward, but still able to make plays. I need to always be hard on the forecheck, use my big body and always look for the open guy.”
As dozens of local junior hockey prospects this year are realizing quite quickly, it’s good to have a game at this level that can travel.
