Getting ready for the 2010-11 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season:

* The first puck will drop on Wed. Sept. 8 and appropos, the two Soo teams will face off against one another with the Thunderbirds playing host to the Eagles. Both teams have undergone considerable off-season change with new chief executive officers, general managers and head coaches in place. The Thunderbirds-Eagles rivalry has been termed the Border Battle but in reality, there is a mutual respect and kinship between the two teams. In fact, the two teams made a pair of trades with each other over the summer.

* Several NOJHL teams have subscribed to Fasthockey.com which only means more exposure for players and teams with live play-by-play that includes video. The Abitibi Eskimos were the pioneers in subscribing to Fasthockey.com last season and other teams have followed suit.

* I am happy to announce that what I hope will be an improved version of The Mojo’s Pizza Hockey North Show on www.sportszeus.com will return for another season and debut on Sept. 1. Shows will be recorded on a weekly basis and immediately archived for repeat listening throughout the season. Brad Coccimiglio will join me as co-host of The Mojo’s Pizza Hockey North Show this season. Brad is a graduate of both Algoma University and Loyalist College and is a young, hardworking, Sault Ste. Marie-based journalist. Brad will team up with NOJHL historian David Harrison to provide weekly stats and milestones for The Mojo’s Pizza Hockey North Show and generally keep listeners up-to-date as to what’s going on within the league. Weekly guests will be a feature of The Mojo’s Pizza Hockey North Show as will my, ahem, opinionated views that usually manage to initiate (and incite) conversation, even from a certain NOJHL general manager who wears that title in name only and who has never had an original thought or idea in his hockey life.

Let’s begin by counting the days.

The 2010-11 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season gets underway on Wed. Sept. 8 with a pair of games. The Soo Thunderbirds play host to the Soo Eagles in Part 1 of the Border Battle and the Sudbury Kal Tire Jr. Wolves are home to the defending champion Abitibi Eskimos.

Eight teams will again comprise the tidy, two-division NOJHL. Here are a few points of perusal on all eight teams as we write on August 1.

ABITIBI: First order of business for Eskimos coach/general manager Paul Gagne will be to find a goalie to replace graduated starter Eddie Davey. Last season’s backup, Chandler Long, is not an option, having fled to a Jr. A team in New York.

NORTH BAY: New president Chris Dawson brings a positive, upbeat personality and image to the Trappers, a refreshing change from the drama and dark side of past administration.

SUDBURY: Well seasoned from a lengthy stint as an associate coach in the Ontario Hockey League, Bryan Verreault takes over as head master of the Kal Tire Jr. Wolves. The Jr. Wolves have a reputation for icing talent-laden teams so Verreault figures to have a lot to work with in trying to get the NOJHL championship banner back to Sudbury.

TEMISCAMING: This could well be a make-or-break season for the third-year Royals franchise. In their first NOJHL season back in ‘08-09, the Royals averaged 480 fans per game. But that number dipped to a per-game average of 235 in ‘09-10. Something isn’t adding up.

SOO THUNDERBIRDS: New general manager Kevin Cain has made a whopping 11 trades since taking over as the Soo’s hockey boss at the end of the ‘09-10 campaign. The biggest loss was 20-year old defenceman Bronson Kovacs to the Huntsville Otters of the Ontario Jr. Hockey League but Cain did well in adding a pair of veteran blueliners: 18-year old Corey Jackson from Blind River and 19-year old Joe (Cannonball) Spitzer from the Michigan Soo.

BLIND RIVER: Gone from the ‘09-10 edition of a Beavers team that won a franchise-best 29 games are no. 1 goalie Sam Foley and top defenceman Josh McCully, both of whom have moved on to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 3 ranks. The Beavers can return up to 16 players for the ‘10-11 but several have tryouts in either the OHL, the United States Hockey League or the North American Hockey League. On the plus side, Beavers coach/director of hockey operations Jim Capy has a reputation for being able to build a team quickly.

SOO EAGLES: Coach/general manager Bruno Bragagnolo is part of a new ownership group. Bragagnolo is known as a hockey guy through and through from his days with the very-successful Chicago Young Americans AAA program. Watch as Bragagnolo builds a very-competitive team in the Michigan Soo.

MANITOULIN: This just about sums up the fortunes of the Islanders: In putting several of his players up for trade recently, coach/director of hockey operations Reggie Leach noted that the available veterans “would like to play for a winning organization.”

A few midsummer moments with the start of the 2010-11 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season a mere seven weeks away:

…I am going to try to stay neutral with regards to the two players who have asked the Blind River Beavers to trade them to the Soo Thunderbirds. Defenceman Kelly Barrett and forward Cody Zorzi are two Sault Ste. Marie residents who both played for Blind River as rookies during the ‘09-10 season. Both commuted back and forth from the Soo to Blind River — a 180-mile round trip — for practices and home games. But both want to be traded from the Beavers to the Thunderbirds because they want to be able to fully concentrate on post-secondary studies in the fall without the extra burden of having to travel back and forth to Blind River. Now from what I’ve been told, Beavers general manager Jim Yardanoff and Thunderbirds GM Kevin Cain have discussed a cash exchange involving the two players. I have heard and read all sorts of comments that Blind River is literally “holding the players hostage” by asking for a huge chunk of cash in return. I do not know that to be true. What I do know is that earlier this season, the Beavers granted the request of 1992 birth year defenceman Corey Jackson to be traded to his hometown Thunderbirds (for school reasons) and received $3,000 from the Soo in exchange. In looking at this case, Barrett is a 1991 birth year who took a fairly-regular turn on the Beaver blueline last season and Zorzi is a 1990 who was a fourth liner and regular healthy scratch with Blind River last season. So just what is a fair asking price for the duo? That’s not for me to decide. It’s for the two teams to work out.

…With a fresh new ownership and a positive outlook, the North Bay Trappers have been busy signing players as they ready for the ‘10-11 campaign. New president Chris Dawson tells me that the Trappers have added some good-looking newcomers and are taking a long look at several up-and-coming local products. Two out-of-towners who coach Ian Swalucynski is high on are power forwards Jonathon Dionne from the reputable Hearst Elans midget program and Travis Fernley from the Calgary Rangers midgets.

…Soo Eagles will host a tryout camp in Florida later this month as new coach/general manager Bruno Bragagnolo literally searches the U.S.A for quality players. Interestingly, one veteran player who Bragagnolo won’t have back for the ‘10-11 season is Sarasota, Fla. resident Ryan McAleese. McAlesse, a 1990 birth year winger who tallied 29 goals for the Eagles last season, is staying close to home and will attend school and play hockey for Florida Gulf Coast University beginning this fall.

Most coaches and general managers within the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have been enjoying a bit of “down time” during the off-season.

Kevin Cain, on the other hand, has been making up for lost time.

Cain, who officially took over as general manager of the Soo Thunderbirds at the end of the 2009-10 NOJHL season, has been one busy fellow.

Wheeler-dealer Cain has made no less than eight trades since taking over as Thunderbirds GM, the latest being a multi-player deal with the Michigan Soo Eagles.

In a move just confirmed by both Cain and Eagles coach/general manager Bruno Bragagnolo, the Thunderbirds have acquired forward Kevin Michelcavage and defenceman Joe (Cannonball) Spitzer from their cross-border rivals for forward Travis Payne and future considerations.

As part of the deal, the Thunderbirds also retain the rights to forward Justin Scott. Scott was picked up by the Thunderbirds after being released by the Eagles midway through the ‘09-10 season. The Eagles had the option to re-acquire Scott but he’ll remain property of the Thunderbirds, at least for now.

Cain had been pursuing Michelavage and Spitzer as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild a Thunderbirds team that has lost several veteran players to graduation and relocation.

Playoffs included, Michelcavge had 25 goals in 55 games with the Eagles last season. He’s expected to be a top line forward with the Thunderbirds come the 2010-11 season.

Spitzer, who has a howitzer for a shot, tallied 15 goals in 52 games for the Eagles from his blueline position in ‘09-10.

A Chicago native, Spitzer has spent most of the off-season training in Soo, Ontario. I talked with him by phone shortly after his trade to the Thunderbirds was confirmed.

“I have been working on my skating and conditioning level,” said Spitzer, who added that he wants to become a better defensive defenceman in ‘10-11.

While ecstatic to obtain Michelcavage and Spitzer, Cain didn’t want to part with Payne, who he had signed at the Thunderbirds Spring Tryout Camp in May.

“But if you want quality you have to give up quality in return,” Cain said of Payne, who had 32 goals in 52 games with the Hudson Crusaders of the Minnesota Jr. Hockey League in ‘09-10.

Michelcavage, Spitzer and Payne are all 1991 birth year players.

Payne will play with his younger brother Robbie Payne with the Eagles. The younger Payne is a 1993 birth year forward who starred with the Ojibwe Eagles of the AAA midget Northern Lakes Hockey League last season.

It’s June 21. Summer is officially here.

Which means the start of the 2010-11 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League regular season is about 10 weeks away.

Plenty of time to enjoy the warmth of the sun but plenty of time to think about what might lie ahead for the NOJHL.

There’s new ownership/leadership with the North Bay Trappers, Soo Thunderbirds and the Soo Eagles and the Sudbury Jr. Wolves now have a career coach on board.

Issues? No league is without them.

The Manitoulin Islanders remain on shaky ground and as reported by Jordan Ercit in the North Bay Nugget, the Temiscaming Royals remain unhappy with the territorial restrictions they face as a Quebec team playing in Ontario.

Defections? No league is without them.

To some, the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence even when it usually isn’t.

But the NOJHL, I’m certain, will endure, even if it doesn’t expand.

As mentioned, there are new owners who are eager and who stepped forward for the love of the game and the allure of what is a pretty-good league.

Chris Dawson and Dean Pauli in North Bay. Albert Giommi in Soo, Ontario. Bruno Bragagnolo in Soo, Michigan.

Then there are those who have a good history with the league who are back.

Former Soo Indians championship coach Kevin Cain is now general manager of the Soo Thunderbirds, former North Bay player Nathan Hewitt is now an assistant coach with the Trappers and former Ontario Hockey League coach Bryan Verreault has returned to his NOJHL roots as bench boss of the Jr. Wolves in Sudbury.

Want to know something about Cain?

Not only did he coach the erstwhile Indians to the ‘06-07 NOJHL championship but he spent two seasons prior with the Blind River Beavers and this is his second go-round with the Thunderbirds (he was their assistant GM seven years ago) — and he’s never collected a cent in wages.

And Cain is just one of the many good guys who the NOJHL boasts, from commissioner Hector Seguin on down.

Sure, the NOJHL does have an unsavory character or two. No league is without them.

Here, we have a “gentleman” supposedly representing one NOJHL team who shows up at the spring tryout camp of another team and tries to recruit their recruits — while intoxicated nonetheless.

Oh well, no league is perfect. We all have our skunks.

Which is a sobering thought.

But, to be sure, the bright side of the NOJHL overshadows the dark side.

A group headed by longtime Chicago Young Americans (CYA) coach Bruno Bragagnolo has purchased the Soo Eagles from Paul Theriault.

The 54-year old Bragagnolo confirmed the sale this morning and said he will be moving to the Soo to take over as coach and general manager of the Eagles, a third-year Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise.

Bragagnolo flew into the Michigan Soo from Chicago on a private jet and met with NOJHL governors on Saturday. The NOJHL held its annual general meeting in the Michigan Soo on the weekend.

“I’m anxious to get started and help the Eagles move forward,” said Bragagnolo, who has coached in the highly-regarded CYA organization for the past 10 years.

“I know the Soo area very well from my coaching and playing days and the fact that the Eagles play in the Pullar Stadium is a huge bonus. The Pullar is a shrine, a museum,” added Bragagnolo.

Bragagnolo said he was recently approached by Theriault who advised him that the Eagles were for sale.

“I’ve known Paul a long time and I have a lot of respect for him,” said Bragagnolo. “He told me why he was selling the team and that he wanted to make sure the Eagles would be properly taken care of.”

Theriault, who has a medical condition related to him having suffered a severe head injury while he was a player at Lake Superior State University more than 40 years ago, served as the Eagles coach, general manager and owner last season after the team was gifted to him by founder Greg Eagle.

Bragagnolo said he has asked the entire Eagles staff to remain involved with the team including Theriault and his trusted assistant coach Dennis Bolton.

“Paul is a coaching legend whose record speaks for itself,” Bragagnolo said of Theriault, who has coached with distinction at the  junior and  professional  levels for 35 years.

Bragagnolo said Theriault will serve as an advisor to the Eagles hockey department.

Not only is Bragagnolo no stranger to Theriault, his hockey background goes back to his days as a goalie with the Elliot Lake Vikings of the erstwhile International Jr. B. Hockey League.

Interestingly, while Bragagnolo was tending goalie for Elliot Lake some 35 years ago, Theriault was getting his coaching start in the same league with the Jr. B Soo Indians.

Bragagnolo, now a career coach himself, helped develop 16-year old forward phenom Alex Galchenyuk while with the CYA under-18 team this past season.

Galchenyuk was the first overall pick at this year’s Ontario Hockey League Draft, going to the Sarnia Sting.

Inside the Rumour Mill:

…The Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will holds its Annual General Meeting in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. this weekend. And a source tells me that the Soo Eagles may be in position to introduce a new owner at the AGM. At least two factions have made offers to purchase the Eagles from current owner/coach Paul Theriault, according to the source.

…The head-coaching gig of Sean Gagnon with the Soo Thunderbirds may be over before it even started. Gagnon is apparently close to securing full-time employment that would conflict with coaching the Thunderbirds. Gagnon was promoted from assistant coach to head coach by the Thunderbirds last month after Pat Carricato stepped down to pursue other hockey opportunities.

…High-scoring centre Andre Leclair could be on the move. The pint-sized pivot, who led the Temiscaming Royals in scoring with 59 points during the ‘09-10 season, has asked to be traded. If the wishes of Leclair — who is from Coniston, just outside Sudbury — are not met, a source close to him says the 1990 birth year forward will defect to the outlaw Greater Metro Jr. Hockey League.

…And a source in the Ontario Jr. Hockey League tells me that the free-spending Kingston Voyageurs are chasing slick defenceman Sacha Guimond of the North Bay Trappers. Kingston has reportedly offered North Bay $5,000 for Guimond and is prepared to give the 1991 birth year defenceman a $3,000 bonus if he’ll agree to the trade. Guimond was fourth on North Bay in scoring this past season with 44 points.

Here ‘n there in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League:

…Score one for the North Bay Trappers. Contrary to rumours that had him looking to play elsewhere, high-scoring, 1992 birth-year centre Jonathan Aubertin has declared his intention to return to the Trappers for the 2010-11 season. Aubertin had 54 points, including 23 goals, as a rookie last season. The Hearst native was taken by the Sudbury Wolves at the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Draft.

…The Trappers have tidied up their business department. New Trappers president Chris Dawson has hired longtime North Bay financial advisor Brent Ogletree as the team’s new sales manager.

…Signing two new goalies figures to be an off-season priority for the Abitibi Eskimos as neither Eddie Davey or Chandler Long will be back in ‘10-11. Davey has graduated while Long has signed with the New York Apple Core of the Eastern Jr. Hockey League.

…Soo Thunderbirds signed four rookie forwards immediately following their Spring Tryout Camp on the weekend: Joel McCauley, Brian Nanne and Jake Wright from the Great North Midget Hockey League champion Soo North Stars and Travis Payne from the Hudson Crusaders of the Minnesota Jr. Hockey League. The Thunderbirds are expected to sign four more rookies as early as today, including two goalies. (see several related stories by going to www.saultthisweek.com)

…Does Blind River Beavers coach/director of hockey operations Jim Capy have another ace or two up his sleeve? Blind River is scheduled to hold a Spring Tryout Camp in Sault Ste. Marie this weekend and several players from the AAA midget Soo North Stars are expected to be on hand. Capy snared several Soo area products right from under the noses of the arch-rival Thunderbirds last summer, including centre Brett Findlay, who went on to lead the Beavers in scoring as a rookie. Among the North Star midgets who will attend the Blind River camp this weekend is 1994 birth year defender Drew Luciani. Luciani, a 5-foot-10, 210 lb. tank, made a very favourable showing at the Thunderbirds Spring Tryout Camp on the weekend and has been invited back to the Soo’s main camp in August. But beating the Thunderbirds to the punch and signing a 16-year old North Star would be nothing new for Capy. A year ago, Capy signed a pair of 1993 birth year skaters from the North Stars: defenceman Kyle Paat and winger Anthony Butorac. Both Paat and Butorac will attend the OHL training camp of the Sarnia Sting this summer.

Here ‘n there in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League:

…Soo Thunderbirds have been one of the busier teams since the ‘09-10 season came to a close with the Dudley Hewitt Cup provincial playdowns. New general manager Kevin Cain made his first big hire last week when he promoted former assistant coach Sean Gagnon to head coach. And behind the scenes, new president Albert Giommi has managed to get National Hockey League defenceman Trevor Daley on board as a major Thunderbird sponsor. The Dallas Stars blueliner has pledged to purchase new equipment for the Thunderbirds, including gloves, helmets and pants. Daley owns a summer home just outside the Soo, where he is a neighbour of Giommi.

…Cain, meanwhile, has been talking trade with teams in the Ontario Hockey Association who are interested in 1990 birth year defenceman Bronson Kovacs. Cain said Kovacs has advised him that he’d like to play his final season of junior down south.

…And Cain is working on a trade that would send hard-nosed Thunderbird defenceman Dylan Connolly to a Jr. B team in the London area. Connolly has plans to attend school in Southwestern Ontario in the fall, according to Cain.

…Several players from the Thunderbirds and Blind River Beavers received invitations to attend last weekend’s Prospect Orientation Camp of the Ontario Hockey League Soo Greyhounds. Very impressive was Thunderbirds 1992 birth year defenceman Colin Miller, who earned extensive praise from both Greyhound GM Dave Torrie and head coach Denny Lambert.

…Blind River sensation Brett Findlay, a 1992 birth year centre who led the Beavers in scoring as a rookie in ‘09-10, is getting some attention from Division 1 U.S. college recruiters following a stellar performance at a Prospects Camp in Toronto a few weekends ago. Among the schools who have shown an early interest in Findlay are Ferris State, Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State.

…Goalie Jim Murray from the Temiscaming Royals has landed a Division 3 deal with New England College. And the American-born Murray credits Chris Dawson of Dawstar Video Scouting Services for playing a major role in getting him his D3 deal.

…With owner/coach Paul Theriault having health issues related to a head injury he suffered about 40 years ago while playing hockey at Lake Superior State, the Michigan Soo Eagles are advertising for both a coach and general manager.

…The Eagles and the Michigan Soo will play host to the NOJHL’s Annual General Meeting the first weekend of June.