A record of 1-8-1 over their last 10 games has flushed the Temiscaming Royals well below the .500 mark but let’s not forget that this is a first-year Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise.

Besides, the Quebec-based Royals have encountered player-personnel problems over the past 10 games that have contributed to the tumble of a team that had been flirting with a .500 record through most of the first half of this ‘08-09 season.

As coach/general manager Steve McCharles searches for reinforcements for the Royal guard, the franchise wears an early tag of success off the ice.

The Royals are averaging 495 fans per game, which puts them third in the eight-team NOJHL, trailing only the North Bay Skyhawks and Abitibi Eskimos and about 60 admissions more per outing than the Soo Eagles, who are the league’s other first-year franchise. The Michigan-based Eagles rank no. 4 on the NOJHL attendance chart.

Multi-task volunteers that include Allan Horncastle, Denis Lacourse and Chris Dawson and a solid corporate sponsorship section have helped provide stability for the Temiscaming franchise, which has already formed fierce on-ice rivalries with its East Division foes in North Bay, Abitibi and Sudbury.

The Royals are also affiliated with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League, a partnership that recently yielded the NOJHL squad a highly-regarded 1991 birth year goalie in Jessy Lecours.

Lecours has a rather-misleading record of 1-7-1, having had to make 340 saves in just 537 minutes of work. His .899 save pct. is the same as third-year goalie Ryan Dube of the West Division-leading Soo Thunderbirds and is better than second-year stopper Joey Delwo of the defending NOJHL champion Sudbury Jr. Wolves.

But what the Royals could use to overcome the personnel problems that they are currently undergoing because of injury, suspension and defection is — if possible — an affiliation of sorts with a AAA midget club in Ontario.

For example, how about the North Bay Trappers of the Great North Midget Hockey League? For whatever reasons, the AAA Trappers and the NOJHL Skyhawks are not affiliated.

And let’s face it, if there is no room for a particular North Bay area player on the Skyhawks, would it not be better for him (and the NOJHL and Hockey Canada) to at least have the opportunity to play in nearby Temiscaming rather than suit up with a team in the non-sanctioned Greater Metro Jr. Hockey League?

Food for thought.

BIRDS GET A NEW WING

1990 birth year left wing/centre Luke O’Brien has just joined the Soo Thunderbirds from the Chatham Maroons of the Western Ontario Jr. Hockey League. The powerfully-built O’Brien, who led the AAA midget Soo North Stars in scoring last season, adds more power to a Thunderbird lineup that already features 29-goal scorer Nick Minardi and 22-goal gunner Zack LaRue.

SHOWCASE

As many as five Division 1 U.S. College schools have confirmed they will have representatives in attendance at this week’s NOJHL New Directions Showcase Tournament. Mercyhurst is the latest D1 school to confirm that it will have a scout/recruiter/coach in the Michigan Soo for the tournament. Others are Lake Superior State, Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan.

by Randy Russon, Osprey Media/Sun Media.

I used to hate people like me who write columns like the one you’re about to read.

Every once in a while, something happens in the hockey world which prompts sports commentators to call for an end to fighting in hockey.

For most of my life, I have counted myself among the staunchly pro-fighting in hockey crowd. I was among those who believed that fighting is exciting and an important part of the game.

Whenever a commentator came along and called for a ban on fighting, I usually accused that writer of not understanding the game and not being a true hockey fan.

Don Cherry calls them tree-huggers and usually makes some reference to sitting around a campfire and singing kumbaya.

But after the recent death of Don Sanderson, a senior hockey player who hit his head on the ice during a fight, I’ve decided to flip-flop on the issue.

The value of fighting to hockey has never been lower. Fighting in the NHL is way down from the days of the Broad Street Bullies. Teams very often don’t even dress an enforcer because fighting is less of a factor in games now than it has ever been.

It has become almost irrelevant.

The world junior hockey championships is a good example of incredibly entertaining hockey with virtually no fighting. There are also very few fights in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It’s true that a fight brings a crowd to its feet and that it can cause a momentum shift in a game. And I can’t deny that I enjoy a good hockey fight but most fights aren’t even that entertaining.

The days of hotly anticipated bouts between Tie Domi and Bob Probert are long gone.

While most hockey fans probably remember a few dandies they’ve seen over the years, the vast majority of hockey fights involve two players holding each others shoulders while trying unsuccessfully to land a few blows for 30-45 seconds before the linesmen intervene.

But after the death of Don Sanderson, it can’t be denied that fighting can be dangerous and it’s surprising that something like this hasn’t happen before. Players lose their helmets in fights all the time and fights usually end when one or both combatants fall to the ice.

And let’s view fighting in hockey for what it is: bare-knuckle boxing on ice. Even in the most brutal forms of fight sport like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, professional boxing and Muay Thai, fighters use padded gloves and matches take place on a slighty padded ring canvas, not a surface as hard as ice.

So I’ve taken a mathematical view on the issue: given the value of fighting in hockey against the risk of serious injury, it’s simply not worth keeping it in the game. Hockey is a violent game and violence is one of the things that make the game great.

It’s true that far more injuries occur because of clean, legal bodychecks than fights but the physical aspect is vital to the identity of the game.

Hockey has evolved over the years in many ways. Fighting adds almost nothing to a hockey game anymore and it’s time to get rid of it for good.

Whether Brad Clark wanted to be closer to home or simply was more comfortable at home, the fact is the Temiscaming Royals captain and leading scorer left the team for the Deseronto Storm of the Greater Metro Hockey League.

Clark, who led the NOJHL’s Royals in scoring with 29 points in 30 games, left the NOJHL team to deal with a family situation before Christmas. This past weekend, he suited up for Deseronto and scored four goals in his season debut.

Because Clark has dressed for Deseronto, and because Hockey Canada has imposed sanctions against players who play in the GMHL, the Royals have lost their captain and leading scorer and won’t be able to get anything in return.

This comes at a time when the Royals have lost eight straight and played their last few games with a dozen skaters due to injuries, suspensions and a couple others who are missing in action.

As the Royals seek warm bodies to fill out their roster, the nearby Nipissing Alouettes, also of the GMHL, recently added two former high school players — top defenceman Jean Benoit and forward Joe Turner— as well as former North Bay Trappers defenceman Pat Seguin

And coaches of local high school teams should beware — the Royals may just be looking for contact information for some current high school players.

The NOJHL roster deadline is Jan. 10, this Saturday. The North Bay Skyhawks aren’t faring much better, having iced a lineup with 15 or 16 skaters for much of the past three weeks. One player, Andrew Glasser, left the team in December. But the Skyhawks still have their captain, all their leading scorers and nobody has jumped ship for the outlaw league.

Maybe Hockey Canada will rethink those sanctions. There are certainly players on the Alouettes who can help either the Royals or Skyhawks the rest of this season.

For a guy on his way to getting his 28th win of the season tonight, Windsor goalie Andrew Engelage gets no respect.

All the 20-year-old Oshawa native has done is backstop the top team in the Ontario Hockey League to a soon to be 28-4-0-1 record.

Yet Windsor general manager Warren Rychel continues to shop for another goalie.

Now if he were looking for some more experience as a backup to the overage Engelage, that’d be one thing.

Kitchener found out the need for a 1 and 1A in goal last season when Steve Mason was lost with a knee injury in the playoffs.

Josh Unice took over to guide the Rangers to the OHL title and a spot in the Memorial Cup semifinals.

But that’s not the case for Windsor and Engelage.

They seem to be looking for someone who offers a little more than Engelage.

I find it hard to believe that there’s anything better out there this season.

End of 2

Windsor 3 Owen Sound 0

Goals: W – Adam Henrique 2, Richard Greenop.

Goaltenders: Tyler Beskorowany OS (24/27); Andrew Engelage W (16/16).

Paul Bezzo likely has the Owen Sound Attack’s most improved player award locked up.

Could the 18-year-old Simcoe native be in consideration for Western Conference honours in the Ontario Hockey League coaches’ poll.

The sophomore defenceman has seven assists in 36 games entering tonight’s contest with Windsor.

That’s up from the goal and four assists that he posted in 53 games last season.

And he’s got a team high +11 plus/minus average.

While it’s generally thought that Bezzo is being spotted in games to avoid putting him in a position where he’ll be overmatched, I find it hard to believe that he was babied when he came out of Owen Sound’s 7-2 loss to Kitchener at an even 0.

The kid’s got speed to burn and he’s shown a simplistic but effective game that avoids mistakes.

He’s had a solid year so far this season and he deserves recognition for it.

End of 1

Windsor 1 Owen Sound 0

Goals: W – Adam Henrique.

Goaltenders: Tyler Beskorowany OS (7/8); Andrew Engelage W (9/9).

A few questions as we take a quick glance ahead at the ‘09 portion of this Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season:

* Will finishing first have its rewards? Most likely. All eight NOJHL teams will make the playoffs and there is no such thing as a first-round bye with two divisions of four. But if the standings remain the same, I’m sure that come the first round of the playoffs, the East Division leading North Bay Skyhawks would rather face the Temiscaming Royals than either the Abitibi Eskimos or Sudbury Jr. Wolves and in the West Division, the Soo Thunderbirds would prefer a series with the Manitoulin Islanders than one with either the Blind River Beavers or Soo Eagles.

* Will Abitibi or Sudbury catch North Bay for first in the East? Only if the North Bay goaltending falls apart. Insiders say that if there is a Skyhawk deficiency, it’s between the pipes. Which is why North Bay general manager Guy Blanchard tried so hard to get Billy Stone from the Ontario Provincial Jr. Hockey League only to see The Kid wind up in Blind River.

* Will the Beavers or the Eagles catch the Thunderbirds for first in the West? No. Simply put, the Thunderbirds can score and keep the puck out of the net, the Beavers have good goaltendng but have trouble scoring and the Eagles can score but have so-so goaltending.

* Will the Eagles establish a no. 1 goalie? If the Michiganders are going to be a playoff factor, one or both of Cutter Hurst and Sean LaDouce are going to have to improve on save perecentages that are well under .900 and goals against averages that are well above 4.00. Both have potential and it should be noted that both are 1990 birth years. And while both have stolen wins for the Eagles (Hurst over the Thunderbirds and LaDouce over the Beavers) both have had the tendency to allow too many goals on the soft side.

* With 18 games to play in the regular season, will Nick Minardi of the Thunderbirds hit the 50-goal mark? With 29 thus far, he’ll need to average slightly better than a goal-a-game to hit 50.

* Is there a team that skates as well and plays the trap better than Abitibi in the East and the Thunderbirds in the West? Not that I’ve seen.

by Randy Russon, Osprey Media/Sun Media

I’m going to ditch the Charles Manson/Hippie look in 2009, but I’m saving that big transformation for June when I turn 44. This seemed like my last chance to grow my hair long and the experiment is almost complete.

The kid is doing a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and cutting his long locks Jan. 16, with the 10-inch tail donated to the Angel Hair group which makes wigs for young cancer and burn patients.

I’m not sure if I’ll make a fundraiser out of cleaning up my act or not. There’s a lot of good causes out there, but there’s something about being a reporter and asking for donations that doesn’t mix well. If you know of a way I can bring awareness to something and have fun without cash changing hands, let me know.

Other than that, my only other resolution for 2009 — so far — is to lose 20 pounds of belly to give my wonky hips a break. Maybe I’ll get one of those surgical operations to help me out. They can attach a big balloon on my belly so I can’t reach the buffet tables or maybe one of those cone collars they put on dogs so I can’t drink so much beer.

I’m working on my Saturday column and dreaming up resolutions for my friends in politics. Got any ideas?

-30-

Save percentages don’t always tell the true story.

If a team, for instance, gives up far too many scoring chances a goalie’s save percentage could be in the .880 and he’s be having a good night.

Saturday, they’re not lying.

Simply put Tyler Beskorowany has looked bad in the Attack goal on at least two of the four goals he’s allowed.

So his .600 save percentage is well earned. 

He’s developed a bad habit of allowing a bad goal a game. And simply put a case of Felix Potvin-itis isn’t going to impress Dallas.

End of 2

Kitchener 5 Owen Sound 1

Goals: K – Jason Akeson 3, Mike Mascioli, Julian Cimadamore. OS – Marcus Carroll.

Goaltenders: Beskorowany OS, (6/10), Stajcer OS (0/1); Van Buskirk K (20/21).

The Christmas turkey has come two days late in Owen Sound.

Apparently bloated on goodies and still counting their Boxing Day savings in their heads, the Owen Sound Attack slept walked through the opening 20 minutes against the Kitchener Rangers Saturday.

Down 3-0 after the opening frame, things aren’t looking good for an Attack comeback.

And for those who haven’t blocked this from their memory, this is when things came off the rails last season for Owen Sound.

The Attack went 0-for-17 in the final two months of the year but things really started to go south after the Christmas break.

Could this be deja vu all over again.

End of 1

Kitchener 3 Owen Sound 0

Goals: K – Jason Akeson, Mike Mascioli.

Goaltenders: Beskorowany OS, (2/4), Stajcer OS (0/1); Van Buskirk K (8/8).

We’re past the two-thirds mark of the ‘08-09 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season and all eight teams are on break.

Parity is prevalent in the NOJHL with seven of the teams ranging in status from competitive to contender.

Only the Manitoulin Islanders are in the sub-par category and even the West Division cellar dwellers have been showing some recent signs of resurgence.

At this time of year I’d like to acknowledge the many contributors and/or readers of this Blog. By nature, some posters can get a bit testy at times but as long as lines aren’t crossed, I try to keep the deletions and editing to a minimum.

As a veteran sportswriter and sportscaster of 33+ years and as someone who has been covering the Ontario Hockey League since 1975, you might have noticed that I have more of a special fondness for the NOJHL.

I was born and raised in Northern Ontario and have never really felt the urge to move to the big cities of Toronto, London or Windsor even though there have been opportunities.

Hey, why leave the fresh air of the North and the cold rinks of the Blind River Memorial Community Centre, John Rhodes Community Centre, Jus Jordan Arena, Pullar Stadium et al? (I don’t know, maybe my brain is frozen from 55+ years of living and working in Blind River and Sault Ste. Marie!)

At any rate, while covering the OHL is fun, it can also be ho hum. Covering the NOJHL, however, is what charges me most.

To all those who I encounter throughout my NOJHL travels and to all who help make my job worthwhile — they are too numerous to mention — the best of the season from me to you.

Did I say “job”? My wife will laugh at that one. This really isn’t work at all. But I make no apologies for liking what I do for a paycheque.

Merry Christmas!

Randy Russon, Osprey Media/Sun Media