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.
Well, from knowing several players on the Blind River Beavers team:
Coach Capy is an idiot and he should be fired…no one liked this guy!
He made some good trades through out the season but then phucked it up in the playoffs by not playing the right guys.
Get rid of Capy and the Beavers will get more returning players and better players to come!
article posted on http://www.saultthisweek.com:
“Bird house under summer construction”
article just posted on http://www.saultthisweek.com:
“T-Birds trade tender”
It’s my understanding that a Temang player committed to Lebanon Valley College, which is not considered NCAA hockey, good for the kid on going to school, but not much for hockey.
Off season seems slow in the east this year, abitibi NB and temang all quite Suds got a new coach, and Aubertin re signed, any news your way RR?
NBH,
just what I’ve posted here and at http://www.saultthisweek.com – most of the news is about trades made by the Soo Thunderbirds.
Regards,
RR
new Blog just posted here on OspreyBlogs.com:
“Trader Cain strikes again”
RR
When the name ‘Bryan Verreault’ comes up in hockey you think of a guy who attempted to coach an OHL team with no credentials and failed. I give him 2 months with the juniors. Unless of course he utilizes his ol’ boys club properly.
Bryan who Le?