Release Date: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012
NOJHL contact: Robert Mazzuca, Commissioner
705-670-8627 (Phone) – rjm@persona.ca (Email) – http://www.nojhl.com/ (Website)
NOJHL well represented among top point producers in CJHL
SUDBURY, Ont. – One thing a solid portion of the elite players in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League have in common is their ability to register points.
While the NOJHL’s top six scorers have amassed impressive numbers league-wise all season long, their respective knack for making sure the puck goes in the net, also has them among the elite point producers in the entire Canadian Jr. Hockey League.
Of the 133 teams and roughly 2,800 skaters on clubs that comprise the CJHL, the NOJHL features six who are currently sitting among the top 15 scorers. That is the most of any of the 10 leagues that make-up the CJHL.
Leading the way is Sudbury sniper Jordan Carroll, who ranks second nationally in offensive production with 112 points. His 59 goals scored are also the most of any player in the CJHL.
Right behind him in third is Carroll’s Cubs’ teammate Jamie Haines with 102 while Abitibi’s Marc-Alain Begin is fourth on 99 points.
Rounding out the NOJHLers on the CJHL scoring list are Micky Sartoretto (83pts) of the Soo Thunderbirds in 11th, Sudbury’s Nick Esposto (81pts) in 12th and the Eskimos’ Richard Therrien (79pts) who is knotted for 14th.
The following is the list of the CJHL’s top 15 point producers:
|
RANK – PLAYER – YEAR |
TEAM |
LEAGUE |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
|
1 Yannick Geoffrey – 1991 |
Longueuil |
QJRAAA |
41 |
55 |
66 |
121 |
|
2 Jordan Carroll – 1991 |
Sudbury |
NOJHL |
40 |
59 |
53 |
112 |
|
3 Jamie Haines – 1991 |
Sudbury |
NOJHL |
38 |
39 |
63 |
102 |
|
4 Marc-Alain Begin – 1991 |
Abitibi |
NOJHL |
30 |
27 |
72 |
99 |
|
5 Craig Cowie – 1991 |
Nepean |
CCHL |
48 |
35 |
62 |
97 |
|
6 Maxime Charette – 1991 |
Longueuil |
QJRAAA |
40 |
37 |
59 |
96 |
|
7 Julien Corriveau – 1991 |
Valleyfield |
QJRAAA |
43 |
46 |
46 |
92 |
|
8 Christian Finch – 1991 |
Stouffville |
OJHL |
43 |
34 |
58 |
92 |
|
9 Vincent Blanchette – 1993 |
Longueuil |
QJRAAA |
40 |
29 |
56 |
85 |
|
10 Matt Wilkins – 1991 |
Brooks |
AJHL |
52 |
28 |
56 |
84 |
|
11 Micky Sartoretto – 1991 |
Soo T-Birds |
NOJHL |
40 |
37 |
46 |
83 |
|
12 Nick Esposto – 1991 |
Sudbury |
NOJHL |
31 |
30 |
51 |
81 |
|
13 Shayne Morrissey – 1992 |
Carleton Place |
CCHL |
49 |
31 |
49 |
80 |
|
T-14 Jesse Sinatynski –1992 |
Dauphin |
MJHL |
50 |
53 |
26 |
79 |
|
T-14 Matt Robertson – 1992 |
SmithsFalls |
NOJHL |
49 |
37 |
42 |
79 |
|
T-14 Richard Therrien-1992 |
Abitibi |
NOJHL |
41 |
36 |
43 |
79 |
GAME TIME: A seven-game week in the NOJHL gets underway this evening in Sudbury as the home town Cubs welcome the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners to McClelland Arena in a 7:30 p.m. start.
League play will then be featured on two fronts Friday as Kirkland Lake returns home to take on the Soo Eagles at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in one match-up while Soo Thunderbirds will take to the John Rhodes Community Centre ice hosting the Blind River Beavers in the other. Both contests have 7:30 p.m. start times.
Two more tilts go Saturday including the Abitibi Eskimos looking to extend a winning streak to four in a home game vs. the Eagles. Also that evening you’ll see Sudbury and the Thunderbirds renewing acquaintances back at John Rhodes.
Wrapping up the week Sunday a pair of afternoon affairs are on the docket with Blind River hosting the Thunderbirds at 2 p.m. while North Bay entertains the Eagles at 5 p.m. at the Memorial Gardens.
WEEK-IN-REVIEW: The week that was in the NOJHL saw eight games contested.
Jan. 25: North Bay 4 @ Soo Thunderbirds 5—The Soo jumped out to a four-goal lead and then withstood a third period comeback attempt by the Trappers to pull out the win…Matt Amadio paced the Thunderbirds attack with a goal and two assists while Remo Febbraro kicked out 33 shots to register the win…Brad Gehl, Brandon Janke and Djordie Leposavic had a marker and a helper each for North Bay.
Jan. 25: Soo Eagles 6 @ Sudbury 5 (OT)—The Cubs let an early 3-0 lead get away as the Eagles rallied to upend Sudbury in overtime…Dallas McLaughlin fired the game-winner 1:32 into the extra session…Tyler Jones chipped in with two tallies for the Soo and Derek Diaz scored once and set-up two others…Nick Esposto had four points in a losing cause, including a pair of goals…Chris Truehl had 28 saves in relief to record the victory while Jeremy Pominville faced 51 shots in the setback.
Jan. 27: Sudbury 5 @ Kirkland Lake 1—Jordan Carroll had a hat-trick and one assist to lead Sudbury past the Gold Miners…Nick Esposto and Jamie Haines both chipped in with one-goal, three-assist performances…Alex Laino was the winning goaltender stopping 35 of 36…The lone Kirkland Lake effort was netted by Jordan Turbide.
Jan. 27: Soo Thunderbirds 1 @ Soo Eagles 4—Returning home to Pullar Stadium after playing seven straight on the road, the Eagles pulled out a hard-fought decision over the rival Thunderbirds…Gavin Burbach, with two, Hunter Long and Tyler Jones were the Eagles’ marksmen while Nick Romano replied for the T-Birds…Chris Truehl recorded his second win in as many appearances and John Kleinhans suffered the loss in a game that saw the shots go 44-36 in favour of the home side.
Jan. 28: Kirkland Lake 1 @ Abitibi 6—The Eskis first game of the week saw them build up an early lead and never look back as they skated past the Gold Miners…Marc-Alain Begin was once again the offensive catalyst for Abitibi as he scored once and dished out three assists…Corey Hamel notched a pair of markers…Martin Bilodeau was the winning netminder making 28 saves…Travis Jones had the lone marker for Kirkland Lake…Ken Appleby was peppered with 53 pucks in defeat.
Jan. 28: North Bay 7 @ Blind River 5—The Beavers stormed out to a 4-0 cushion early, but could not hold on as North Bay roared back to win…Justin Schneeberger, Andrew Martine and Brad Gehl all had three-point nights for the Traps…Dustin Hummel recorded the victory turning aside 30 of 31 in relief…Dereck Hurley and Tyler Brown had three points each for Blind River …Brandon Currie suffered the setback facing 45 shots in defeat.
Jan. 28: Soo Eagles 3 @ Soo Thunderbirds 4 (OT)—Matt Amadio scored 3:48 into overtime helping the Thunderbirds take the second half of the home-and-home with the Eagles…Also finding the back of the net for the T-Birds was Kurtis Barbarie, Nick Romano and Mickey Sartoretto…George Curry, Dallas McLaughlin and Shane Totten replied for the Eagles…The win went to John Kleinhans who made 27 stops…Chris Truehl faced 42 shots helping his side pick up a point.
Jan. 29: Abitibi 6 @ North Bay 2—Abitibi charged out of the gate striking four times in the first in the win…Corey Hamel fired a hat-trick to pace his club in the victory while J.P. Fecteau saved 42 attempts…Corey Klimas and Djordie Leposavic scored for the Trappers.
RECORD SETTER: Jordan Carroll has now etched his name into the Sudbury Cubs record book and is on pace to best two other club marks.
The veteran Sudbury forward has established a new team record for points in a season having now surpassed the 109 Brian McGarry set back during the 2005-06 campaign.
Carroll is also nine assists short of matching McGarry’s team assist record of 62 he set that same season.
The third achievement he is nearing is Sudbury’s single season goal record as he needs only four more tallies to break the 62 fired by Matt Shank back in 2001-02.
Carroll, who is currently riding an impressive 31-game point streak, leads the entire CJHL in goals with 59 and is second overall in points at 112.
Having a most valuable player-type season the Cubs’ standout has only been held off the score sheet once all season.
DUDLEY-HEWITT CUP: At the conclusion of the league playoffs, the NOJHL champion will advance to represent the league at the 2012 Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canadian Jr. A Championship, April 17-21 in Thunder Bay. The Thunder Bay North Stars of the Superior International Junior Hockey League will host the five-day tournament at the Fort William Gardens.
Joining the NOJHL and the North Stars in the Lakehead will be champions of the OJHL and SIJHL.
Taking a look at the competition that will go up against the NOJHL at the Dudley-Hewitt you’ll find the battle for top spot in the OJHL continues as they near the end of their regular season on Feb. 12..
The St. Michael’s Buzzers continue to have the most points in the 27-team league at 74. They are followed by the Newmarket Hurricanes with 71 while the Trenton Golden Hawks are at 69.
Newmarket does however boasts the best winning percentage at .807 while the Buzzers are at .804 and Trenton .802.
Meanwhile the SIJHL saw a major move made by the DHC host Thunder Bay as long-time coach Todd Howarth was let go and replaced with former NHLer Lonny Bohonos, who makes his debut behind the bench tonight as the North Stars take on league-leading Wisconsin. The Wilderness saw a 21-game winning streak snapped last week on the road, but the squad is still an impressive 39-4-1 on the year.
Howarth was the winningest coach in SIJHL history, guided his team to five league championships as well as a Dudley-Hewitt crown back in 2006. He was also a four-time SIJHL coach of the year recipient.
The OJHL has won the last five Dudley-Hewitt Cups and eight of the previous 10. The last time the DHC was held in Thunder Bay, the North Stars were victorious.
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup winner will move on to represent the central region at the Royal Bank Cup Canadian Jr. A championship in Humboldt, Sask., this May.
Now up and running is the 2012 Dudley-Hewitt Cup website, which can be found online at http://www.thedudleyhewittcup.com/.
CJHL TOP 20 RANKINGS: The latest Canadian Jr. Hockey League rankings released earlier this week see the Soo Thunderbirds maintaining their hold on No. 7 overall while the Soo Eagles earned themselves honourable mention.
The rankings are compiled each week in consultation with NHL Central Scouting and are presented by PlayingUpHockey.com.
The Penticton Vees of the BCHL remain the top ranked club in the CJHL while the 2012 Royal Bank Cup host Humboldt Broncos of Saskatchewan moved up one notch to second overall. Sliding down to No. 3 are the Spruce Grove Saints of Alberta while Wisconsin of the SIJHL is fourth and the Woodstock Slammers of the Maritime Hockey League sit fifth.
Last week’s rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.
CJHL Top 20 (As of Jan. 30/12)
1. Penticton Vees (BCHL) (1)
2. Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) (3)
3. Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) (2)
4. Wisconsin Wilderness (SIJHL) (4)
5. Woodstock Slammers (MHL) (6)
6. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL) (5)
7. SOO THUNDERBIRDS (NOJHL) (7)
8. Nepean Raiders (CCHL) (9)
9. Newmarket Hurricanes (OJHL) (8)
10. Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) (10)
11. Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL) (12)
12. Portage Terriers (MJHL) (14)
13. Dauphin Kings (MJHL) (11)
14. Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) (16)
15. Brooks Bandits (AJHL) (17)
16. Powell River Kings (BCHL) (19)
17. Battlefords North Stars (SJHL) (13)
18. Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL) (15)
19. Wellington Dukes (OJHL) (18)
20. Les Cougars du College Champlain – Sherbrooke (LHJAAAQ) (20)
Honourable Mention: SOO EAGLES (NOJHL), Bonnyville Pontiacs, Cobourg Cougars (OJHL), St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL), Cornwall Colts (CCHL).
The weekly rankings are based upon a variety of factors, including the league in which the teams play, winning percentage, win-loss record, total points accumulated, goals-for versus goals-against ratio, etc. The CJHL is comprised of the 10 junior A hockey leagues across Canada.
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NOJHL TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
ABITIBI ESKIMOS: Abitibi has won three in a row outscoring their opponents 19-7 in that span…The club’s lone game of the week is Saturday at home vs. the Eagles…Marc-Alain Begin has an eight-game point streak picking up six goals and 26 assists during his run. He remains third in NOJHL scoring with 99 points in just 30 games…His 13 power play markers are the third most in the league…Richard Therrien sits sixth in NOJHL scoring on 79 points. He has an 10-game point streak on the go. He is tied for fourth in PPG with 10… Their 15 home wins share the second best total in the NOJHL…The club has eight regular season games remaining including three on Jus Jordan ice.
BLIND RIVER BEAVERS: The Beavers are still searching for their first win in 2012 and have dropped 10 in a row all together…Blind River remains in the cellar of the NOJHL western division with a 5-35-2 record…Tyler Brown’s 24 points lead the team…Paul Muio is next with 23 followed by Joel McAuley with 20…The squad remains offensively challenged having scored only 93 times so far this season while allowing a league-worst 245.
KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS: Kirkland Lake is in Sudbury tonight to take on the Cubs as they continue to look for the inaugural victory in franchise history…Jordan Turbide has three goals in as many games for the Gold Miners while Jonathon Dionne has a trio of points in his first three outings…Kirkland Lake’s only other game this week is Friday when they take on the Soo Eagles at The Joe. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
NORTH BAY TRAPPERS: North Bay enters the final month of the regular season with three straight home games vs. the Soo Eagles, Sudbury and Kirkland Lake Feb. 4, Feb. 9 and Feb. 11 respectively…Matt Salituro has a five-game point streak active. He also tops the club in scoring with 40 points…Brandon Janke also has points in five straight…Goaltender Mitchell Knight leads all NOJHL netminders in goals-against average at 2.83. His four shutouts are second most in the NOJHL…The Traps have allowed the third fewest goals in the league at 150.
SOO EAGLES: The Soo sits second overall in the NOJHL standings…They have three road games on tap in as many nights this weekend…The Eagles have five skaters in the top 12 in NOJHL scoring. Brian Depp (68pts) is eighth, Shane Totten (60pts) sits ninth, Dallas McLaughlin (55pts) holds down 10th while Travis Payne (51pts) and Gavin Burbach (51pts) share 11th…Chris Truehl and Luis Puig are third and fourth respectively in NOJHL goals-against average at 3.07 and 3.98…Truehl is tied for the best save percentage in the league at .913. He is 10-1-1 overall with the team…Six of the Eagles final seven regular season games will be played on Pullar Stadium ice.
SOO THUNDERBIRDS: Despite having a winning streak snapped by the Eagles last week the Thunderbirds are still 7-3 in their past 10…They were tabbed seventh in the latest CJHL national rankings as the T-Birds lead the NOJHL standings with a 33-8 record and a .805 winning percentage….A well balanced attack sees the Soo feature 10 skaters with 25 or more points so far in 2011-12…Team leading scorer Micky Sartoretto had a 13-game point streak snapped last week. He still has points in 26 of his past 28 contests. His 83 total points leave him fourth in NOJHL scoring. Teammate Matt Amadio sits seventh in the league in offensive production with 90 points. He has points in eight of his past 10 games…John Kleinhans leads all NOJHL goalies in wins (22), shutouts (5), and minutes played (1,794). He shares first in save percentage at .913 and is second in goals-against average at 2.84…The squad has three games in store this week including home games against Blind River and Sudbury at John Rhodes Community Centre Friday and Saturday.
SUDBURY CUBS: The Cubs continue to lead the league in goals scored with 241…Sudbury is 7-2-1 in their past 10 and have gone 21-6 in their past 27 outings…Jordan Carroll and Jamie Haines sit one-two respectively in NOJHL scoring…Carroll has the second highest point total in the entire CJHL at 112. He currently paces the CJHL in goals with 59…He is also riding an impressive 31-game point streak and leads the league in shorthanded goals with five…Haines leads the league in game-winning goals with nine…Nick Esposto is fifth in the NOJHL in offensive production with 81 points including eight in his past two games. He has 25 multiple-point games so far this season…Goaltender Jeremy Pominville is 10-1-1 in his last 12 decisions…Netminder Alex Laino is 10-3 in his last 13 outings…The Cubs have 14 wins on home ice so far this season and 12 on the road. They are one of three NOJHL clubs with a winning record at home and as the visiting team…Sudbury has 10 games slated for February.
