A three-team trade involving teams in three different leagues has netted the Timmins Rock forward 2005-birth-year forward Nolan Hendry and a player development fee. As part of the transaction, the Rock reacquired goalie Jacob Brown from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds in exchange for a player development fee and then flipped him to the OJHL’s Wellington Dukes in exchange for Hendry and a player development fee. Photo: Northern Lights Photography
The Timmins Rock have completed a complicated three-team trade, involving three leagues, that briefly saw a former player back in the fold, if only on paper.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
First, goaltender Jacob Brown (58:00, 0-1-0-0, 0, 6.23, .778), who played for the Rock during the 2022-23 NOJHL campaign, was reacquired from the Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds, in exchange for a player development fee.
Brown was then shipped off to the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Wellington Dukes in exchange for 2005-birth-year forward Nolan Hendry (7, 1-0-1, 2) and a player development fee.
Hendry, of course, is no stranger to the NOJHL, having played for the Soo Eagles in both 2023-24 (44, 19-20-39, 10) and 2022-23 (58, 12-23-35, 12).
A Milton, Ont., product, the left-shooting Hendry stands 5-10 and weighs in at 184 pounds.
He made his Rock debut during the team’s 3-0 win over the Gold Miners in Kirkland Lake Saturday night, but was not in the lineup for Sunday afternoon’s 6-2 win over the French River Rapids at the Archie Dillon Sportsplex.
Hendry became the fifth forward added to the Rock roster in recent weeks, joining Dawson Boily (OJHL’s Aurora Tigers), Clark Scaddan (SIJHL’s Fort Frances Lakers), Nathan Marincola (Espanola Paper Kings) and Kai Clayton (Gold Miners).
“He’s a guy we have liked for three years now,” said Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry. “He came to our camp three years ago and in hindsight, obviously, we shouldn’t have let him go.
“He is a back-to-back 20-goal scorer in our league and he brings a lot of grit to our lineup. He is going to help us out in all situations, special teams, provide some depth scoring.
“He is just a kid I have always liked. He is a good player, a complete player who plays with some jam, plays with heart and that’s what we need here.”
While the three-way transaction didn’t see Brown spend any time in Timmins, the goaltender’s move from Flint to Wellington helped the Rock acquire a pretty useful player and a player development fee, as well.
“Brownie still helped us out,” Perry agreed. “We talked to him and he wanted to play closer to home (Yarker, Ont.) and we honoured that.”
While Hendry didn’t get into either home game on the weekend, he is pretty excited about getting a chance to play for legions of Rock fans on a regular basis.
“I am super stoked to be here,” he said. “I talked to Brandon Perry during the summer and he wanted me to come here, but I had the chance to play with my brother (6-4, 185-pound, left-shot 2007-birth-year blue-liner Alex) and I chose to do that. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and he jumped at the chance when I requested a trade.”
Asked what he remembers about playing against the Rock as a member of the Eagles during the past two seasons, Hendry didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, my gosh, the atmosphere was something else and I always loved coming in and playing in the McIntyre Arena, with all of the loud fans and the loud music,” he said.
“It got me going for those games when I was playing with the Eagles.”
Hendry is confident his tool set will help the Rock win hockey games and hopefully another NOJHL championship.
“I feel like I play a complete, 200-foot game,” he said. “I am a very responsible forward who has a scoring touch when it’s needed. I believe I have a very good hockey IQ and I like to play a bit of a gritty game. I am a bit of a smaller forward, but I have some weight to help me, so I like banging bodies.”
During his first year with the Eagles, Hendry had almost identical goal and assist totals, while he had twice as many helpers during his second campaign.
“My dad coached me when I was little and he always taught me an assist is just as good as a goal, if not better,” he said.
“So, if there is an open guy on the backdoor, I would rather have an assist than potentially take a shot that might not go in.”
When Hendry was a youngster, he tried to pattern his game after current Edmonton Oiler and former Toronto Maple Leaf Zach Hyman.
“He gets in the corners and he is gritty, he can score when he needs to and he looks around for passes, as well,” he said.
“He is what I would consider to be a 200-foot player, as well. I really like his tenacity and how he plays the game.”
With the addition of Hendry the Rock will need to move a body to reduce the number of players on the roster, but Perry wouldn’t divulge which player, or players, will be leaving town, nor how soon that transaction is likely to take place.
“We think with the group we have, our record should be better,” he said.
