One of the Timmins Rock’s acquisitions prior to the CJHL’s Jan. 10 trade deadline is already paying dividends. Forward Edan Etheridge, acquired from the GOJHL’s Elmira Sugar Kings in exchange for a player development fee, scored a goal against the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in this NOJHL contest at the McIntyre Arena, Friday night, and added another in Sunday afternoon’s game against the Iroquois Falls Storm. Photo by THOMAS PERRY /The Daily Press
In addition, the Rock have signed 20-year-old blue-liner Brady Bouchard, formerly of the Greater Sudbury Cubs, and 18-year-old goalie Virgil Sausset Plateaux, recently released by the Iroquois Falls Storm
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
The Timmins Rock made three additions prior to the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Jan. 10 trade deadline and one of them is already paying dividends.
After recently saying goodbye to forwards Brant Romaniuk and Kimani Eccleston and welcoming Maxx Hamelin from the MJHL’s Winnipeg Monarchs, the Rock acquired 2008-birth-year forward Edan Etheridge from the GOJHL’s Elmira Sugar Kings in exchange for a player development fee, on Thursday.
In addition, the Rock have signed 20-year-old blue-liner Brady Bouchard, formerly of the Greater Sudbury Cubs, and 18-year-old goalie Virgil Sausset Plateaux, recently released by the Iroquois Falls Storm.
Etheridge, a 5-11 and 170-pound left-shot Timmins product, has made an immediate impact — scoring a goal in Friday night’s 8-3 win over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners and another in Sunday afternoon’s 9-2 win over the Storm.
“It is an easy adjustment because I know the guys who were here last year and the new guys they have brought in are awesome,” he said, describing what it is like to come home and join a team in the midst of a now 19-game winning streak.
“Everyone is in a great mood and we are rolling. Everything is going well. Playing in front of these fans is really fun. I am really enjoying it.”
Scoring goals comes naturally to Etheridge. After all, he averaged close to a goal a game as an affiliate player (4, 3-0-3, 0) with the Rock during the 2024-25 NOJHL campaign and close to a point a game (4, 1-2-3, 0) during the 2025 playoffs.
Etheridge (30, 32-30-62, 52) spent the bulk of the 2024-25 season with the GNU18L’s Timmins Majors, ranking second in goals and fourth in points, while helping lead his squad to a second-place finish.
Even though opponents focused on shutting Etheridge down during the 2025 GNU18L Tournament of Champions, hosted by the Majors, he continue to put up impressive numbers (6, 3-0-3, 27).
During his first season with the Majors (35, 28-18-46, 14), in 2023-24, Etheridge caught the attention of scouts.
As a result, he was taken in the 15th round, 287 overall, by Saginaw Spirit in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.
This season was Etheridge’s first campaign with the Sugar Kings (29, 6-8-14, 4).
While Etheridge is scoring at a goal-a-game pace during this go around with the Rock, he knows he has to be patient in terms of his role on the squad.
“As a 17 year old, it is hard to get a bigger role on a good team like this, so I am just going to use my speed and skill to help this team win,” he said.
Early on, Etheridge has been playing on a line with another former Timmins Majors standout, Evan Katic.
“I have played with Evan the last four or five years, with the Majors and the Timmins North Stars,” he said. “It is pretty easy to play with him. I think our games really fit well together. He is gritty in the corners and able to find me up high in the slot.”
Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry wasn’t necessarily expecting Etheridge to score at a goal-a-game pace when he acquired him, but has been pleased with what he has shown so far.
“We didn’t really have those kinds of expectations, but we knew Edan really well as a player,” Perry said. “He can do a lot more than just score. He has got a well-rounded 200-foot game.
“He is strong on pucks, works extremely hard and has great finish. He is going to put pucks in net for us, for sure, but he is going to do a lot more than that, also.”
Bouchard, right-shot 6-0, 172-pound Chapleau product began this season with the (25, 0-7-7, 19) with Cubs.
“He is a real good player, first and foremost, and he has a winning pedigree,” Perry said. “He won two championships, back to back, as part of really good Greater Sudbury teams.
“Any time you can get a guy with experience like that, it is going to help us. He is an incredibly mobile defenceman, who moves the puck efficiently. He has got a little bit of a mean streak to him, he is physical and he plays the game the right way.
“We are excited to get him in here. He is going to help us, for sure.”
It was his fourth campaign in the NOJHL and third with the Cubs: 2024-25, 50, 3-9-12, 49; 15, 0-2-2, 0; 2023-24, 51, 5-10-15, 39; 3, 0-0-0, 4. He spent 2022-23 with the French River Rapids (20, 1-1-2, 30; 5, 0-1-1, 7).
Sausset Plateaux (479:00, 2-5-0, 0, 5.01, .880) did not produce flashy numbers with the Storm, but did turn in a number of memorable performances.
“It is hard to find a guy who is going to come in, do the job that’s required of him, knowing that when Frédéric (Cousineau) gets healthy, he is going to be in a three-man rotation.”
At 6-3 and 180 pounds, the left-hand catching Montreal product brings size to the Rock crease and should help stabilize things along with Ayden Mullen in the absence of Cousineau, who is expected to miss the next four to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.
“He played us earlier in the year and took us to overtime (Oct. 25 in Iroquois Falls),” Perry said. “He played a fantastic game and he also beat Hearst this year (Nov. 8).
“So, he is going to come in and give us some quality minutes back there if he needs to go in.”
The coach is hoping to have Bouchard and Sausset Plateaux at practice, on Tuesday.
The Rock also made another deal prior to the deadlines, shipping 2007-birth-year goalie Dryden Riley’s rights to OJHL’s Wellington Dukes in exchange for a player development fee.
In addition, forwards Nicholas Schwertner and Victor Hourtouat have been assigned to the PJHL’s Port Hope Panthers, coached by former Rock bench boss Corey Beer.
“When their season is done, they will return to us,” Perry said. “It is an opportunity for them to play more meaningful minutes.”
