NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Monday, Nov. 16, 2015
Team NOJHL ready for Eastern Canada Cup Jr. A Challenge
CORNWALL, Ont. – Team Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League is in Cornwall, Ont., and set to begin play in Eastern Canada Cup Jr. A Challenge, which runs through Wednesday.
The nine-team event features all-star teams from each of the five Eastern leagues from the Canadian Junior Hockey League taking part.
Joining Team NOJHL will be four squads from the Ontario Junior Hockey League, two from the host Central Canada Hockey League and one apiece from both the Quebec Junior Hockey League and the Maritime Hockey League.
Last year the NOJHL posted their best-ever finish in the event, advancing all the way to the semifinals before falling to the eventual champions, OJHL Oates.
SCHEDULE: Each of the participating clubs will play two round robin contests with the length of games being two 20-minute periods.
After round robin competition the teams will be re-seeded based on their overall performance and will move to the playoff round with each side vying for the championship.
Team NOJHL’s first game is slated for 7:30 p.m. Monday evening at the Benson Centre in Cornwall vs. the CCHL’s Robinson Division selects.
Their second contest will go Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. against OJHL Nieuwendyk.
Eastern Canada Cup Challenge schedule
All games at Benson Centre in Cornwall, Ont.
Monday, Nov. 16
QJHL vs. OJHL Coffey 6 p.m.
NOJHL vs. CCHL Robinson 7:30 p.m.
OJHL Hawerchuk vs. CCHL Yzerman 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
OJHL Oates vs. QJHL 10 a.m.
OJHL Nieuwendyk vs. NOJHL 11:30 a.m.
MHL vs. OJHL Haerchuk 1 p.m.
OJHL Coffey vs. OJHL Oates 2:30 p.m.
CCHL Robinson vs. OJHL Nieuwendyk 4 p.m.
CCHL Yzerman vs. MHL 5:30 p.m.
9th round robin vs. 8th round robin 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
8th/9th winner vs. No. 1 seed 9 a.m.
No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed 10:45 a.m.
No. 7 seed vs. No. 2 seed 12:30 p.m.
No. 6 seed vs. No. 3 seed 2:15 p.m.
Semifinal 1: 4 p.m.
Semifinal 2: 5:45 p.m.
Final: 7:30 p.m.
WHO TO WATCH: The NOJHL roster features a well-balanced, talent-laden roster.
Among those to watch out for is league leading scoring Hunter Atchison of the Cochrane Crunch.
The 19-year-old Victoria, B.C., product paces the NOJHL in offensive production with 55 points in just 22 games on a league-best 25 goals along with 30 assists, which also top all skaters.
Cochrane teammate Seamus Maguire sits second in NOJHL scoring with 46 points, including 17 tallies.
Another forward who has impressed so far this season is Tyler Peters of the Powassan Voodoos.
Peters is fifth in NOJHL scoring with 38 points in 19 outings on 18 goals and 20 helpers.
Bolstering Team NOJHL’s defensive corps is Caleb Boman (Soo Thunderbirds), Ryan Mooney (Rayside-Balfour Canadians) and Nathan Campbell (Elliot Lake Wildcats).
Boman and Mooney are tied for second in points among NOJHL rearguards with 21 each while Campbell is knotted for fifth with 15 points.
Both Mooney and Campbell also played for Team NOJHL at last year’s event held in Toronto.
ROSTER CHANGE: There has been one roster change for Team NOJHL at the event.
Brayden Stortz of the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners has replaced Steve Harland of the Powassan Voodoos after the latter signed on with the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League.
Harland, last season’s NOJHL rookie of the year and most valuable player, notched his first two OHL goals, which included the game-winner, Friday as North Bay beat rival Sudbury 5-2.
Stortz has had a solid campaign for Kirkland Lake leading the Gold Miners in scoring with 39 points having notched 16 markers and setting up 23 more.
His totals put him third in league offensive numbers.
Click here to view the Team NOJHL roster
FASTHOCKEY: Each and every Eastern Canada Challenge Cup game will be available online via a pay-per-view basis at FASTHockey.com.
ONLINE SCORING: Fans can also check out live online scoring of the Eastern Canada Challenge Cup through the following link.
Click here to view the Eastern Canada Challenge Cup Scoreboard
