By Sam Laskaris /
ONTARIO JUNIOR A HOCKEY LEAGUE
Trenton fans once again have a hockey team. And plenty to cheer about so far
this season.
A year ago the eastern Ontario town lost its junior hockey franchise when the Trenton Hercs folded with 12 games remaining in their regular season.
Besides struggling off the ice, the Hercs also struggled on it. The club had only won 14 of its 37 games before it folded.
As for this season, Trenton has a new junior franchise as the Port Hope Predators relocated during the off-season. The renamed franchise – the Trenton Golden Hawks – were off to a flying start. The Golden Hawks were occupying third place in the 15-team OJAHL standings in early November. The Trenton squad did get off to somewhat of a rocky start, winning just one out its first four contests. The Golden Hawks though made a march up the standings by registering nine victories in 12 starts during the month of October.
Trenton was being led this season by forwards Jeremy McCarty and Brad Gehl. McCarty was second in the league scoring race with 38 points (9G, 29A) in 18 games. Gehl was tied for third in league scoring with 31 points, including 15 goals, in 16 games.
The Golden Hawks, who had 27 points after 19 games, were only trailing the Georgetown Raiders and the Kingston Voyageurs in the standings.
CENTRAL ONTARIO JUNIOR A HOCKEY LEAGUE
If the Ottawa Junior Senators could find some more ways to win on the road, they could become contenders for the league championship.
For now, however, the Junior Senators remain a middle-of-the-pack club, since the majority of their successes thus far this season have only come at home.
The Ottawa squad won seven out of its first 10 home games. The Junior Senators also picked up another point in a home contest when they lost a game in a shootout.
Despite its home success, in early November, Ottawa was sitting in fifth place in the standings of the league’s six-team Yzerman Division.
And this is primarily because the Junior Senators had only won three of their first nine road matches. If the Junior Senators’ decision makers are looking for some answers on how to improve their away record, it would probably not be wise to ask those in charge of the Brockville Braves. That’s because the Braves were in a predicament much like the Junior Senators. Brockville had an impressive nine wins (and an overtime loss) in their first 11 home games. But the Braves had a record below .500 - four wins and five losses - on
the road.
Despite its up-and-down ways, the Braves were in second place in their six-team Robinson Division.
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR A HOCKEY LEAGUE
It took them quite awhile.
But the Manitoulin Islanders finally registered their first win of the regular season.
The Islanders downed the visiting Soo Eagles 6-2, during their final game of the second month of the season, on Oct. 30.
Islanders’ forward Michael Schiavone led his squad with a four-point performance (one goal, three assists) against the Eagles.
Blake Pederson also had a productive night for the Manitoulin squad, scoring once and adding a pair of assists. Also, Nathan MacLeod was another key contributor for the Islanders, as he netted two goals. For the Islanders, who are coached by former NHL star Reggie Leach, it was their first win in 15 games this season.
The only other point the Manitoulin squad had garnered thus far this year came during its second game of the season, back on Sept. 12, when it was downed 4-3 by the host Blind River Beavers, in a game decided with a shootout.
As for the Abitibi Eskimos, they’ve had no problems picking up points this season. In fact, the Eskimos were atop the over-all NOJHL standings in early November as they had earned at least one point in their first 14 contests.
The Eskimos had won 12 of those games. And they lost the other two in shootouts, resulting in a point each from those encounters.
SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
At his current pace, it won’t be long before Fort William North Stars’ forward Mitch Forbes surpasses his point total of a year ago.
The 19-year-old has been racking up his share of points this season. Forbes had collected 31 points (15G, 16A) in his first 14 games this year.
Last season Forbes did not even average a point per outing. In 49 games, he ended up with 44 points, including 14 goals - a figure he has already surpassed this year.
Besides leading the Fort William squad in the early portions of this season, Forbes was also atop the SIJHL scoring race.
The North Stars also had three other players in the league’s Top 10 list of point-getters.
Ryan McGill was in second place with 24 points in 11 contests while Jordan Davis was tied for third spot with 23 points in 14 matches.
Meanwhile, Trevor Gamache also continues to provide some offensive production for the North Stars. Gamache, who won the SIJHL scoring race last season with 103 points in 49 games, was tied for seventh place. He had 18 points in his first 12 games.
With numerous snipers in their lineup, it wasn’t surprising the North Stars, who had won 13 out of their first 14 games, were also atop the league standings. |