Saturday in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) was a night of big individual performances, as multiple players put up huge numbers to lead their teams to victory. The Blind River Beavers, Powassan Voodoos, and Espanola Paper Kings all celebrated wins in front of their home crowds.
Beavers hold off valiant Rapids comeback
The Blind River Beavers held on for a narrow 4-3 victory over the French River Rapids in a game that went down to the wire. After a scoreless first period, the Beavers broke the deadlock in the second with a goal from Whittaker Heart. The Rapids responded with a power-play goal from Jonah Gareau, but Blind River regained the lead before the second intermission thanks to a late goal by Danny MacDonald.
The Beavers seemed to put the game out of reach in the third period with goals from Jonah McIndoo and Preston Carvalho, making it 4-1. But the Rapids mounted a furious comeback, with Gareau scoring twice in the final three minutes—including a goal with just 15 seconds left—to complete his hat trick. Ultimately, the Beavers’ lead was just enough to secure the win.
Special Teams carry Voodoos over Eagles
The Powassan Voodoos used a dominant special teams performance to power their way to a 5-1 victory over the Soo Eagles. The Voodoos scored twice on the power play and twice while shorthanded, showcasing their versatility and depth.
The Eagles actually struck first, with Cole Taylor scoring in the opening period. But the Voodoos quickly took over. Ryan Saginaw scored a shorthanded equalizer, and Owen Head gave Powassan a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.
The second period belonged to the Voodoos’ power play, as Anthony Boyes and Cayden Kowal each scored with the man advantage. Boyes wasn’t done, though, adding a second goal—this time shorthanded—in the third period to seal the victory. With the win, the Voodoos improved to a perfect 2-0 on the season.
Paper Kings rout Lumberjacks with dual hat tricks
The Espanola Paper Kings delivered an offensive explosion in an 8-2 win over the Hearst Lumberjacks, fueled by incredible three-goal performances from both Joseph Coates and Owen Smith.
Hearst started strong, taking a 2-1 lead midway through the first period on goals from Mathieu Comeau and Cole Stranathan. But the Paper Kings responded in a big way, with Emerson De Giacomo and Owen Smith each scoring to tie the game at 2-2.
The second period was all Espanola. Cameron Menard scored the go-ahead goal, and Joseph Coates added two more—one on the power play and another at even strength—to extend the lead to 5-2 and chase the Hearst starting goalie. In the third, Coates completed his hat trick with a shorthanded breakaway goal, and Smith added two more of his own, also completing his hat trick. The impressive performances from Coates and Smith powered the Paper Kings to a convincing victory.