Many hockey scouts will be eyeballing some of the best the NOJHL has to offer next week in Trenton Voodoos goalie Daniel Dirracolo is one of those players PHOTO: Voodooshockey.com
The top Junior A players in Eastern Canada get a chance to put on a show for college and pro hockey scouts from five different leagues
Greg Estabrooks – North Bay Nugget
There will be plenty of eyeballs focused on the best Junior A players from Eastern Canada in Trenton next week.
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) announced Monday the playing NOJHL (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) East and NOJHL West rosters and coaching staffs for next week’s Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge, which goes November 13-15.
Powassan Voodoos are well represented on the ice and behind the bench.
Voodoos’ head coach Peter Goulet along with his assistant coach Josh Hardiman will be leading NOJHL East All-Stars
Playing for the East squad are forwards Ryan Patrick, Mathieu MacMillan, Tucker Shields, and a pair of Battalion draftees in Chase Thompson and Reyth Smith. Alex Little and Alex Case will state the case for the defence for the NOJHL East while goaltender Daniel Dirracolo will be one of the two goalies for the East side.
The league showcase tournament was held in Sudbury about a month ago but Voodoo’s General Manager Chris Dawson says the scope of this challenge is much wider.
“It is bigger than the NOJHL Showcase for sure,” says Dawson. “There are many more scouts that will our players and the other all-stars and that is a good thing,” says the Voodoo’s GM.
Chase Thompson is a member of the Voodoos and a Battalion draft choice.
“It means a lot to me to be chosen for the NOJHL East All-Star team, it’s going to be a great experience to go down and play with the best against the best, it’s also a great opportunity to showcase myself in front of all the scouts from the next level,” says Thompson.
Although he is a member of the Greater Sudbury Cubs, North Bay native and Sudbury Wolves 2022 draft pick, Marshall McCharles will be playing for the NOJHL West All-Stars. McCharles was asked if he was more nervous or fired up to participate in the event?
“I am excited to show what I can do. It is a great opportunity for Junior A hockey players to show their skills in front of scouts from all levels from D (NCAA Division) 1 schools, OHL (Ontario Hockey League) and NHL (National Hockey League),” says the second year forward.
“The NOJHL is a competitive league, this will be a chance to show our skill, grit, and talent on a national stage,” says McCharles.
A total of 23 contests will be played during the three-day event, using a modified two-period format in round-robin, quarter-final, semifinal and championship games.
Results will see three points awarded for a win in regulation time, two points for an overtime victory and one point for an overtime, or shootout, loss.
Consisting of a pair of five-team divisions, the top two in each group will advance to the semifinal round, with the winners there vying for the title on the evening of Nov. 15.
