By Sam Laskaris /
ONTARIO JUNIOR A HOCKEY LEAGUE
The Kingston Voyageurs have made it rather clear they want another shot at a national title.
They have been the class of the OJHL this season. Kingston won 38 of its first 45 matches this season.
The Voyageurs had also earned points in four other games, losing once in overtime and three times in a shootout.
With 80 points, Kingston held a seven-point lead over the second-place Oakville Blades, who had played one less game.
Oakville might be the only squad that the Voyageurs have to worry about in their own league playoffs. The Blades have won two of their three meetings against Kingston so far this season.
The two squads will square off once more in regular season action, on Feb. 4 on the Voyageurs’ home ice.
Kingston has been led this season by 20-year-old forward Tyler Melacon. He had 74 points, including 29 goals, in his first 45 games.
Voyageurs’ netminder Joel Vienneau is also one of the league’s best. He had 22 wins and a league-leading 2.05 goals-against average in 27 appearances.
CENTRAL JUNIOR A HOCKEY LEAGUE
As January was winding down there were a couple of divisional battles going on ‘ì just not for first place ‘ì in either of the league’s two divisions.
It’s pretty much a certainty the Brockville Braves and Pembroke Lumber Kings will finish atop their respective divisions.
The Braves, who had 14 regular season games remaining, had a commanding 15-point lead over the second-place Cornwall Colts in the league’s Robinson Division.
Brockville, which was also first over-all in the league standings, had earned 82 points in its first 48 games.
As for the Lumber Kings, they had an even bigger lead in the Yzerman Division. Front-running Pembroke had 79 points and a 20-point lead over the Gloucester Rangers, who were second in the divisional standings.
The best race down the stretch looks like it will be for second place in the Yzerman Division.
That’s because only six points separated the four teams that were jockeying for spots from second through fifth.
Gloucester was in second with 59 points. But the Ottawa Junior Senators had 55 points and the Nepean Raiders and Cumberland Grads both had 53 points.
Over in the Robinson Division, it looked like the best race would be for third sport, between the Kemptville 73’s, who had a three-point lead over the Carleton Place Canadians.
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Forward Marc-Alain Begin is back with the Abitibi Eskimos.
Begin was a force earlier in this NOJHL campaign. But he then left the circuit to join the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Val d’Or Foreurs.
Begin spent 13 games with the Foreurs, scoring two goals and adding five assists.
He then returned to the Abitibi squad in early January. Despite missing 10 games with the Eskimos, Begin didn’t seem to be out of place at all upon his return, collecting 10 points in his first five games.
What is somewhat of a surprise though is that there’s a chance that Begin will still capture the NOJHL scoring race despite his lengthy absence.
Entering the final week of January, Begin had a whopping 72 points (32G, 40A) in just 29 games. He trailed only his teammate Felix Boutin, who was leading the league with 81 points, including 27 goals, in 39 matches.
Begin, who was averaging a league-best 2.48 points per outing, had 11 regular season contests remaining to try and catch Boutin.
SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
They are not a league contender yet.
But the Sioux Lookout Flyers are undoubtedly enjoying their sophomore season a lot more than their inaugural campaign.
The Flyers won just two out of their 50 games last season. And for awhile it looked like the franchise would not even finish its first season.
The team’s ownership opted to pull the plug on the franchise after it was winless following its first 16 starts. But residents of the town rallied and managed to save the team and its season, thanks in part to a new investor.
As for this year, the Flyers have enjoyed considerably more success.
Following its first 43 games, Sioux Lookout had 36 points via its 17-24-2 mark, occupying third place in the SIJHL standings.
The front-running Fort William North Stars had 71 points, almost double the number that the Flyers had. And Sioux Lookout was not going to catch the second-place Dryden Ice Dogs either as they had 65 points, 29 more than the Flyers.
The Sioux Lookout squad, however, was involved in a close race. The Flyers were trying to hold onto third place.
The expansion K and A Wolverines, who had played one game more than Sioux Lookout, was just one point behind the Flyers. |