After 65 days in lockdown and no junior ‘A’ hockey, the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League returned to Sault Ste Marie, Ontario on February 24th with the Soo Thunderbirds hosting the Blind River Beavers in a midweek clash at the John Rhodes Centre.

With a cross ice pass on a Thunderbird delayed penalty, Beaver Jacob Kelly fired the opening goal for Blind River under Thunderbird netminder Alex Bugeja’s catcher to give the visitors a 1 – 0 lead. Brothers Devin and Justin Mauro added the assists on Kelly’s ninth of the season at 17:35 of the first. 8:11 into the second period from just inside the left blueline, veteran Thunderbird defenseman Dylan Parsons fires a wrist over Beaver goaltender Wyatt Courchaine’s left shoulder to even the game 1 – 1 for the Soo. Kurtis Rogers and Parker Morgan notched the contributors on Parson’s second of the 2020 – 2021 season. At the ten minute mark of the period, Ethan Pegg finds the back of Bugeja’s net through traffic over the Thunderbird’s netminder left shoulder to give the Beavers a 2 – 1 lead. Kelly had the lone helper on Pegg’s first of the season. After firing the puck of the back of the boards behind Courchaine’s net, the Soo’s Warren Young’s shot bounces off the back of Courchaine’s pad to pull the Thunderbirds even 2 – 2. Young’s first goal of the season was unassisted at 11:55 of the middle stanza.

After playing for the Thunderbirds during the 2018 – 2019 season, Sault Ste Marie’s Noah Boman returned to his hometown after playing the 2019 – 2020 in the OJHL with registering his first goal of the 2020 – 2021 season at 17:55 of the second to give the Soo a 3 – 2 lead. Brock Santa Maria and Caleb Wood added the assists on Boman’s goal. Scoring his fifth of the season and bringing the lead to 4 – 2, Cooper Smyl lifts fourth of the game over Courchaine’s right shoulder 1:41 into the final period. Young and Michael Chaffay had the helpers on Smyl’s goal. 12 seconds before the midway mark of the third with Boman in front of the Beaver’s net, the newly acquired forward gave the Thunderbirds a 5 – 2 win over Blind River. Wood and Connor Toms added the contributors on Soo’s fifth of the contest. Blind River goaltender Wyatt Courchaine stopped 47 of 52 shots while Thunderbird netminder Alex Bugeja turned away 30 of 32 shots in the Soo’s fifth win of the season.

Check out Saultsports.com Bob Davies photo gallery of the Thunderbirds versus Beavers in NOJHL action.

The Thunderbirds and Beavers are back in action in Sault Ste Marie on Friday, February 26th at the John Rhodes Centre in a 7:00 p.m pick drop.