Every week, join your host, Jay Houslander and Soo Thunderbird Jamie Henderson with a breakdown of game match-ups and the very latest from inside the Soo (NOJHL) Thunderbird locker room.
Coaches Corner with Saultsports brought to you by True North Radio provides a weekly inside look at hockey programs across Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma. Every week, we highlight head coaches as they share insights on the past week’s games, standout team performances, and what to watch for in the upcoming matchups. It’s an ideal way for fans, families, and players to hear directly from the coaches and stay connected to the local hockey community.
Soo Thunderbirds head coach Jamie Henderson and his fifth-place squad are looking to regroup after a tough 4-2 loss to the ninth-place Blind River Beavers on October 4th in Blind River. The Thunderbirds now turn their attention to the 2025 NOJHL Showcase in Sudbury on October 7th and 8th, where they’ll have an opportunity to get back on track against two familiar opponents. Their first test comes against the sixth-place Sudbury Cubs (4-3, 8 points) on Monday, followed by a rematch with the Blind River Beavers (3-5-0-1, 6 points) on Tuesday. Henderson and his team will be aiming to use the Showcase as a springboard to build momentum and strengthen their position in the early-season standings.
Coach, your team dropped a tough one to the Blind River Beavers on October 4th — what were your main takeaways from that game?
We had a slow start. We didn’t come out with a high enough level of compete, and it’s tough to win in this league if you don’t play a full 60. We had spurts of real strong play and sustained pressure but failed to find the back of the net .
What areas do you feel the team needs to tighten up as you head into the NOJHL Showcase this week?
We had a good video session and practice yesterday. We have to be willing to get inside and be hungrier around the net. Goals won’t always be flashy, so we really need to get those greasy ones at times.
You’ll open the Showcase against the Sudbury Cubs, who sit just one spot behind you in the standings — what kind of challenge do they present?
Well Sudbury have been a solid team for a few years now with typically a veteran club. They present all types of challenges so we will need to be at our best there is no doubt.
Facing Blind River again on October 8th gives you a quick rematch — how important is it to bounce back against them after last weekend’s result?
At this point we are really trying to focus on what we do. If we continue to work on the things we need to do and continue to be dialed in at practice and off the ice we will be fine. It’s a long season and we certainly aren’t going to look at certain match ups as more important than others. We have a clear vision of what we need to work on both individually and as a team and we’ll continue to work towards that.
How valuable is the NOJHL Showcase for your players in terms of exposure and development?
I think it gives the guys a little boost maybe. All the teams are there so you want to be at your best.
Sitting in fifth place early in the season, what’s your message to the team about maintaining consistency and building momentum moving forward?
It’s all about that daily battle within the group both as a team and individually to improve and be as good as we can be. We really like the commitment from the group, and we have seen some real good hockey thus far. We just need to find that consistency both in terms of execution and work ethic.
