Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
On Friday, March 27th, five U15 AAA programs opened postseason play at the 2026 NOHL AAA Playdowns, with the Thunder Bay Kings, Sudbury Wolves, North Bay Trappers, and Soo Greyhounds all competing for the opportunity to represent Northern Ontario. With a berth to the 2026 U15AAA All-Ontario Championships on the line—set for April 8–12 in Thunder Bay—the stakes could not have been higher.
After an undefeated run through the preliminary round, the Soo Greyhounds entered Sunday, March 29th’s championship game at the Northern Community Centre with one final challenge standing in their way—the Sudbury Wolves. With a dominant performance from start to finish, the Greyhounds delivered a statement victory, defeating the Wolves 5-0 to claim the NOHL U15 AAA title and secure their place at the provincial championship.
The Greyhounds wasted no time asserting control in the opening period. At 12:43, Benjamin Campbell opened the scoring with his first goal of the playdowns, finishing a play set up by Jasper Jarratt to give Soo a 1-0 lead. Just minutes later at 9:59, Gregory Beckerson doubled the advantage with his first of the tournament, assisted by Lukas Maninos.
The offensive pressure continued as Matti Lappalainen extended the lead to 3-0 at 6:46, scoring his third goal of the playdowns with assists from Lukas Maninos and Benjamin Campbell. The Greyhounds capitalized once again on the powerplay at 5:11, when Lappalainen struck for his second goal of the game and fourth of the tournament, with helpers credited to Benjamin Campbell and Wyatt Jarrett, sending Soo into the intermission with a commanding 4-0 lead.
The second period saw no scoring, but the Greyhounds maintained their structure and control, limiting the Wolves’ opportunities while continuing to generate chances offensively.
In the third period, Soo put the finishing touches on their championship performance. At 13:52, Wyatt Jarrett scored his fourth goal of the playdowns, with Lukas Maninos and Benjamin Campbell adding assists to make it 5-0.
Between the pipes, Benjamin Clayton was flawless, turning aside every shot he faced to earn the shutout victory for the Greyhounds. At the other end, Brayden Bouillon battled in goal for the Wolves in the loss.
Visit Freeze Frame Photos by Bob Davies photo gallery of the Sudbury Wolves versus Soo Greyhounds in U15 championship game AAA action.
With the win, the Soo Greyhounds complete a perfect run through the 2026 NOHL U15 AAA Playdowns and officially punch their ticket to Thunder Bay. The Greyhounds will now represent Northern Ontario at the 2026 U15AAA All-Ontario Championships, where they will compete against the top teams from across the province in pursuit of provincial glory.
Friday, March 27, 2026
9:00 a.m Thunder Bay Kings (2) vs (3) Soo Greyhounds
10:00 a.m North Bay Trappers (7) vs (4) Sudbury Wolves
2:00 p.m Soo Greyhounds (8) vs (3) Timmins Majors
3:00 p.m Sudbury Wolves (3) vs (0) Thunder Bay Kings
7:30 p.m Timmins Majors (4) vs (3) North Bay Trappers
Saturday, March 28, 2026
8:30 a.m Sudbury Wolves (3) vs (4) Soo Greyhounds
10:30 a.m North Bay Trappers (0) vs (6) Thunder Bay Kings
2:30 p.m Timmins Majors (1) vs (7) Sudbury Wolves
6:30 p.m Soo Greyhounds (7) vs (2) North Bay Trappers
8:30 p.m Thunder Bay Kings (5) vs (0) Timmins Majors
Sunday, March 29, 2026
10:30 a.m Timmins Majors (2) vs (6) Soo Greyhounds
11:30 a.m Thunder Bay Kings (2) vs (6) Sudbury Wolves
5:30 p.m Sudbury Wolves (0) vs (5) Soo Greyhounds
