NOJHL 2025–26 Midseason Rankings: Surprises, Standouts, and the Race for the Copeland Cup

Posted On: November 26, 2025
Posted By: Saultsports
Comments: 0

Another season has begun, another chase for the Copeland Cup, and the league is now at its midseason mark as of November 26, 2025.

As the 2025–26 NOJHL season reaches the halfway point, Saultsports takes a look at how the teams have fared so far—highlighting who has met expectations, who has surprised, and the local talent making an impact on the ice.

The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League has proven to be competitive, with a mix of established contenders, emerging programs, and rebuilding teams. Some clubs, like the Soo Thunderbirds, have exceeded early projections, climbing the standings, while others, including the French River Rapids, continue to struggle. With the second half of the season ahead, the race for the Copeland Cup remains wide open across Northern Ontario.

Greater Sudbury Cubs (Predicted: 1st | Midseason: 1st)
As of the latest standings, the Cubs sit near the top of the league, holding a record of 17 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie in 24 games — good for 35 points, placing them second overall in the current standings. They’ve demonstrated a strong goal differential and a high-powered offence, keeping them firmly in contention for one of the top playoff spots.

Hearst Lumberjacks (Predicted: 4th | Midseason: 2nd)
At the season’s midpoint, the Hearst Lumberjacks are holding down second place in the standings — a step up from our preseason projection of third. They’ve built a strong campaign with consistent play on both ends of the ice, backed by solid special teams and scoring punch. While not quite atop the leaderboard yet, Hearst remains among the elite clubs in the league and is well-positioned to challenge for the top spot as the stretch run approaches.

Soo Thunderbirds (Predicted: 8th | Midseason: 3rd)
At the halfway point of the season, the Soo Thunderbirds have blown past expectations in dramatic fashion. Predicted to finish 8th at the start of the year, the Thunderbirds instead sit impressively in third place, making them one of the league’s biggest early-season risers. Their surge up the standings comes from a combination of balanced scoring, strong team defense, and dependable goaltending that has kept them competitive night after night. With momentum on their side and confidence building, the Thunderbirds have positioned themselves as a legitimate threat in the top tier — far ahead of what was anticipated when the season began.

Timmins Rock (Predicted: 3rd | Midseason: 4th)
Timmins Rock are currently holding down fourth place in the standings — not far off from our preseason expectations, but a slight step back from the third-place finish we forecasted. While not quite the top-three spot we hoped for, they remain firmly in the mix and within striking distance of the upper echelon. With solid goaltending, scoring depth, and that Rock pedigree of competitiveness, they still have time to push back toward the top — but they’ll need to tighten up defensively and finish games strong if they hope to climb higher by season’s end.

Espanola Paper Kings (Predicted: 7th | Midseason: 5th)
At the midway point of the season, the Espanola Paper Kings have exceeded expectations in a big way. Originally projected to finish seventh, the Paper Kings instead find themselves sitting in fifth place, climbing two spots above our preseason prediction. Their rise in the standings reflects stronger-than-expected depth, improved defensive structure, and timely scoring that has kept them competitive against some of the league’s top teams. While there’s still plenty of hockey left to play, Espanola’s upward trajectory suggests they’re trending in the right direction — and if they continue this pace, they could push even higher as the playoff race tightens.

Powassan Voodoos (Predicted: 6th | Midseason: 6th)
At the start of the season we had pegged Powassan Voodoos to land around 6th place — a mid-pack finish with room to push toward a playoff spot. As we reach the halfway mark, the Voodoos are indeed sitting in sixth place. That puts them exactly where we expected — not among the contenders at the top, but firmly in playoff contention and within striking distance of teams above them. If they can tighten up defensively, maintain consistency and finish games strong, they still have a solid shot at climbing into the top half as the season moves forward.

Soo Eagles (Predicted: 5th | Midseason: 7th)
Before the start of the 2025 – 2026 NOJHL season, Saultsports predicted that the Soo Eagles would finish around fifth place — a solid middle-of-the-pack show-ing with upside. Instead, at the midway point, the Eagles find themselves sitting in seventh place. That drop means they’re now further down the standings than hoped, and well outside the upper-half positioning we envisioned. For the Eagles to salvage the season and move back toward playoff contention, they’ll need to stabilize their consistency — tighten up defensively, get timely offense, and start turning close games into wins.

Iroquois Falls Storm (Predicted: 10th | Midseason: 8th)
At the start of the season, the Iroquois Falls Storm were projected to finish in tenth place by Saultsports, but halfway through the campaign, they have exceeded expectations and currently sit in eighth in the standings. While still on the lower end of the league table, the Storm have shown signs of improvement and resilience, picking up key wins that have helped them climb out of the cellar. With the second half of the season ahead, they have an opportunity to continue building momentum and potentially challenge teams above them, making the stretch run an intriguing one for fans in Iroquois Falls.

Kirkland Lake Gold Miners (Predicted: 9th | Midseason: 9th)
At the midway mark of the season, the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners find themselves exactly where we projected back in the preseason — sitting in ninth place under rookie head coach Tyler Savard. While the standings position hasn’t shifted, the season has still been one of growth and learning for a young roster and a first-year bench boss finding his footing in the NOJHL. The Gold Miners have shown flashes of competitiveness but haven’t yet found the consistency needed to climb higher. Still, with Savard guiding a developing group and the team battling hard each night, there remains opportunity in the second half to build momentum, tighten up defensively, and try to push their way closer to the middle of the pack.

Blind River Beavers (Predicted: 2nd | Midseason: 10th)
Midway through the season, the Blind River Beavers — once projected to land second in the league — have instead dropped to tenth place in the standings. Despite preseason optimism around their roster and coaching under Kyle Brick, things haven’t gone according to plan. The Beavers are struggling to gain traction, their offense has lacked consistency and special-teams haven’t delivered when it counts. What once looked like a potential playoff push has transformed into a fight to simply climb out of the bottom third of the table. If they want to salvage the season, they’ll need to tighten up defensively, get stronger goaltending, and begin to find the scoring touch that was forecasted in

French River Rapids (Predicted: 11th | Midseason: 11th)
At the start of the season, the French River Rapids were projected to finish in eleventh place, and halfway through the campaign, they found themselves exactly there. The junior ‘A’ hockey program in Noelville, Ontario, has had a challenging start, struggling to find consistency on the ice and facing tough competition throughout the league. While the Rapids have shown flashes of potential, the first half of the season has been a tough stretch, and they will be looking to regroup and gain momentum in the second half to climb the standings and turn their season around.