Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
The Soo Thunderbirds opened the 2026–2027 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League season on a winning note Saturday night, earning a hard-fought 4–3 victory over the Hearst Lumberjacks in the first game of a back-to-back weekend in Hearst.
The Thunderbirds came out strong in the opening period, grabbing the game’s first goal at 10:17. Sean Gresko opened his 2026–2027 campaign in style, scoring his first goal of the season unassisted to give Sault Ste. Marie an early 1–0 lead.
The Thunderbirds carried that advantage into the second period before rookie forward Makks Demidovich doubled the lead at 9:59. Demidovich scored his first goal of the season and, more importantly, his first Junior ‘A’ goal, finishing off a shorthanded opportunity with an assist from Jackson Mead.
Hearst answered shortly after, with Luc Warner scoring his first of the season at 13:31 to cut the Thunderbirds’ lead to 2–1. Cameron Menard and Owen Kahl picked up the assists.
Sault Ste. Marie responded just 19 seconds later.
At 13:50, Jackson Mead found the back of the net for his first goal of the season and second point of the game, restoring the Thunderbirds’ two-goal cushion. Landon Hill earned the assist as the Thunderbirds headed into the second intermission leading 3–1.
The Lumberjacks refused to go quietly in the third period. With just 1:02 remaining, Kadin Bilajbegovic scored his first goal of the season, with Julien Trudel recording the assist, bringing Hearst within one at 3–2.
As the clock wound down, the Lumberjacks pulled their goaltender in favour of the extra attacker in search of the equalizer.
With just four-tenths of a second remaining, Thunderbirds forward Nicholas Carlson put the game away, scoring his first goal of the season into the empty net to make it 4–2.
Hearst would add one more late goal, but the Thunderbirds held on to secure the 4–3 season-opening victory.
Goaltender Cam Boville played a key role in the win for Sault Ste. Marie, turning aside 17 of the 19 shots he faced. At the other end of the ice, Hearst netminder Jack Helkie stopped 36 of 39 Thunderbirds shots.
The victory gives the Thunderbirds an early 1–0 record to begin the new NOJHL season and provides plenty of momentum heading into the second half of the weekend.
There will be little time to rest, however, as the Thunderbirds and Lumberjacks will meet again Sunday afternoon, September 13, in Hearst for the second game of the back-to-back.
With both teams looking to make an early statement in the 2026–2027 NOJHL campaign, the Thunderbirds will look to complete the weekend sweep and return home with two victories to open the season.
