NOJHL 9: Nine NOJHLers making an impact on their clubs

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MEDIA UPDATE

Release Date: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015

NOJHL 9: Nine NOJHLers making an impact on their clubs

SUDBURY – A look at nine players in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, who are currently making an impact on their respective clubs:

Abitibi Eskimos: Brady Clouthier, Forward

The veteran forward from Almonte, Ont., shares the league-lead in points and point-per-game average with 87 and 1.98 respectively. … Currently tops all NOJHL skaters in assists with 48. … Has a five-game point streak intact. … Has only been held pointless in six of the 44 contests he has played in overall. … He has had point streaks of five games of more five times so far this season. … In 94 career NOJHL contests, Clouthier has scored 69 times and assisted on 84 others. … He also has 16 power play tallies along with 12 game-winning markers to his credit in his NOJHL career.

Blind River Beavers: Nathan Hans, Forward

While it has been a difficult campaign on the ice for the Beavers in 2014-15, the compete level from the vast majority of players on the roster has continued to be there on most nights. …  Included in that group is Blind River forward Nathan Hans. … Like Clouthier, Hans hails from Alomonte, Ont. … He shares the team lead in goals with 11. … He also sits second on the Beavers in offensive production with 23 points. … Hans, who turned 19 earlier this month, has seen action in 45 of the team’s 47 games to date. He is also tied for the Blind River lead in both power play and shorthanded tallies. … Hans has eight points in his past eight outings.

Cochrane Crunch: Cody Gratton, Forward

Leads the NOJHL in goals with 52. … The 20-year-old Sudbury product became the 40th player in recorded league history to reach the half century mark in tallies in a single season. … Is presently tied for 32nd all-time in the NOJHL record books in markers in one year. … Only the third player in the past 13 NOJHL seasons to score 50 or more. … Is tops in the NOJHL in both shorthanded and game-winning goals with 11 in each category. … Shares the overall league-lead in points with 87. … Has registered three or more points in 17 games during the 2014-15 season.

Elliot Lake Wildcats: Nathan Campbell, Defence

Campbell’s sophomore campaign in the NOJHL has been solid as he has helped anchor the first-year Elliot Lake Wildcats both defensively and offensively. … Has suited up in all 48 games his squad has played to date this season. …Tops all blueliners on the Wildcats in scoring, averaging a point-per-game with 48 in as many outings. … The 19-year-old from Toronto has scored 20 times and doled out 28 helpers. … Elliot Lake has gone 25-5-1 in games he registers at least one point. … Currently leads all everyday NOJHL defencemen in goals and points. … Sits second among D-men in power play efforts with eight. … Has easily surpassed his rookie totals from a year ago in goals, assists and points. … One of three players in the NOJHL 9 list (Clouthier, Gratton) that represented the league at the Central Canada Cup Challenge in Toronto earlier this season.

Kirkland Lake Gold Miners: Josh Erickson, Goaltender

Since joining the defending NOJHL champion Gold Miners early in October from the AJHL, the 20-year-old netminder from Woodbury, Minn., has posted some impressive numbers for Kirkland Lake. … Erickson leads all goalkeepers in the league in both goals-against average and save percentage at 2.25 and .921 respectively. … He also paces all NOJHL stoppers in victories with 21 in 29 appearances, which also includes five defeats and two ties. … He has one shutout to his credit. … Erickson has allowed two or fewer goals in 17 of the contests he has played. … In 15 times in net for Kirkland Lake he has finished with 25 saves or more. … Erickson has had two unbeaten streaks of seven games or longer with the club to date in 2014-15. … Four of his five setbacks this season have been by just one goal, including three 2-1 results and a 1-0 setback in his last start. … He has been named one of the EASTLINK TV 3 Stars of the week three times so far this season.

Powassan Voodoos: Steve Harland, Forward

Fresh off an impressive consecutive-game point streak of 31 straight outings, Harland has been an offensive force for the first-year Powassan Voodoos. … During the course of his streak the 18-year-old from Scarborough, Ont., racked up 71 points on 34 goals and 37 assists going nearly four months since previously being held pointless back on Oct. 31. … Included in his efforts was a stretch in which he tallied in nine straight outings and another where he scored in seven straight match-ups. … Harland also had multi-point nights in 23 of the 31 games during the streak and currently leads all rookies in the entire 129-team Canadian Junior Hockey League in point-per-game average at 1.83. … He sits third overall in league scoring with 86 points just one behind the league leaders. … He is tied for second in the NOJHL in goals (42) and assists (44).

Mattawa Blackhawks: Nick Grose, Defence

Mattawa defenceman Nick Grose is one of two players on the Blackhawks roster that has dressed for every game to date. … Having played in each of his club’s 47 contests entering action this week, the 19-year-old blueliner, who calls Fairfax, Virginia home, has recorded 30 points on four goals and 26 assists. … His totals lead all D-men on the Mattawa roster. … Grose is also tied for fourth on the squad in scoring. … He has easily surpassed his offensive totals he picked up last season when he tallied three times and had no assists in 41 games while skating for the North Bay Trappers. … Grose had a career-high five assists in a game back in October in a triumph over new rival Powassan. … He has seven multi-point nights to his credit so far during the course of the 2014-15 campaign with the Blackhawks. … Of his four tallies, three have been on the power play while one was a game-winner.

Soo Thunderbirds: Nicolas Tassone, Forward

Skating for his hometown Thunderbirds in Sault Ste. Marie, the veteran forward is in his last season of Jr. A hockey. … Tassone leads the T-Birds in scoring with 65 points. … That also has him sixth overall in the NOJHL. … He registered his 30th goal of the season this past weekend. … Tassone’s tally total also places him sixth among all skaters in the league. … Four of his markers have come while the Thunderbirds have been shorthanded, which puts him in a share for second in the entire NOJHL. … Tassone has 22 multi-point efforts to his credit in the 2014-15 campaign. … The Thunderbirds have gone an impressive 27-2-4 in games in which he registers at least one point so far this season. … Tassone’s next regular season contest will mark his 150th in the league. … In his first 149 NOJHL games, he has scored 64 times and set-up 69 others for 133 points. … 101 of those match-ups have been with the T-Birds as have 48 of the goals and 59 assists. … The rest were with Elliot Lake in 2011-12.

Sudbury Nickel Barons: Kyle Fransen, Defence

Spending much of the 2014-15 season patrolling the blueline for the Nickel Barons, Fransen has also seen some time at forward for his team. … Having just turned 20 last month, Fransen skates for the side that is also his hometown of Sudbury. … He leads all rearguards on the club in scoring with 37 points in just 41 games. … His totals also leave him third overall in team offensive numbers. … Fransen has scored seven times while also dishing out 30 assists. … His 30 helpers pace all players on the Nickel Barons roster. … Of the seven markers he has to his credit, four have come while his side has been on a power play. … His man advantage totals tie him for third best on the squad. … Fransen has 10 multi-point contests to his credit so far this season. … Sudbury has posted a record of 9-0-1-0 in those 10 games in which he has picked up multiple points.

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