NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release date: Monday, March 10, 2014
NOJHL announces 3 Stars of the week
SUDBURY – A trio of Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League goaltenders have earned 3 Stars of the week honours for the period ending March 9.
Kirkland Lake Gold Miners netminder Kenny Fitzgerand, Elliot Lake Bobcats goalkeeper Alex Bitsakis and Soo Thunderbirds stopper Joel Horodziejczyk picked up the accolades for the final week of the regular season, which came to a close Sunday.
KENNY FITZGERALD, (G) KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS – In two road starts last week Fitzgerald won both of them stopping 50 of 53 shots fired his way.
The 19-year-old native of Port Coquitlam, B.C. began by turning aside 29 of 31 attempts he saw in a 4-2 victory in Iroquois Falls vs. the Abitibi Eskimos.
Saturday night he then only allowed one to get by him on 22 shots in an 8-1 triumph over Blind River.
In regular season play Fitzgerald finished fourth overall in goals-against average at 2.06 and third in save percentage at .918. He was also second overall in the NOJHL in wins with 22.
ALEX BITSAKIS, (G) ELLIOT LAKE BOBCATS – Bitsakis, who turned 20 last week, turned in an impressive performance in his only appearance of the week.
The Montreal product was stellar kicking out 38 of the 39 shots he saw in leading Elliot Lake to a hard-fought 2-1 decision over Kirkland Lake on Friday.
Bitsakis’ efforts allowed him to conclude regular season play with the fourth most victories of any goalkeeper in the league at 16.
He also played the third most minutes of any netminder at just under 1,854.
JOEL HORODZIEJCZYK, (G) SOO THUNDERBIRDS – The second-year goaltender capped off a fantastic regular season by posting a shutout in his final start prior to the playoffs.
His fourth game without giving up a goal, which tied him for the league lead, came Saturday as he shut the door on his hometown Sudbury Nickel Barons by a 4-0 count. In all he finished with 19 saves on the night.
The 19-year-old Horodziejczyk, who was named the NOJHL’s most valuable player and a first team all-star led all league backstops in both goals-against average and save percentage at 1.72 and .935 respectively.
The Soo stopper ended regular season action by going unbeaten in his last 27 starts for the Thunderbirds winning 26 times against no losses and one tie.
2013-14 NOJHL 3 Stars of the Week recipients
Week 26
Kenny Fitzgerald, (G) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Alex Bitsakis, (G) Elliot Lake Bobcats
Joel Horodziejczyk, (G) Soo Thunderbirds
Week 25
Andrew Lefebvre, (G) Sudbury Nickel Barons
Jaren Bellini, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Brandon Janke, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Week 24
Joel Horodziejczyk, (G) Soo Thunderbirds
Erik Robichaud, (F) Abitibi Eskimos
Brandon Janke, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Week 23
Jeremy Pominville, (G) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Evan Cormier, (G) North Bay Trappers
Brad Edwards, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Week 22
Jonathon Langford, (D) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Gavin Burbach, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Evan Cormier, (G) North Bay Trappers
Week 21
Darcy Haines, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Samuel Wilbur, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Gavin Burbach, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Week 20
Samuel Wilbur, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Darcy Haines, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Jeremy Pominville, (G) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Week 19
Jeremy Picard-Fiset, (D) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Gavin Burbach, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Dylan Knox, (G) Blind River Beavers
Week 18
Brody Wagner, (G) Abitibi Eskimos
Michael Muzyka, (G) Sudbury Nickel Barons
Eric Hillock, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Week 17
Brett Wagner, (F) Elliot Lake Bobcats
Joel Horodziejczyk, (G) Soo Thunderbirds
Corbin Bean, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Week 16
Anthony Miller, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Robert Smythe, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Austin Rust, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Week 15
Gavin Burbach, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Kyle Bishop, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
James Vuillemot, (D) Elliot Lake Bobcats
Week 14
Darcy Haines, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Tyler Jones, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Landon Hiebert, (F) Abitibi Eskimos
Week 13
Jeremy Picard-Fiset, (D) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Brenden Locke, (F) Abitibi Eskimos
Joey Miller, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Week 12
Darcy Haines, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Brennen Dubchak, (F) Espanola Riverman
Khadyn Butterfly, (D) Sudbury Nickel Barons
Week 11
Samuel Wilbur, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Brady Clouthier, (F) Abitibi Eskimos
Kenny Fitzgerald, (G) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Week 10
Corbin Bean, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Everett Thompson, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Brett Wagner, (F) Elliot Lake Bobcats
Week 9
Michael Muzyka, (G) Sudbury Nickel Barons
Ned Simpson, (D) Elliot Lake Bobcats
Andrew Palushaj, (F) Elliot Lake Bobcats
Week 8
Erik Robichaud, (F) Abitibi Eskimos
Dustin Hummel, (G) North Bay Trappers
Steven Babin, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Week 7
Joel Horodziejczyk, (G) Soo Thunderbirds
Sylvain Miron, (G) Abitibi Eskimos
Joakim Jutras, (G) Espanola Rivermen
Week 6
Joel Horodziejczyk, (G) Soo Thunderbirds
Ryan Scherer, (D) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Owen Headrick, (D) Soo Thunderbirds
Week 5
Joel Horodziejczyk, (G) Soo Thunderbirds
Giovanni Foschia, (F) Sudbury Nickel Barons
Grant Syrette, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Week 4
Brennen Dubchak, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Etienne Roy, (G) Elliot Lake Bobcats
Steven Babin, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Week 3
Gavin Burbach, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Kyle Baril, (F) North Bay Trappers
Ben Miller, (F) Abitibi Eskimos
Week 2
Brennen Dubchak, (F) Espanola Rivermen
Jeremy Picard-Fiset, (D) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Anthony Miller, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
Week 1
Mathieu Lecompte, (F) Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Tyler Shanush, (F) Blind River Beavers
Matt Young, (G) Blind River Beavers
