By Matt Stefano
The Soo Thunderbirds are now officially on Christmas break after completing the 2022 portion of their 2022-2023 season.
And as we take a little bit of time off away from the rink for now, let’s take a look at the Soo Thunderbirds 2022 Christmas break report – By The Numbers.
Here are numbers 1-21:
1. Rookie forward Jackson Truchan currently sits first among all NOJHL rookies in goals this season with 15.
The Farmington Hills, Michigan native recorded his 15th goal of the season in last Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Blind River Beavers in Blind River.
2. This year, the Soo Thunderbirds have two 2022 Ontario Hockey League draft picks on their roster, including goaltender Landon Miller and defenceman Brodie McConnell-Barker.
Miller and McConnell-Barker were both drafted by the Soo Greyhounds in the 2022 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
3. Three is the number of goalies that the Soo Thunderbirds have on their current roster.
Those three goalies are Landon Miller, Kolton Bourret and Noah Zeppa.
4. So far this season, the Soo Thunderbirds have won four games that were decided in overtime.
The Thunderbirds, who have four overtime wins this season, currently have more overtime wins than any other team this season in the NOJHL.
5. So far this season, the Soo Thunderbirds have had two players on their roster that have recorded five-point games.
Those two players are forwards Wyatt Marlow and Justin Mauro.
Marlow and Mauro recorded five points each in the Thunderbirds 10-2 victory over the Soo Eagles back on Friday, December 2 at the John Rhodes.
6. In their final home game before the Christmas break back on Wednesday, December 14, the Soo Thunderbirds put up six goals as they defeated the Elliot Lake Red Wings by a score of 6-1.
During that game, the Thunderbirds also got goals from six different players, including Daniel Beaupre, Austin Fellinger, Samuel Lake, Brodie McConnell-Barker, Ethan Novello and Dharan Cap.
7. After defeating the Blind River Beavers by a score of 4-1 last Saturday night in Blind River, the Soo Thunderbirds have extended their winning streak to seven games.
The Thunderbirds, who have now entered the Christmas break on a seven-game winning streak, are also currently the hottest team in the entire NOJHL.
8. No. 8 is the number that forward Daniel Beaupre wears on the back of his jersey with the Soo Thunderbirds.
Beaupre, who began this season wearing No. 19, then decided to switch to No. 8 after the T-Birds acquired forward Justin Mauro in mid November.
9. Since signing with the Soo Thunderbirds in early October, rookie goaltender Landon Miller has recorded 9 wins in 13 games played.
Miller, who has 9 wins so far this season, has also got some playing time this month with the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds.
10. Ten is the most goals that the Soo Thunderbirds have put up in a single game this season.
Their 10-goal-game, came in their 10-2 victory over the Soo Eagles back on Friday, December 2 at the John Rhodes.
11. After putting up 3 goals in 5 games at the beginning of this season with the Timmins Rock, Thunderbirds newly acquired forward Daniel Beaupre has so far scored 8 times in 23 games with the Soo, giving him a total of 11 goals on the season.
Beaupre, who has 11 goals on the season, also has a pair of multi-goal games this season with the Thunderbirds.
12. Twelve is the number that Thunderbirds rookie defenceman Austin Fellinger wears on the back of jersey.
Fellinger, who wears No. 12, is also an 2021 eleventh round pick of the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds.
13. After picking up an assist in last Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Blind River Beavers in Blind River, Thunderbirds second-year defenceman Kolby Fellinger has now given himself 13 points on the season.
Fellinger, who has 13 points heading into the Christmas break, has already tied his point-total from his rookie season in 2021-2022.
14. In his first and only game played with the Soo Thunderbirds back on Saturday, November 19 against Greater Sudbury, Thunderbirds affiliate player Gabe Palumbo decided to wear No. 14 during that game on the back of his jersey.
During that game back on Saturday, November 19, Palumbo recorded his first NOJHL goal in the Thunderbirds 6-3 loss to the Greater Sudbury Cubs.
15. After wearing No. 8 on the back of his jersey at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 season, Thunderbirds second-year forward Samuel Lake has decided to switch from wearing No. 8 to wearing No. 15 for the 2022-2023 season.
Lake, who now wears No. 15, currently has 8 points, including 4 goals and 4 assists in 23 games played this season.
16. So far in his NOJHL career, Thunderbirds assistant captain Michael Chaffay has had a total of sixteen career multi-point games.
Chaffay’s sixteenth career multi-point game, came in the Thunderbirds 4-3 overtime victory against the Hearst Lumberjacks back on Sunday, October 16 at the John Rhodes.
During that game, Chaffay set up two goals, including the overtime-winner, which was scored by Wyatt Marlow.
17. This season, the Soo Thunderbirds only have a total of two 17-year-old players on their current roster, including goaltender Kolton Bourret and defenceman Austin Fellinger.
Bourret and Fellinger, who are both 2005-birth-year players, are also both 2021 Ontario Hockey League draft picks.
Bourret was taken in the 15th round by the North Bay Battalion while Fellinger was taken in the 11th round by the Soo Greyhounds.
18. Eighteen is the number of goals that Thunderbirds forward Dharan Cap has put up so far this season.
Cap, who has 18 goals, also sits tied for third in league goals with Hearst Lumberjacks forward Mason Svarich.
19. Nineteen is the number that Thunderbirds forward Wyatt Marlow wears on the back of his jersey.
Since signing with the Soo Thunderbirds back on October 2, Marlow has recorded 23 points in 21 games played.
20. Heading into the Christmas break, the Soo Thunderbirds have a total of eight players on their roster that have so far recorded twenty points or more this season.
Those eight players are Dharan Cap (38), Jackson Truchan (28), Youssef Chaouachi (28), Michael Chaffay (24), Wyatt Marlow (23), Brodie McConnell-Barker (23), Brock Santa Maria (22) and Daniel Beaupre (20).
21. That’s the number of wins the Soo Thunderbirds currently have so far this season.
The Soo is currently sitting in third place in the NOJHL’s West Division standings with a record of 21 wins, 9 losses, 2 overtime losses and 1 shootout loss, good for 45 points.
(Photo credit to Bob Davies)
