NOJHL Notebook: Commitment list expands to 30

SUDBURY, Ont. – Four more players from the 2019-20 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League campaign have earned the opportunity to continue their education while also playing university hockey when play resumes.

Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., has secured a pair of NOJHLers as both Espanola Express defenceman Collin McGuire and Kirkland Lake Gold Miners forward Max Newnam have both committed to the Bisons program, who compete in the NCAA D-III ranks in the eight-school Commonwealth Coastal Conference in New England.

Meanwhile, another blueliner in Justin Miron of the Hearst Lumberjacks, will be off to the University of Moncton in New Brunswick to be part of Blue Eagles, who play out of Atlantic University Sport in the Maritimes.

Then there is another member of the Gold Miners, forward Cameron Neaylon, who will attend Grand Canyon U. in Phoenix, Ariz., with the Lopes being members of the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

McGuire, who hails from Bloomington, Minn., spent three seasons in the NOJHL, featuring the final two of his Jr. A career in Espanola.

Overall he appeared in 112 league outings with the stay-at-home type rearguard collecting 15 points on six goals and nine assists while bolstering his club’s defensive corps.

Miron, a 100-game man in the NOJHL with Hearst, produced 41 points from the backend on 10 tallies and 31 assists in two seasons in the league.

This included the 21-year-old Mirabel, Que., product being part of Hearst’s 2018-19 league championship side.

As for Newnam, he just turned 21 in late May and skated for two years in Kirkland Lake.

Appearing in 97 match-ups with 75 with the Gold Miners and 22 more with the Powassan Voodoos, the Easton, Maryland native had 65 points on 29 goals and 36 assists.

Newnam had personal single-season highs in 2019-20 with K-L in tallies, helpers and points with 14, 21 and 35 respectively.

Meanwhile, Neaylon appeared in 48 games with the Gold Miners in 2019-20 and was a solid contributor, notching a dozen markers and helping set-up 21 more for 33 points.

The 20-year-old Neaylon hails from Newark, Calif.

These latest additions currently brings the NOJHL commitment list for the season to 30.

With files from David Harrison, NOJHL Historian

NOJHL commitment tracker (As of June 3/20)

BLIND RIVER BEAVERS

Jackson Hjelle, (G) Gustavus Adolphus (MIAC)
Kyle Quinn, (F) UNLV (ACHA)
Dominic Boily, (G) Maryville (ACHA)
David Campbell, (F) North Bay (OHL)
Lucas Adams, (F) Maryville (ACHA)
Caleb Serre, (F) Laurentian (OUA)

COCHRANE CRUNCH

T.B.A.

ELLIOT LAKE WILDCATS

Connor Taylor, (F) Northland College (WIAC)

ESPANOLA EXPRESS
Mattais Salem, (D) Laurentian (OUA)
Zachary Matyasik, (F) Northland College (WIAC)
Collin McGuire, (D) Nichols College (CCC)

FRENCH RIVER RAPIDS
T.B.A.

HEARST LUMBERJACKS
Spencer Silver, (F) Plattsburgh (SUNYAC)
Max Griffioen, (F) Nipissing (OUA)
Justin Miron, (D) Moncton (AUS)

KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS
Max Newnam, (F) Nichols College (CCC)
Cameron Neaylon, (F) Grand Canyon (ACHA)

POWASSAN VOODOOS
Parker Bowman, (F) Nipissing (OUA)
Riley Pitt, (D) Oshawa (OHL)
Jack Craycroft, (D) Iowa State (ACHA)

RAYSIDE-BALFOUR CANADIANS

Zacharie Giroux, (F) Flint (OHL)
Brett Jacklin, (F) Laurentian (OUA)
Mitchell Martin, (F) Kitchener (OHL)
Cameron Lamour, (G) North Bay (OHL)
Giordano Biondi, (F) Sudbury (OHL)
David Bowen, (G) Drummondville (QMJHL)
Cameron Lamour, (G) North Bay (OHL)
Benjamin Hatanaka, (F) Laurentian (OUA)

SOO EAGLES

Jake Lamberty, (F) Northland College (WIAC)
Shane Brancato, (G) Trine (NCHA)
Joel Brandinger, (F) Tufts (NESCAC)

SOO THUNDERBIRDS
T.B.A.

TIMMINS ROCK
Josh Anderson, (D) Nipissing (OUA)