Thunderbirds staff named to Team NOJHL

When the 2014 Central Canada Cup Challenge kicks off on Nov. 14, three members of the Soo Thunderbirds staff will be a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League entry.

Thunderbirds General Manager Kevin Cain will lead the team as director of operations while Coach Jordan Smith will serve as the team coach. Ryan Maunu, one of Smith’s assistant coaches with the Thunderbirds, will serve in the same capacity with Team NOJHL. Blind River Beavers coach Don Gagnon will also be an assistant coach with Team NOJHL.

The tournament will feature two teams from the Central Canada Hockey League and Quebec Junior Hockey League and four teams from the host league, the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

All nine teams will play in two round robin games each, consisting of two 20-minute periods. All games will take place at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto.

The NOJHL roster for the event will be announced later this month.

Coming off a win on home ice win over the Blind River Beavers on Wednesday night, the Thunderbirds return to action on Friday night when they host the Abitibi Eskimos.

File photo by Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday