Henderson joins OHL scouting staff

A familiar face in local hockey circles has joined the scouting staff of the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s.

The 67’s announced on Friday that Jamie Henderson has officially joined the team as its Northern Ontario scout.

The opportunity to join the 67’s, a team that has built a strong reputation in recent years, was one that was exciting for Henderson.

“That was the appeal for sure,” Henderson said. “I’ve gotten to know the management team there over the past few years, going back to when they drafted Jack (Matier). When you have an opportunity like that to work with great people like that and for a first class organization, it’s a great opportunity.”

“Utilizing his coaching experience and resources, Jamie has proven to be a great source of information on players,” 67’s general manager James Boyd said in a prepared statement. “We are excited to formally add Jamie to our scouting staff, so he can continue to help us identify, and support our players and draft picks in Northern Ontario.”

Henderson has served as coach of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds Great North U18 League team since 2017 and was named general manager of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds over the summer.

Henderson’s role with the Thunderbirds also included serving as an assistant coach on the staff of new bench boss Cole Jarrett.

“It’s going to be busy,” Henderson joked when asked about the added role.

Henderson said the roles with the Jr. Greyhounds and Thunderbirds will be helpful in seeing many players from across the north.

Being around the rink already, Henderson added that he’s excited to learn a new side of the game as well,

“When you’re at the rink that much, you have to love to do it and I love to do it,” Henderson said. “It was an opportunity to learn a different side of things, but also bring my experiences as well. We share a lot of the same values in terms of evaluating players and what we find is important in young players.”

In addition to previous experience with the Thunderbirds, Henderson has also served as director of hockey operations with the Lake Superior State Lakers men’s hockey team.