Trappers 9th; Thunderbirds 12th in CJHL winning percentage

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE

Release Date: Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013

Trappers 9th; Thunderbirds 12th in CJHL winning percentage

SUDBURY — Of the 127 teams that currently comprise the Canadian Junior Hockey League, you’ll find that the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League currently boasts two clubs among the top 10 percent overall as well as the top 15 nationally when it comes to winning percentage.

The North Bay Trappers, who presently lead the NOJHL standings, boasts the ninth-best win mark in the CJHL at .767.

Meanwhile the Soo Thunderbirds, who sit in second spot in the league and are the defending NOJHL and Dudley-Hewitt Cup champions, sit 12th in the CJHL in winning percentage at .738.

Both those totals are good enough to place them in the top 10% in the CJHL.

North Bay, who reached the 30-win plateau Friday with a 4-3 overtime victory over Sudbury, tops the NOJHL table with 66 points in 43 games.

This is the first time since the 2007-08 campaign that the Trappers have been alone in first place in the league overall standings.

As for the Thunderbirds, they sit just four points back with 62 after just 42 contests heading into a Saturday home game vs. Blind River.

North Bay, who will host the 2013 Dudley-Hewitt Cup, could very well see some of the premier CJHL winning percentage leaders joining them at the Central Canadian Jr. A championship, which runs April 30 through May 4 at the venerable Memorial Gardens.

Of the top 20 CJHL squads, in regard to winning percentage, seven of those teams, including the Trappers, are eligible to represent their respective leagues at the DHC.

If that holds to form hockey fans in North Bay will have an opportunity to witness some elite-level Jr. A hockey.

Joining the host Trappers at the Dudley-Hewitt will be either the NOJHL champion or finalist should North Bay go on to capture the title along with the winners of the Superior International Junior and Ontario Junior Hockey Leagues.

The Minnesota Wilderness currently tops the CJHL in winning percentage at .931. They have been the hottest team in all of Jr. A hockey for the past four months having not lost a game in regulation time since all the way back on Oct. 24 of 2012.

To date the two-time defending SIJHL champions are riding a 15-game winning streak while also going 33-0-0-1 overall since that last defeat in regulation. They have been tabbed the No. 2 team in the CJHL weekly top 20 rankings, which are compiled in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting, for 11 consecutive weeks.

Meanwhile four OJHL clubs are among the top 20 overall, including the Trenton Golden Hawks who sit eighth nationally, just ahead of the Trappers, with a win mark of .769. They just captured the OJHL regular season title Friday evening.

Rounding out the other OJHL teams in the top 20 win percentage leaders are the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (.731), Georgetown Raiders (.722) and St. Michael’s Buzzers (.704) who sit 13th, 16th and 19th respectively.

The Brook Bandits (AJHL) are second overall in CJHL winning percentage at .921 followed by the 2013 Royal Bank Cup host Summerside Western Capitals (MHL) in third at .826.

The following is the CJHL winning percentage leaders featuring those clubs with a .650 win mark or higher.