SUDBURY – It is now just over a week away from the start of preseason play in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League as member clubs will take to the ice in efforts to formulate their rosters for the start of the 2014-15 campaign.
Of note, two additional preseason contests have been added to the slate bringing the total number of exhibition match-ups to 12.
That pair of games will see the Abitibi Eskimos and the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners tangling in a second two-game set Aug. 27-28.
The opening contest will go on the 27th at Jus Jordan Arena in Iroquois Falls before shifting to the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in Kirkland Lake the following evening in a pair of 7:30 p.m. starts.
They will also compete in a home-and-home Aug. 21-22.
The following is the current NOJHL preseason schedule: (As of Aug. 13)
| DATE | VISITOR | HOME | TIME | ARENA |
| Thursday, Aug. 21 | Mattawa Blackhawks | Cochrane Crunch | 7:30 p.m. | Tim Horton Event Centre |
| Friday, Aug. 22 | Mattawa Blackhawks | Cochrane Crunch | 7:30 p.m. | Tim Horton Event Centre |
| Friday, Aug. 22 | Abitibi Eskimos | Kirkland Lake Gold Miners | 7:30 p.m. | Joe Mavrinac Community Complex |
| Saturday, Aug. 23 | Kirkland Lake Gold Miners | Abitibi Eskimos | 7:30 p.m. | Jus Jordan Arena |
| Wednesday, Aug. 27 | Cochrane Crunch | Powassan Voodoos | 2:30 p.m. | Powassan Sportsplex |
| Wednesday, Aug. 27 | Kirkland Lake Gold Miners | Abitibi Eskimos | 7:30 p.m. | Jus Jordan Arena |
| Thursday, Aug. 28 | Abitibi Eskimos | Kirkland Lake Gold Miners | 7:30 p.m. | Joe Mavrinac Community Complex |
| Saturday, Aug. 30 | Powassan Voodoos | Cochrane Crunch | 7:30 p.m. | NEW LISKEARD |
| Saturday, Aug. 30 | Soo Thunderbirds | Elliot Lake Wildcats | 7:30 p.m. | Centennial Arena |
| Sunday, Aug. 31 | Blind River Beavers | Powassan Voodoos | 5:30 p.m. | Powassan Sportsplex |
| Friday, Sept. 5 | Soo Thunderbirds | Soo Eagles (NAHL) | 7:30 p.m. | Pullar Stadium (Rollie King Cup) |
| Saturday, Sept. 6 | Soo Thunderbirds | Soo Eagles (NAHL) | 7 p.m. | Pullar Stadium (Rollie King Cup) |
REGULAR SEASON: We are just three weeks away from the commencement of regular season action in the NOJHL.
The 2014-15 season opener is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 3 as the Sudbury Nickel Barons will host the Mattawa Blackhawks in a 7:30 p.m. start at McClelland Arena.
One night later the newly minted Cochrane Crunch will make their debut in league action with points on the line as the welcome Mattawa to the Tim Horton Event Centre at 7:30 p.m.
The first Friday action on the NOJHL schedule is Sept. 5 and will feature the defending champion Kirkland Lake Gold Miners hosting the Blackhawks at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in a 7:30 p.m. face-off.
That same night Cochrane is back on home ice as they will welcome the Powassan Voodoos for their initial NOJHL match-up.
Opening week play will then conclude Sept. 6 as Powassan pays a visit to Iroquois Falls to square off with the Abitibi Eskimos at 7:30 p.m. at Jus Jordan Arena.
FASTHockey: Each and every NOJHL regular season and playoff game will be available online, on a pay-per-view basis, via the FASTHockey link on the league website at www.nojhl.com.
Games will also be scored live online throughout the season on the NOJHL website courtesy of the league’s statistical provider Sport Ngin.
PLAYOFFS: All nine NOJHL clubs will qualify for the postseason.
In the league’s western division the No. 1 seed there will take on the No. 4 team in one divisional semifinal while No. 2 will take on No. 3 in the other.
Meanwhile in the NOJHL east the fourth and fifth place sides meet in a best-of-three qualification series with the winner there meeting the No. 1 seed in the division semfinal.
Like the west, No. 2 squares off with No. 3 in the other divisional semifinal.
DUDLEY-HEWITT CUP: Once a NOJHL playoff champion is eventually crowned that team will then advance to represent the league at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship.
The 2015 DHC will be hosted by the Fort Frances Lakers of the Superior International Junior Hockey League April 28 through May 2 at the Ice for Kids Arena.
Joining the NOJHL champions and host Lakers will be the title holders of the SIJHL, or league finalist should Fort Frances, repeat as SIJHL champions, and the winner of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The NOJHL is scheduled to host the Dudley-Hewitt Cup in 2016.
RBC CUP: The Dudley-Hewitt Cup champion will then be off to Portage la Prairie, Man., May 9-17 to compete in the 2015 RBC Cup Canadian Jr. A event.
Serving as host of the RBC will be the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
They will be joined by the Dudley-Hewitt winner as well as the recipient of the Fred Page Cup eastern Canadian tournament as well as the winner and finalist of the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup.
