Cubs host Thunderbirds on BELL Let’s Talk Night

Sudbury, ON – The Greater Sudbury Cubs take on the Soo Thunderbirds for the third time this season on BELL Let’s Talk Night – the first game of the two teams’ home-and-home battle before the Cubs visit the T-Birds tomorrow night in Sault Ste. Marie. This is the second time Sudbury has hosted the Sault this season.

Greater Sudbury remains tied with the Blind River Beavers for most points in the NOJHL (62) and continue to sit in a 15^th placed ranking in the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Top 20 Rankings – Fueled by Gatorade. The Cubs continue to be a dominant force, leading the league in Goals For (191) and third in the league in Goals Against (111). The Cubs enter tonight on a three-game win streak and are 7-1-1-1 in their last 10 games.

The Thunderbirds come into the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex winners of four of their last five games after suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Soo Eagles on January 13, and are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10 games.

Previous meetings

This is only the third meeting between these two teams this season with the Cubs falling in both games and now have a 10-8-2-0 record over the last five seasons against the Thunderbirds. In their first meeting this season on October 19, 2023, Greater Sudbury’s comeback efforts fell short as they lost a narrow 4-3 game despite third period goals from Brock Houser and Nolan Newton. Less than a month later, on Remembrance Day, the Cubs visited Sault Ste. Marie and were greeted with a 5-2 loss and struggled with late-game penalty trouble. 

Player to watch (Sudbury)

Noah Metivier (04-G) – The Sault Ste. Marie native faces his hometown and former team for the third time this season, and if third time’s the charm, the 19-year-old will look to get third time lucky and improve upon his 14-4-0-1 record despite being 0-2-0-0 against the Thunderbirds this season. With 12 career shutouts, Metivier now holds sole possession of second all-time on the NOJHL shutouts list passing fellow Sault native Brandon Gordon (11).

Player to watch (Sault Ste. Marie)

Jackson Truchan (03-F) – The 20-year-old is two points shy of 100 career NOJHL points (40 G, 58 A – 98 Pts) in 72 career games and is expected to reach the 80-point mark this season. The Farmington Hills, MI, native enters tonight on a 15-game point streak where he’s produced 28 points (9 G, 19 A – 28 Pts) in that span.

BEAR FACTS

LEADING SCORERS – SUDBURY

1. Oliver Smith (03-F) – 39 GP – 30 G – 38 A – 68 Pts [3 PPG – 12 PPA – 1 SHA – 5 GWG]
2. * Hudson Chitaroni (07-F) – 36 GP – 22 G – 27 A – 49 Pts [6 PPG – 7 PPA – 1 SHA – 2 GWG]
3. Samuel Assinewai (04-F) – 25 GP – 15 G – 27 A – 42 Pts [3 PPG – 5 PPA – 1 GWG]
4. Nolan Newton (06-F) – 17 GP – 19 G – 20 A – 39 Pts [6 PPG – 4 PPA – 3 GWG]
5. Cameron Shanks (04-F) – 37 GP – 10 G – 21 A – 31 Pts [1 PPA – 1 SHG – 1 SHA – 2 GWG]

* rookie

LEADING SCORERS – SAULT STE. MARIE

1. * Jacob Smith (06-F) – 35 GP – 17 G – 27 A – 44 Pts [6 PPG – 9 PPA – 1 SHA]
2. Jackson Truchan (03-F) – 25 GP – 14 G – 27 A – 41 Pts [5 PPG – 12 PPA – 4 GWG]
3. Grayson Ebrahim (04-F) – 33 GP – 18 G – 20 A – 38 Pts [10 PPG – 7 PPA – 1 SHG – 5 GWG]
4. * James Legler (05-F) – 35 GP – 7 G – 28 A – 35 Pts [1 PPG – 7 PPA]
5. Daniel Beaupre (03-F) – 35 GP – 12 G – 19 A – 31 Pts [2 PPG – 4 PPA – 2 SHG]

* rookie

LAST FIVE GAMES – SUDBURY

1. 3-1 W @ French River (14-01-24)
2. 5-3 W vs Powassan (11-01-24)
3. 7-5 W @ Powassan (06-01-24)
4. 6-5 OTL vs Espanola (04-01-24)
5. 4-3 W vs Soo Eagles (15-12-23)

LAST FIVE GAMES – SAULT STE. MARIE

1. 3-2 L vs Soo Eagles (13-01-24)
2. 6-3 W @ Elliot Lake (12-01-24)
3. 12-1 W vs Elliot Lake (06-01-24)
4. 2-1 W @ Soo Eagles (05-01-24)
5. 3-2 W @ Soo Eagles (16-12-23)

GOALIE STATS – SUDBURY

1. Noah Metivier (04-G) – 27 GP – 19 W – 4 L – 1 SOL – 2 SO – 2.84 GAA – 0.915 SV%
2. Noah Beaulne (04-G) – 16 GP – 11 W – 3 L – 1 OTL – 2.60 GAA – 0.909 SV%
3. Matthew Vahramian (06-G) – 18 GP – 3 W – 11 L – 2 SOL – 4.70 GAA – 0.885 SV%

GOALIE STATS – SAULT STE. MARIE

1. Kolton Bourret (05-G) – 17 GP – 12 W – 5 L – 2.41 GAA – 0.921 SV%
2. * Maverick Fletcher (06-G) – 10 GP – 6 W – 3 L – 2.85 GAA – 0.883 SV%
3. * Troy Rossetto (05-G) – 2 GP – 0 W – 1 L – 1 OTL – 5.99 GAA – 0.793 SV%

* rookie

POINT STREAKS OR RECORDS – SUDBURY

1. Mason Chitaroni (04-D) – With points in seven of his last 10 games, accumulating two goals and six assists in that span, the 19-year-old defenceman now has 18 points (4 G, 14 A – 18 Pts) in 25 games played this season.
2. Brady Bouchard (05-D) – Showing his versatility this season playing both the defence and forward positions on a situational basis this season, the Sudbury, ON, native has points in back-to-back games entering tonight, breaking a 10-game pointless drought.
3. Oliver Smith (03-F) – Just one point shy of tying his NOJHL career high 69 points (30 G, 38 A – 68 Pts), the 20-year-old forward has been tearing it up since the end of November entering tonight on a 12-game point streak with 12 goals and 13 assists, good for 25 points in that stretch.

POINT STREAKS OR RECORDS – SAULT STE. MARIE

1. Grayson Ebrahim (04-F) – The newly-turned 20-year-old enters tonight on a three-game point streak where the forward has put up eight points in that span (2 G, 6 A – 8 Pts).
2. Samuel Lake (04-F) – The Sault Ste. Marie, ON, native enters tonight on a three-game point streak accumulating three goals and one assists in that span. The 19-year-old is four points shy (9 G, 8 A – 17 Pts) of tying his NOJHL career point total (21) and is just two goals shy of tying his NOJHL career goal total (11)
3. Declan Gallivan (07-D) – Averaging a point-per-game, the 17-year-old D-man and Sault native is chipping in where it matters most with four goals and 14 assists in just 18 games played this season.