Can’t wait until the NOJHL kicks off the 2017-18 season on September 7th?

The league’s exhibition schedule has been released in full…and there’s lots of hockey across our region to wet your hockey palate.

The Timmins Rock will play two games, a home-and-home against the Hearst Lumberjacks.

First, they’ll play at the McIntyre Arena on Thursday, August 31st at 7:00pm. And then in Hearst on Sunday, September 3rd, a 7:00pm start at the Claude Larose Arena.

The Lumberjacks, meantime, host the Cochrane Crunch on Wednesday, August 30th at 7:00pm.

And the Crunch will play host to the 2nd Annual “Polar Bear Classic” from September 1-3, featuring games at both the Junior A and Midget AAA levels.

Four teams are competing at each level in a round robin format. Games will go from the Tim Horton Event Centre in Cochrane, and the Jus Jordan Arena in Iroquois Falls.

At the Junior A level, the Crunch will tangle with the Espanola Express, Kirkland Lake Gold Miners and the Kingston Voyageurs of the OJHL. The Voyageurs return after claiming last year’s title.

At the Midget AAA level, it’ll be the Timmins Majors, Kapuskasing Flyers, Rouyn-Noranda Citadelle and Soo Thunderbirds.

The following is the Polar Bear Classic schedule

(* – Midget “AAA” round robin; ** – Junior A round robin)
Friday, September 1st

  • Rouyn-Noranda vs. Timmins (2:00pm in Cochrane)*
  • Kingston vs. Kirkland Lake (4:00pm in Cochrane)**
  • Soo Thunderbirds vs. Kapuskasing (6:00pm in Cochrane)*
  • Espanola vs. Cochrane (8:00pm in Cochrane)**

Saturday, September 2nd

  • Kapuskasing vs. Timmins (10:00am in Iroquois Falls)*
  • Soo Thunderbirds vs. Rouyn-Noranda (10:00am in Cochrane)*
  • Cochrane vs. Kirkland Lake (12:00pm in Iroquois Falls)**
  • Espanola vs. Kingston (12:00pm in Cochrane)**
  • Timmins vs. Soo Thunderbirds (6:00pm in Iroquois Falls)*
  • Rouyn-Noranda vs. Kapuskasing (6:00pm in Cochrane)*
  • Kirkland Lake vs. Espanola (8:00pm in Iroquois Falls)**
  • Kingston vs. Cochrane (8:00pm in Cochrane)**

Sunday, September 3rd

  • Midget AAA semi-final 1st vs. 4th (10:00am in Iroquois Falls)*
  • Midget AAA semi-final 2nd vs. 3rd (10:00am in Cochrane)*
  • Junior A semi-final 1st vs. 4th (12:00pm in Iroquois Falls)**
  • Junior A semi-final 2nd vs. 3rd (12:00pm in Cochrane)**
  • Midget AAA Final (5:00pm in Cochrane)*
  • Junior A Final (7:00pm in Cochrane)**
Filed under: Local News, local-sports