NOJHL Finals preview
Greater Sudbury Cubs vs. Timmins Rock
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) championship series for the Copeland Cup – McNamara Trophy between the Greater Sudbury Cubs and the Timmins Rock gets underway Thursday night at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
This match-up features the past three NOJHL title holders taking part with the Cubs coming in as back-to-back winners while the Rock won it all in 2023.
In the 2026 playoffs, Greater Sudbury has yet to lose, sitting at 8-0, while Timmins sits at 8-3.
According to files from NOJHL Historian David Harrison, the last team to go unbeaten in a single postseason was the 2017 Powassan Voodoos, who ran the table with a perfect 12-0 mark en route to the title.
Also of note, in their past 40 playoff games, Greater Sudbury have gone 32-8.
Meanwhile, Timmins sports a 32-13 mark in their previous 45 postseason contests.
Here’s a look at the two clubs who are vying for the NOJHL crown.
RECORDS
Playoffs
Cubs: 8-0
Rock: 8-3
Regular season
Cubs: 39-8-3-2 (1st overall)
Rock: 34-14-0-4 (4th overall)
HEAD COACHES
Cubs: Darryl Moxam
Rock: Brandon Perry
HEAD-TO-HEAD: The two teams met four times during the regular season, with the Cubs claiming the overall set with a 2-1-0-1 record.
Greater Sudbury also outscored Timmins by a 16-11 count.
RESULTS
Sept. 11 @ Sudbury (4-0 Cubs): In the NOJHL season opener, Matthew Vahramian turned aside all 22 shots he faced to post the shutout.
Eidan Macartney tallied twice in the triumph while defenceman Spencer Horgan chipped in with a goal and an assist.
Nov. 30 @ Timmins (2-1 Rock - OT): After the Rock’s Kaeden McArthur and the Cubs’ Nolan Newton exchanged first period man advantage markers, both goaltenders were stellar throughout with Timmins’ Frédéric Cousineau gaining the final edge by making 38 saves in a narrow overtime triumph.
Greater Sudbury’s Matthew Vahramian was equally as sharp, handling 40 of the 42 attempts fired his way.
Feb. 19 @ Sudbury (9-3 Cubs): Backed by a league season-high six assists from Mason Walker, the Cubs went on to dominate the Rock in this one.
Owen King tallied twice and aided on two others for Greater Sudbury while Nolan Newton scored once and a couple of helpers to chip in offensively.
March 1 @ Timmins (6-2 Rock): Responding in the season finale between the two teams, Timmins got goals for six different skaters to use a well-balanced attack in the win.
The Rock saw Maxfeld Shin and Kaeden McArthur both tallied and added two assists apiece in the victory.
NOJHL FINALS SCHEDULE
No. 1 Greater Sudbury Cubs vs. No. 4 Timmins Rock
Best-of-seven series
Game 1: Thursday, April 16 @ Sudbury 7:05 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 2: Friday, April 17 @ Sudbury 7:05 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 3: Tuesday, April 21 @ Timmins 7:05 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 22 @ Timmins 7:05 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 5*: Friday, April 24 @ Sudbury 7:05 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 6*: Monday, April 27 @ Timmins 7:05 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 29 @ Sudbury 7:05 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
*-if necessary
THE CUBS
Playoffs: The Cubs are a perfect 8-0 so far in the postseason. … With series wins over Kirkland Lake and the Soo Eagles, Greater Sudbury have outscored their opponents by a 51-19 count. … Both numbers lead the league in their respective categories. … The club is first overall in power play proficiency at 31.9%, having notched a NOJHL-best 15-man advantage markers. … The Cubs sit third on the penalty kill at 81.3% and have supplied the most shorthanded markers scored with four. … They are 4-0 when scoring first and are likewise when their opponents connected first. … Greater Sudbury have yet to lose when leading after the first or second period as well as when outshooting the opposition.
Regular season: Greater Sudbury led the NOJHL in goals scored during the 2025-26 campaign with 298 and allowed the fewest-against, giving up just 124. … They also placed four players in the Top 10 in league scoring and five in the Top 15. … Tabbed seventh nationally in the final CJHL Rankings – Fuelled by Gatorade, the Cubs finished first in the NOJHL standings on 83 points with a league-best record of 39-8-3-2. … They also led the way playing on home ice going 21-3-1-1 and were also tops on the road, sporting a 18-5-2-1 mark. … They went 7-2-1-0 down the stretch. … Clicking at an impressive 38.5% clip on the power play, they led the way in that department. ... Greater Sudbury was second overall on the penalty kill at 83.3%. … The Cubs were the runaway leader in man advantage markers with 97 and were also first in shorthanded tallies with 19. … When scoring first, the team went 27-5-1. … Having the lead after the first period saw them go 30-2-1-0 and they were even better through 40 minutes at 34-2-0-0.
FORWARDS
Playoffs: Mason Walker, who has registered at least one point in all eight playoff games, leads the Cubs in scoring with 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists. … Walker’s eight-game point streak is the highest current active one in the NOJHL. … Right behind him in scoring is Briir Long, who has 19 points to his credit with seven tallies and a league-best 13 helpers. … Four of his tallies have come on the man advantage, which ties him for league lead. … He and Walker share top spot in power play points with eight apiece. … Third on the squad in offensive production in their captain, Daks Klinkhammer. … He has banged in eight pucks and helped set-up seven more. … The trio sit third, fourth and fifth respectively in NOJHL playoff scoring.
Regular season: Despite missing the final three game due to injury, highly touted centre Nolan Newton still led the team in scoring on the campaign with 91 points in 45 outings, including picking up 37 tallies, which were the third-most in the league. … Newton was second overall in NOJHL offensive numbers. … Close behind him was crafty winger Mason Walker. … He totalled career single-season bests in goals (33); assists (55) and points (88) in finishing third in league scoring. … Goal-scoring machine Owen King pumped in 44 markers for the Cubs, to finish second overall among all league skaters, and helped set-up 30 others for 74 points. … King led the league in power play tallies with 21, while Walker sat second at 15. … Walker’s eight game-winners shared the NOJHL lead in that department, with Newton holding down sixth in the category with six of his own. … That trio combined for 119 power play points. … Greater Sudbury captain Daks Klinkhammer was well over a point-per-game man with 65 in 45 outings. … Eidan Macartney’s seven shorthanded points tied him for top spot in the league.
DEFENCE
Playoffs: Spencer Horgan leads the team and all league blueliners in scoring with a dozen points to his credit. … Horgan did likewise in last year's playoffs as well with 25 points. … His 10 assists in the 2026 postseason also tops all D-men. … Alex Valade is averaging a point-per-game in the playoffs with eight is as many outings, on four goals and four assists. … His four tallies tie him for first among defencemen. … Valade also tops all blueliners in game-winners with two. … He sits fourth overall among rearguards. … Valade also enters the finals on a five-game point streak. … Cole Wreggitt has chipped in with four points from the back-end.
Regular season: Record-setting defenceman Spencer Horgan had another tremendous year on the back end for the Cubs. … He led all NOJHL blueliners in scoring with 72 points, which also placed him 10th overall among all league skaters. … Horgan notched 19 markers, including 10 via the man advantage, and assisted on 53 others. … He is the all-time leading point getter in the NOJHL by a defenceman with 228. … Second-year D-man Alex Valade was next in numbers from the blueline as he established personal single-season bests in goals (10); assists (29) & points (39) to place him seventh in the NOJHL by defencemen. … Four of his tallies came on the power play. … Among the other 20-plus point men by the Cubs D were Tyson Rismond (28); Jacob Signoretti (25); Nate Laarus (23) and Kyle Navarro (23).
GOALTENDERS
Playoffs: Iain Wintle is a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs and leads the way in goals-against average at 2.17. … Wintle sits second in save percentage at .924. … Matthew Vahramian has won both his starts to date and is third on both average and save mark at 2.93 and .917 respectively.
Regular season: Veteran Cubs’ netminder Matthew Vahramian tied for the NOJHL-lead in goals-against average at 2.14 while sporting a 19-6-1-0 overall record. … His win total was the second highest in the league and he sat sixth in save percentage at .915, with two shutouts. … Since joining Greater Sudbury in early December, Iain Wintle went unbeaten in regulation time, going 9-0-1-2 in 14 overall appearances. … He also had a 2.28 GAA along with a save mark of .910 and posted a pair of shutouts.
AWARDS
NOJHL Trophy – Best Defenceman: Spencer Horgan
NOJHL Trophy – Best Overall Team Player: Mason Walker
Wayne Chase Memorial Award – Best Goals-Against Average: Matthew Vahramian (Co-recipient)
James Aspen Trophy – Regular season champions
ALL-STAR TEAMS
1st Team
Nolan Newton (Forward)
Owen King (Forward)
Spencer Horgan (Defence)
2nd Team
Mason Walker (Forward)
Chris Seguin (Trainer/Equipment Manager)
3rd Team
Dave Clancy (GM)
Darryl Moxam (Head Coach)
THE ROCK
Playoffs: Timmins have won five straight contests entering the NOJHL Final and are 8-2 in their past 10. … In series triumphs over the Soo Thunderbirds and Hearst Lumberjacks, the Rock outscored their opponents for a 49-27 margin. … They only trail the Cubs in each department. … They are tied for third-best on the power play at 27.3%, having registered 12-man advantage markers in 44 opportunities. … They are fourth on the P.K. at 78.3% and have collected a pair of shorthanded goals. … Timmins has gone 6-1 when scoring first in a playoff game. … They are unbeaten when holding leads after both the first and second periods.
Regular season: After a relatively slow start, by their standards, Timmins turned it around by racking up a NOJHL season-high 21-game winning streak, that ran from October 25 through January 18. … Following some injuries to key components of their roster, the Rock went on to finish 34-14-0-4 overall. … At ‘The Mac,’ they had the second-best home record in the league at 20-5-0-1. … Away from home, the club was 14-9-0-3. … Timmins amassed 245 goals in total and tied for the second fewest given up at 149. … Finishing third-best in power play proficiency, the Rock converted at a 25.5% clip. … Their 64-man advantage markers were the second highest total in the league. … On the penalty kill, the team was fifth overall at 79.9%. … They did manage to collect 10 shorthanded goals, the sixth-best number overall. … When notching the game’s initial tally, Timmins went 30-3-2-0. … Holding the lead after one period saw the Rock sit with a solid 25-1-2-0 record. … They were unbeatable when up after 40 minutes, going a perfect 28-0-0-0. … Timmins had 10 games decided in overtime, winning six of them.
FORWARDS
Playoffs: The Rock have been led up front by the duo of Maxx Hamelin and Kaeden McArthur. … Hamelin leads the entire NOJHL in postseason numbers with 24 points, with eight goals and a league-high 16 assists. … He’s also riding a seven-game point streak, including five multi-point efforts in a row. … McArthur is second in playoff numbers with 21. … His 11 tallies pace all league skaters as do his three game-winning markers. … His trio of deciders have come in the clubs past five contests. … Rookie Evan Katic has contributed 11 points in as many match-ups on three goals and eight helpers. … That puts him second in rookie scoring. … Veteran forwards Thomas Beard and Nolan Masson are close behind with 10 points apiece. … Masson also has a five-game point streak on the go.
Regular season: Tying for sixth in league scoring, and leading the team offensively, was veteran Kaeden McArthur. … His 74 points saw him set personal single-season highs in goals and assists with 36 and 38 respectively. … McArthur shared the league lead in game-winning efforts with eight. … He wrapped up his regular season career with 200 points in 166 contests. … Another long-time member of the Rock, in Lucas Lowe, was second on the squad in points with 56 in 49 outings. … A couple of rookies up front held their own in their first year in Timmins. … Matteo Paradiso was over a point-per-game performer in his league debut, collecting 36 in 31 contests on 17 tallies and 19 helpers. … Meanwhile, Evan Katic banged in 10 markers and helped set-up 20 more, for 30 points in 49 appearances.
DEFENCE
Playoffs: Timmins captain Braedyn Cyr leads the team and sits second in scoring among defencemen with 11 points. … Cyr has scored four times and helped set-up seven more. … All four of his markers have come on the power play, which is a tie for the league lead. … His seven man advantage points pace all NOJHL D-men. … Matthew Kim has been another point-per-game performer for the Rock with seven in as many contests with a goal and six helpers. … Rookie rearguard Jack Quevillon has chipped in with six points from the back-end.
Regular season: Cyr proved to be one of the elite defencemen in the entire league. … Solid at both ends of the ice, Cyr led the club from the back end with 44 points by scoring six times and aiding on 38 others. … 18 of his points came via the power play. … Another crafty Timmins blueliner was Matthew Kim. … He easily surpassed his offensive totals from last season, picking up highs in goals, assists and points with 12, 25 and 37 respectively. … Cyr sat fifth in scoring among NOJHL D-men and Kim was eighth. … Also contributing from the blueline was rookie blueliner Jack Quevillon, who picked up 23 points, including 19 helpers.
GOALTENDERS
Playoffs: Frédéric Cousineau has started all 11 playoff games to date for the Rock. … His eight victories lead all NOJHL netminders. … Dating back to his final 13 regular season starts, Cousineau sports an impressive record of 21-3. … He leads the league in postseason save percentage at .927 and is second in goals-against average at 2.26. … His 329 saves are the most in the playoffs. … Rookie goalkeepers Ayden Mullen and Virgil Sausset-Plateaux have yet to see any postseason action.
Regular season: Returning from injury in time for the playoffs, Frédéric Cousineau shared the league lead in goals-against average at 2.14. … His overall record of 16-4-0-0 saw him win each of his final 13 starts. … He also topped all NOJHL netminders in save percentage at .934 and posted a shutout in his most recent appearance. …Rookie Ayden Mullen did his part in his initial season of Jr. A hockey. … The 16-year-old goalkeeper went 15-9-3-0 in 28 games played. … He sported a 3.27 GAA, along with a save mark of .891, and a pair of shutouts. … In his six times seeing the net, Virgil Sausset-Plateaux went 3-1-1-0 with a 2.54 average and a .897 SV%.
AWARDS
Wayne Chase Memorial Award – Best Goals-Against Average: Frederic Cousineau (Co-recipient)
ALL-STAR TEAMS
1st Team
Frédéric Cousineau (Goaltender)
Melanie Brousseau-Camirand & Dillon Beaulne (Co-recipients) (Athletic Trainer/Equipment Manager)
2nd Team
Braedyn Cyr (Defence)
Brandon Perry (Head Coach)
3rd Team
Matthew Kim (Defence)
All-Rookie
2nd Team
Matteo Paradiso (Forward)
BROADCASTERS
Cubs: Thomas Mercier
Rock: Andrew Autio & Jason Kelly
WHERE TO WATCH: Each game of the NOJHL Final will streamed live online, via its official broadcast partner, at FLOHockey.tv.
WHAT’S NEXT: Awaiting the league champion will be a berth to the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, Canadian National Jr. A Championship, May 7-17, in Summerside, P.E.I.
Photo credit: Thomas Perry / Timm
