2018-19 NOJHL Season

This is the 2018-19 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League season. This is the league's 49th season overall dating back to the founding of the NOHA Junior B Hockey League in 1970, and the league's 41st season under this name. Each team will play 56 games with 27 at home, 27 on the road and two games being held at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex in Sudbury, Ontario for the 3rd Annual NOJHL Showcase October 9-10, 2018.

It is the league's turn in the rotation to host the Dudley Hewitt Cup.  The Cochrane Crunch were announced as the host team on March 1, 2018.  The event being held at the Tim Horton Events Center in Cochrane.

NOHA 100th anniversary logo

League Changes

• The league has adopted the NHL overtime format with five minutes of three on three sudden death overtime followed by a three round shoot out with extra rounds as needed to break the tie.
• The league will be adding two high definition cameras in each arena to provide teams with better video analysis for the team and increase supervision of the officials and player safety.
• The league will expand its Concussion Management Program and will continue to work with the Canadian Mental Health Association to help anyone involved with the league access to help in dealing with mental health issues.

Membership changes

• None

Division Alignment

Eastern Division Team Joined Centre Arena Cochrane Crunch 2012 Cochrane Tim Horton Events Centre French River Rapids 2015 Noelville Noelville Arena Hearst Lumberjacks 1988 Hearst Claude Larose Recreation Centre Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 2003 Kirkland Lake Joe Mavrinac Community Complex Powassan Voodoos 2014 Powassan Powassan Sportsplex Timmins Rock 1991 Timmins McIntyre Arena Western Division Blind River Beavers 1999 Blind River Blind River Memorial Community Centre Elliot Lake Wildcats 2014 Elliot Lake Elliot Lake Centennial Arena Espanola Express 2015 Espanola Espanola Regional Recreation Complex Rayside-Balfour Canadians 2000 Rayside-Balfour Chelmsford Community Centre Soo Eagles 2015 Sault Ste. Marie, MI Pullar Stadium Soo Thunderbirds 1999 Sault Ste. Marie, ON John Rhodes Community Centre

Standings

Eastern Division

Team	GP	W	L	OL	T	GF	GA	Pts
Hearst Lumberjacks	56	33	16	6	1	210	159	73
Kirkland Lake Gold Miners	56	33	17	3	3	194	156	72
Powassan Voodoos	56	33	19	3	1	206	172	70
Timmins Rock	56	33	20	3	0	186	156	69
Cochrane Crunch	56	31	20	1	4	200	186	67
French River Rapids	56	14	39	2	1	155	244	31

Western Division

Team	GP	W	L	OL	T	GF	GA	Pts
Soo Thunderbirds	56	44	11	0	1	221	145	89
Rayside-Balfour Canadians	56	31	20	2	3	194	169	67
Soo Eagles	56	28	24	3	1	208	185	60
Blind River Beavers	56	25	24	5	2	201	185	67
Elliot Lake Wildcats	56	21	32	1	2	152	224	45
Espanola Express	56	10	43	0	3	145	291	23

Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy Playoffs

Format

The top five teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The fourth place team plays the fifth place team in a best of three series. The series winner becomes the fourth seed and plays the first place team in the division semifinals and the second place team plays the third place team in best of seven series. The semifinal winners meet in the best of seven division championship series. The division champions meet in the best of seven Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy final.

The playoff champion (or the runners-up if the Cochrane Crunch win the Copeland Cup-NcNamara Trophy Playoffs) will advance to the 2019 Dudley Hewitt Cup being held at the Tim Horton Events Centre in Cochrane, Ontario, hosted by the Cochrane Crunch of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The winner of that tournament will advance to the 2020 National Junior A Championship being held at the Centennial Regional Arena in Brooks, Alberta hosted by the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

East Preliminary Round

• Timmins Rock defeated Cochrane Crunch 2 games to none

West Preliminary Round

• Blind River Beavers defeated Elliot Lake Wildcats 2 games to none

East Semifinals

• Hearst Lumberjacks defeated Timmins Rock 4 games to 3
• Powassan Voodoos defeated Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 4 games to 2

West Semifinals

• Soo Thunderbirds defeated Blind River Beavers 4 games to 2
• Rayside-Balfour Canadians defeated Soo Eagles 4 games to 2

East Final

• Hearst Lumberjacks defeated Powassan Voodoos 4 games to none

West Final

• Soo Thunderbirds defeated Rayside-Balfour Canadians 4 games to 2

Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy Final

• Hearst Lumberjacks defeated Soo Thunderbirds 4 games to 3

2019 NOJHL champions Hearst Lumberjacks