NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MEDIA RELEASE
Release Date: Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012
NOJHL Notebook: AGM wrap-up
SUDBURY –- The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League wrapped up their 2012 annual general meeting over the weekend in Sudbury.
The following is a breakdown on the two-day event highlighting some of the newsworthy items that were discussed:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: One of the first orders of business at the NOJHL AGM was the appointment of Ted Magee to the newly created position of executive director.
Magee was unanimously approved in voting done by the directors of the league. He will work alongside Commissioner Robert Mazzuca and administration officer Hector Seguin in heading up day-to-day operations of the NOJHL.
Magee, 57, a retired member of the Toronto Police Service where he served for 30 years, joins the NOJHL after spending nearly three seasons with the Ontario Junior Hockey League as their Deputy Director.
He will be responsible for overseeing and approving all league transactions that take place as well as head up the leagues’ anti-doping and concussion programs along with other league instituted policies.
PRESEASON SLATE: The NOJHL also confirmed of a number of preseason games the member teams will play in preparation for the 2012-13 season.
Exhibition action gets underway Friday as Kirkland Lake hosts Abitibi at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. The same two sides will meet again Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Jus Jordan Arena in Iroquois Falls.
Monday features the newest NOJHL club, the Elliot Lake Bobcats, taking on the freshly minted Sudbury Nickel Barons at McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31 features the North Bay Trappers welcoming the Nepean Raiders of the Central Canadian Hockey League to Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m. while Elliot Lake and Sudbury will tangle at in a neutral site game in Espanola at 7:30 p.m.
Preseason play wraps up Sept. 1-2 with the Bobcats taking on the Soo Thunderbirds and Blind River Beavers respectively.
NOJHL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
GM DATE AWAY – HOME TIME ARENA
1 Aug. 24 Abitibi @ Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 7:30 p.m. Joe Mavrinac
2 Aug. 25 Kirkland Lake @ Abitibi 7:30 p.m. Jus Jordan
3 Aug. 27 Elliot Lake @ Sudbury (3) 7:30 p.m. McClelland
4 Aug. 30 Soo @ Elliot Lake 8 p.m. Centennial
5 Aug. 31 Elliot Lake vs. Sudbury 7:30 p.m. @ Espanola
6 Aug. 31 Nepean (CCHL) @ North Bay 7 p.m. Memorial Gardens
7 Sept. 1 Elliot Lake @ Soo 7:30 p.m. John Rhodes
8 Sept. 2 Blind River @ Elliot Lake 2 p.m. Centennial
LEAGUE WEBSITE: The NOJHL website is set to undergo a major face lift.
The league has reached an agreement to go into partnership with both FASTHockey and TST Media to work towards the launch of a new-look website that will coincide with the live streaming of NOJHL games throughout the season.
Along with the league itself all seven member NOJHL clubs will also launch new websites throughout the season sharing a common look and date base of information.
Following the launch of the new NOJHL.com, the Abitibi Eskimos are the first team scheduled to unveil their new site.
Design and production work is nearing completion with archival news, information, data and statistics being migrated over.
The NOJHL will announce when the new league and team websites are up and operational.
ALL-STAR GAME: Discussions were held at the AGM about the league reinstituting a NOJHL all-star game during the upcoming campaign.
A number of scenarios were deliberated with a committee being struck to explore the logistics and available avenues on hosting the all-star event.
The NOJHL expects a further announcement on this to be made in the coming weeks.
CODE OF CONDUCT: The NOJHL Executive Board unanimously approved the implementation of a league Code of Conduct moving forward with the start of the 2012-13 season.
The NOJHL Code of Conduct identifies standard of behaviour, which is expected of all NOJHL members. This includes all players, coaches, officials, volunteers, directors, officers, committee members, team managers, trainers, administrators and employees associated in NOJHL activities and events.
Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action taken by the NOJHL Commissioner’s Office.
DISCIPLINARY MATTERS: The NOJHL also reaffirmed their commitment to the integrity and safety of all those associated with the NOJHL with an enhancement of the league’s supplemental discipline policy.
With this in mind the NOJHL will also continue to maintain both their concussion and anti-doping programs that were implemented last season.
“Being a member of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League in any way is both an honour and privilege for every player, coach, team staff member or league personnel associated with the league,” stated NOJHL Commissioner Robert Mazzuca.
“The addition of Ted Magee as executive director of the NOJHL only confirms our commitment to make our league better both on and off the ice,” offered the commissioner. “His years of service in law enforcement will only enhance all of our efforts to bolster our Code of Conduct as well as all of our other league policies.”
OFFICIATING: The NOJHL is committed to enhancing and developing elite officiating and supervision of league officials.
To that end a greater concentrated effort will be applied this season in regard to the development of officials.
Using the knowledge and background of individuals with a long history on the officiating side of the game, NOJHL referee-in-chief Glen Campbell and the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, all will work with the league in raising the standard to further develop the officials affording them the same opportunities, as our players, in advancing to the next level.
