SUDBURY, Ont. – The latest Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League player to commit to a NCAA Division III program is Blind River Beavers’ defenceman A.J. Saadeh.
He’s off to Alvernia University in Reading, Penn., where he’ll attend school and play for the Golden Wolves men’s hockey program under head coach Andrew Burke.
The towering six-foot-five-inch blueliner led all Blind River D-men in scoring this past season with 34 points, in 45 games, on 13 goals and 21 assists.
Saadeh’s tally-total was second-best among all NOJHL rearguards in 2024-25 as the 20-year-old Montreal, Que., product finished third in overall scoring among defenceman in the league.
He also tied for third in game-winning markers from the back-end, with three.
His efforts earned him a NOJHL second team all-star nod on the point.
In the playoffs, Saadeh added helped set-up six goals for Blind River in seven outings.
The Alvernia Golden Wolves are members of the eight-school NCAA D-III Middle Atlantic Conference.
Photo credit: Bob Davies
