NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Monday, Feb. 17, 2014
Thunderbirds sit 2nd, Gold Miners 5th in CJHL winning percentage
SUDBURY – Of the 128 teams across the country that comprise the Canadian Junior Hockey League, the two front runners in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League are ranked in the top five in terms of winning percentage.
The NOJHL-leading Soo Thunderbirds currently boast the second best win mark in the CJHL at an impressive .880 while the second place Kirkland Lake Gold Miners are not too far off as they are fifth nationally at .837.
Only the Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL) has a better overall winning percentage entering play this week as they are just slightly better than the T-Birds at .882. Carleton Place also boasts more triumphs than any CJHL side with 48.
Sault Ste. Marie, who just suffered their first loss in 26 games Sunday as they fell to Kirkland Lake, is just one of six CJHL clubs with 40 or more victories so far this season.
The Gold Miners are on the cusp of joining that elite group as they have won a franchise-record 39 times so far this season.
Both of these NOJHL squads are playing some of their best hockey of the season entering the stretch run to the playoffs with the Sault posting a 38-3-0-2 record since the end of September while Kirkland Lake has gone 17-2-0-2 in their last 21 outings.
These two red-hot clubs are poised to meet again Friday in another highly anticipated NOJHL game of the week as the T-Birds and Miners hit the ice for a 7:30 p.m. face-off at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in Kirkland Lake.
Rounding out the top five in in the CJHL in terms of winning percentage is the Selkirk Steelers (MJHL) in third at .852 along with the Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) in fourth at .840.
The following are the top 20 winning percentage leaders in the CJHL:
| CJHL 2013-14 Season Leaders: Winning Percentage (.700 or higher) | ||||||||
| (As of Feb. 17/14) | ||||||||
| RANK | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | W | L | T/OT/SL | PTS | WIN% |
| 1 | Carleton Place Canadians | CCHL | 55 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 97 | .882 |
| 2 | Soo Thunderbirds | NOJHL | 50 | 43 | 5 | 2 | 88 | .880 |
| 3 | Selkirk Steelers | MJHL | 54 | 44 | 6 | 4 | 92 | .852 |
| 4 | Fort Frances Lakers | SIJHL | 50 | 40 | 6 | 4 | 84 | .840 |
| 5 | Kirkland Lake Gold Miners | NOJHL | 49 | 39 | 6 | 4 | 82 | .837 |
| 6 | St-Jerome Panthers | LHJAAAQ | 48 | 39 | 7 | 2 | 80 | .833 |
| 7 | Spruce Grove Saints | AJHL | 56 | 44 | 9 | 3 | 91 | .813 |
| 8 | Granby Inouk | LHJAAAQ | 46 | 36 | 8 | 2 | 74 | .804 |
| 9 | Fort McMurray Oil Barons | AJHL | 54 | 41 | 10 | 3 | 85 | .787 |
| 10 | Sherbrooke Cougars | LHJAAAQ | 47 | 33 | 8 | 6 | 72 | .766 |
| 11 | Thunder Bay North Stars | SIJHL | 48 | 34 | 9 | 5 | 73 | .760 |
| T-12 | Aurora Tigers | OJHL | 51 | 37 | 11 | 3 | 77 | .755 |
| T-12 | Kingston Voyageurs | OJHL | 51 | 37 | 11 | 3 | 77 | .755 |
| 14 | Miramichi Timberwolves | MHL | 44 | 31 | 9 | 4 | 66 | .750 |
| 15 | Truro Bearcats | MHL | 45 | 32 | 11 | 2 | 66 | .733 |
| 16 | Toronto Lakeshore Patriots | OJHL | 51 | 34 | 11 | 6 | 74 | .725 |
| 17 | Smiths Falls Bears | CCHL | 55 | 38 | 14 | 3 | 79 | .718 |
| 18 | Steinbach Pistons | MJHL | 53 | 37 | 14 | 2 | 76 | .717 |
| 19 | Weeks Crushers | MHL | 44 | 29 | 10 | 5 | 63 | .716 |
| 20 | Princeville Titan | LHJAAAQ | 47 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 66 | .702 |
