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Soo Eagles
Soo Eagles
City: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States
League: Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Division: North
Founded: 1962 (In the NOJHA)
Home Arena: Pullar Stadium
Colors: Black, Yellow, and White
              
General Manager: Bruno Bragagnolo
Head Coach: Bruno Bragagnolo
Franchise history
: NOJHL franchise
1962–2003: Espanola Eagles
2003–2006: Northern Michigan Black Bears
2006–2007: Soo Indians
2008–2012
2015–present:
Soo Eagles
: NAHL franchise
2005–2012: Traverse City North Stars
2012–2015: Soo Eagles
2015–present: New Jersey Junior Titans

The Soo Eagles are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

History[]

Eagles era(s)[]

The Eagles existed four different times. From 1962 until 1971, Espanola joined the NOJHL as it was formed and stayed until a year before it folded due to lack of enough competition. They joined the local NOHA Junior "B" league. In 1972, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Sudbury Wolves walked away from the league to join the Ontario Hockey League. They reemerged in 1978 and stayed until 1988. They came back from 1991 until 1995. Their last stint in the league lasted from 1998 until 2003. Espanola, a very small Northern town, always struggled to keep the team viable and competitive. They were never an overly successful team, but they did win the 1963 McNamara Trophy as league champions. In their last season (2002-03), they won only 5 games the whole season. Their last win was against the Sudbury Northern Wolves. At the end of that season, the Screaming Eagles were bought and were relocated to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Most players did not follow, and moved on to other teams.

Black Bears era[]

As the Northern Michigan Black Bears, the franchise celebrated some of its most successful hockey in years. After 3 winning seasons and a trip to the league finals in 2004-05, the ownership group decided to sell the financially unstable team.


Indians era[]

Soo Indians

Logo as Soo Indians

In late summer of 2006, New York Land developer Charles Perdicaro bought and renamed the black bears the Soo Indians. Perdicaro hired Jim Capy to coach the Indians. The Indians are made up of players from all over the United States, including players from Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Illinois. Over Christmas break Perdicaro fired Capy and his staff due to "philosophical differences" and hired Kevin Cain to take over.

The Soo Indians went on to win the NOJHL's McNamara Trophy as 2007 playoff champions but were not successful at the Dudley Hewitt Cup.

In Spring 2007, Perdicaro put the Indians up for sale. Perdicaro failed to find a buyer and did not ice a team for the 2007-08 season.

Eagles era[]

The Indians were sold in early 2008, and changed their name to the Soo Eagles. They began play in 2008–09.

Capping the 2010–11 season, the Soo Eagles finished with a 37-10-3 record, 2nd in the West Division behind the Soo Thunderbirds; 2nd overall in the NOJHL. Brian Depp, a native of Fenton, Michigan, led the Eagles in scoring with 73 points, tied for 3rd in the NOJHL.

The Eagles began the 2010–11 playoffs with a match-up against the Blind River Beavers. The Eagles disposed of the Beavers in five games, gliding to the West Division Final against their rivals, the Soo Thunderbirds. The Eagles upset the regular season champion Thunderbirds winning in six games in a hard fought series.

The Eagles faced off in a best-of-seven playoff series against the Sudbury Jr. Wolves for the 2010–11 NOJHL title. They won the title in six games. This win put them into the Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship, finishing third.

On March 2, 2012, the Soo Eagles announced that they were leaving the NOJHL for the Tier II junior North American Hockey League. The Eagles bought the franchise rights of the Traverse City North Stars to make the move possible.

On March 24, 2012, the Eagles played their final NOJHL game, a 4-2 loss to the Soo Thunderbirds in front of a hometown crowd in Pullar Stadium. The loss completed a 4-game sweep of the Eagles in their semifinal series with the Thunderbirds.

Following the 2014–15 season the Michigan Warriors were displaced by the Flint Firebirds of the higher class OHL. With the loss of Flint and previous departures of teams from Port Huron, Detroit (twice), Kalamazoo, Alpena, Traverse City and Marquette, the Soo Eagles became isolated and it was determined to be financially impossible to continue in the NAHL. With the NAHL adding more teams to the East, the Eagles ownership took the opportunity to sell their NAHL franchise to Middletown Township, New Jersey and join with the existing New Jersey Junior Titans organization (which had formerly fielded Tier III teams) and the Soo Eagles team was granted re-admission to the NOJHL.

Season-by-season results[]

Season GP W L T/OL PTS GF GA PIM Result Playoffs
Espanola Eagles (NOJHL)
1978–79 40 5 35 0 10 N/A N/A N/A 6th Did not qualify
1979–80 40 4 32 2 10 203 383 N/A 6th No playoffs
1980–81 40 15 20 5 35 222 282 N/A 4th No playoffs
1981–82 42 14 27 1 29 207 251 N/A 7th Did not qualify
1982–83 42 21 19 2 44 234 250 N/A 4th Did not qualify
1983–84 40 4 32 4 12 211 430 N/A 6th Did not qualify
1984–85 40 8 28 4 20 221 377 N/A 6th Did not qualify
1985–86 41 8 33 0 16 211 446 N/A 7th Did not qualify
1986–87 37 4 31 2 10 169 316 N/A 4th Did not qualify
1987–88 39 6 31 2 14 172 315 N/A 5th Did not qualify
1988–89 40 25 10 5 55 274 202 N/A 3rd Did not qualify
1989–91 Did Not Participate
1991–92 48 10 37 1 11 177 371 N/A 6th Did not qualify
1992–93 48 11 37 0 22 163 345 N/A 6th Did not qualify
1993–94 40 23 16 1 47 272 206 N/A 2nd Lost in Semifinals
1994–95 48 6 39 3 15 173 389 N/A 7th Did not qualify
1995–98 Did Not Participate
1998–99 40 8 30 2 18 150 281 N/A 6th Did not qualify
Espanola Screaming Eagles (NOJHL)
1999–00 40 4 34 2 10 128 329 N/A 5th Did not qualify
2000–01 40 8 29 3 19 99 200 N/A 6th Did not qualify
2001–02 42 13 27 2 28 168 294 N/A 6th Did not qualify
2002–03 48 5 43 0 10 140 404 N/A 7th Did not qualify
Northern Michigan Black Bears (NOJHL)
2003–04 48 25 17 6 56 199 170 857 2nd, West Lost in Semifinals
2004–05 48 28 13 7 63 174 126 824 1st, West Lost in Final
2005–06 48 27 15 6 60 180 142 872 2nd, West Lost in Semifinal
Soo Indians (NOJHL)
2006–07 48 31 15 2 64 193 145 1,071 1st, West Champions
2007–08 Did Not Participate
Soo Eagles (NOJHL)
2008–09 50 26 21 3 55 257 209 932 2nd, West Lost in Semifinal
2009–10 50 27 18 5 59 224 213 894 3rd, West Lost in Semifinal
2010–11 50 37 10 3 77 256 159 846 2nd, West Champions
2011–12 50 35 11 4 74 290 171 729 2nd, West Lost in Semifinal
Soo Eagles (NAHL)
2012–13 60 41 14 5 87 203 152 992 1st, North Won Div. Semifinal, 3-0 vs. Port Huron Fighting Falcons
Lost Div. Finals, 0-3 vs. Jamestown Ironmen
2013–14 60 25 27 8 58 149 187 970 6th of 6, North
18th of 24, NAHL
Did not qualify
2014–15 60 31 25 4 66 182 185 1248 3rd of 6, North
18th of 24, NAHL
Won First Round Series, 3-0 vs. Keystone Ice Miners
Lost Quarterfinals, 1-3 vs. Janesville Jets
Soo Eagles (NOJHL)
2015–16 54 22 30 2 46 182 197 725 4th of 6, West
8th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Play-in Series, 2-0 vs. Espanola Express
Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-4 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
Season GP W L OL T PTS GF GA Result Playoffs
2016-17 56 27 26 2 1 57 222 204 4th of 6, West;
8th of 12 NOJHL
W, Prelim. 2-1 Elliot Lake Wildcats
W, Div Semifinals 4-0 Soo Thunderbirds
L Div Final 1-4 Blind River Beavers
2017-18 56 35 20 0 1 71 222 147 3rd of 6, West;
5th of 12 NOJHL
L, Div Semifinals 3-4 Soo Thunderbirds
2018-19 56 28 24 1 3 60 208 185 3rd of 6, West;
8th of 12 NOJHL
L, Div Semifinals 3-4 Rayside-Balfour Canadians
2019-20 56 30 21 3 2 65 185 171 4th West Won Preliminary Round and then playoffs are cancelled
2020-21 Unable to play due to Canadian-US Border closure as a result of COVID-19 pandemic

Original Screaming Eagles teams[]

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1962-63 40 25 14 1 - 197 143 51 2nd NOJHL Won League
1963-64 40 25 14 1 - 216 157 51 3rd NOJHL Lost Semi-final
1964-65 40 22 17 1 - 185 195 45 3rd NOJHL Lost Semi-final
1965-66 40 21 19 0 - 227 221 42 4th NOJHL Lost Semi-final
1966-67 40 3 37 0 - 121 355 6 5th NOJHL DNQ
1967-68 40 9 30 1 - 139 226 19 5th NOJHL DNQ
1968-69 48 9 37 2 - 147 285 20 5th NOJHL DNQ
1969-70 48 16 30 2 - 215 265 34 4th NOJHL Lost Semi-final
1970-71 48 10 36 2 - 154 317 22 5th NOJHL DNQ
1978-79 40 5 35 0 - -- -- 10 6th NOJHL
1979-80 40 4 34 2 - 203 383 10 6th NOJHL
1980-81 40 15 20 5 - 222 282 35 4th NOJHL
1981-82 42 14 27 1 - 207 251 29 7th NOJHL
1982-83 42 21 19 2 - 234 250 44 4th NOJHL
1983-84 40 4 32 4 - 211 430 10 6th NOJHL
1984-85 40 8 28 4 - 221 377 20 6th NOJHL
1985-86 41 8 33 0 - 211 446 16 7th NOJHL
1986-87 37 4 31 2 - 169 316 10 4th NOJHL
1987-88 39 6 31 2 - 172 315 14 5th NOJHL
1991-92 48 10 37 1 - 177 371 21 6th NOJHL
1992-93 48 11 37 0 - 163 345 22 6th NOJHL
1993-94 40 23 16 1 - 272 206 47 2nd NOJHL
1994-95 48 6 39 3 - 173 389 15 7th NOJHL

External links[]


This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Soo Eagles. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Ice Hockey Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).


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