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On Wednesday, April 9th and facing elimination and hoping to extend their playoff run, the Soo Thunderbirds returned to the ice at the John Rhodes Community Centre down 3-0 in their NOJHL semi-final series against the Greater Sudbury Cubs. Less than 24 hours after a 6-3 loss in game three, the Thunderbirds were looking to regroup and fight back. Instead, the Cubs sealed the series with a commanding 5-0 win in game four, completing the sweep and punching their ticket to the league final.
Sudbury wasted little time grabbing control of the game. Just 3:17 into the first period, Samuel Assinewai opened the scoring with a low shot from the blue line that found its way past Thunderbirds goaltender Noah Metivier. The puck glanced off the right post and in, giving the Cubs an early 1-0 lead. Eidan Macartney picked up the lone assist on Assinewai’s fifth goal of the postseason.
Just two minutes later, a neutral zone turnover led to another quick strike. Ryan Rubic carried the puck into the Soo zone and set up Lucas Antonioni, who beat Metivier at 5:18 for his second of the playoffs. Nolan Newton earned an assist on the play, putting the Cubs up 2-0 before the midway mark of the opening frame.
That prompted a goaltending change, as Lincoln Mellenthin came in to relieve Metivier at 7:49. The Cubs, however, kept pressing. On the power play, Spencer Horgan dished the puck from the top of the blue line to Lucas Signoretti, who sniped his eleventh of the postseason past Mellenthin from the left faceoff circle at 13:36. Assinewai added another point with an assist on the play, and Sudbury carried a 3-0 lead into the intermission.
The Thunderbirds settled defensively in the second but couldn’t solve Cubs netminder Karsen Chartier, who turned aside every shot he faced. Sudbury added to their lead early in the third period. At 7:05, Daks Klinkhammer split the Soo defence and buried a slick backhand past Metivier, who returned to the net for the final frame. Assinewai and Macartney were again involved, each collecting their second assists of the night.
With Metivier on the bench for an extra attacker during a late-game power play, the Cubs capped off the night with a shorthanded, empty-net goal. Signoretti fired a shot from the neutral zone at 13:03 that found the empty cage, sealing the 5-0 final and finishing the series in four straight.
Chartier was perfect between the pipes, stopping all 27 shots he faced for a well-earned shutout. The Thunderbirds goaltending duo of Mellenthin and Metivier combined to make 19 saves on 24 shots in the loss.
Despite the tough ending to the season, there is optimism in the Soo with the potential return of 20 players for the 2025-26 campaign. Returning names could include: James Legler, Harley Wardell, Nate Dugwell, Cooper Labelle, Cooper Woron, Callum McAuley, James Elliott (Soo Greyhounds/LSSU Lakers), Deven Jones-McDonald, Jacob Smith (Ottawa 67’s/LSSU Lakers), Camden Cowan, Aiden Atkinson (Guelph Storm), Ryan Daze, Keegan Fox, Carter Carriere, Cam Freeman, Tyler Neveau, Declan Gallivan (North Bay Battalion), Gage Evans (Windsor Spitfires), Colin Chesnut, and Lincoln Mellenthin.
As the team prepares for the offseason, they’ll also say farewell to six graduating players: Ryland Willers, Jonathan Sonedecker (St. John Fisher College Cardinal), Bryan Fenlon, Matteo Moretta, James McDowall, and Noah Metivier.
Though their playoff run ended earlier than hoped, the Thunderbirds’ young core sets the foundation for a promising future in the NOJHL.
Visit Freeze Frame Photos by Bob Davies photo gallery of the Soo Thunderbirds versus Greater Sudbury Cubs in semi-final series action.
The Cubs wait for the winner of the Timmins Rock versus Hearst Lumberjack semi-final series to make their second straight NOJHL Copeland McNamara Cup championship series appearance. The Lumberjacks lead to series 3 – 1.
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