THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay North Stars are in seventh heaven.
The Superior International Junior Hockey League team extended their winning streak to seven games on Friday, doubling up their archrival Kam River Fighting Walleye 4-2 at Fort William Gardens to make their 2024-25 home-ice debut a successful one.
Alex Remenda scored once and added an assist and linemate Cohen Tangedal had three helpers to keep the North Stars hot streak going, marking their return to familiar territory after starting the season with eight straight on the road.
It’s been a long haul so far, but it felt good to be home, said Remenda, off to a hot start of his own, with seven goals in eight appearances, coming off a 23-goal campaign last season, split between the Stars and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds.
“It’s been good. I think our goalies and our defence, all around, we’ve been better,” Remenda said.
“We just keep going.
Speaking of going, Remenda, Tangedal and Tyler Jordan are on a roll of their own. The trio, the Stars top line, has tallied 19 times in nine games, combining for 45 points over that span.
“It’s been special,” Remenda said. “Those two guys, we find each other no matter what. I think that’s a big thing. We’ve gelled really quick.”
That’s what North Stars coach Rob DeGagne expects from his 20-year-olds. It’s time for them to step up and deliver, and through nine games, that’s just what they’ve done.
“We’ve got a lot of really just good, solid hockey players and we’re going to score by committee this year, rather than three or four guys getting all the goals. They got off to a hot start, but that’s what we expect from the 20-year-olds. The young guys just get better and the watch and they learn,” DeGagne said.
“It’s hard on them when they weren’t getting that ice last year, maybe. This year they’re getting the ice and they’re making the most of it. It’s awesome.”
Both teams had early chances in the opening period.
Kam River’s Callum Halls sidestepped a Thunder Bay defender for a chance on North Stars goaltender Keenan Marks, but it was a no go.
Moments later Thunder Bay’s Tyler Jordan rang one off the post on an odd-man rush.
It took a power play for the North Stars to break the deadlock, defenceman Tag Bryson depositing the puck behind Kam River goaltender Travis VanderZwaag at 7:51 of the first.
Easton Glousher doubled the Thunder Bay lead with 2:23 to go in the frame, a lead the North Stars (7-2-0) carried into the second.
Despite not scoring on a lengthy two-man advantage early in the period, Kam River finally solved Marks at the 14:40 mark of the middle stanza, captain Daxton Lang head-manning the puck to a breaking Jett Mintekno, who used the partial break to his advantage, sliding it past Marks to cut the Thunder Bay lead to 2-1.
A quick shot between the circles by Remenda late in the second restored the North Stars two-goal lead.
With VanderZwaag on the bench for an extra attacker, Nickolas Fagnilli fired one past Marks with 65 seconds left in regulation, cutting the Thunder Bay lead to 3-2. But with 21 seconds to go, Jordan hit the empty net, his eighth of the seasons cementing the win.
The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Fighting Walley (5-4-0), the defending SIJHL regular-season champions.
Kam River will look to exact a little revenge on Saturday night when the home-and-home series switches to the Norwest Arena. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Red Lake 4, Sioux Lookout 1: Nathan Dann had a goal and two assists to lead the Miners past the Bombers on the road.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Bryson 1 (Tangedal, Remenda) 12:51 pp. 2. Thunder Bay, Glousher 5 (Tangedal) 17:37. Penalties: Adams KRW (holding) 7:30.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Kam River, Mintenko (Lang) 14:40. 4. Thunder Bay, Remenda (Tangedal, Jordan) 16:35. Penalties: Buffone TB (delay of game) 3:01, Bryson TB (holding) 4:07, Adams KRW (interference) 10:59, Gryba TB (hooking) 18:15.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Kam River, Fagnilli 7 (Halls, Liang) 18:55. 6. Thunder Bay, Jordan (unassisted) 19:38 en. Penalties: Fagnilli KRW (slashing) 1:16,
GAME DATA – SOG – Kam River 8-12-7-27, Thunder Bay 13-18-7-38; Power plays (goals-chances) – Kam River (0-3), Thunder Bay (1-3); Goaltenders – Kam River: Travis VanderZwaag, Thunder Bay: Keenan Marks; A: 1,938.
