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League News
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and the Very Best to all in 2024
With the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League now on an extended break until play resumes Friday, Jan 5 in 2024, it is that time of year to extend a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year in 2024 to all players, executive members, Board of Governors, Coaching Staffs, Trainers and all of our dedicated fan base who diligently follow the Nova Scotia Junior League throughout the season and playoffs hoping their local team will bring home a Nova Scotia Championship and perhaps even an Atlantic Championship and the Don Johnson Memorial Cup as the Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs did in 2022-23. Races are tight in both the Sid Rowe and Fred Fox Divisions with the top four teams from each division advancing to the playoffs when they begin in late February.
The League’s Board of Governors will be meeting in Pictou at the Wellness Centre on Saturday, January 13/24 to review an application from Cheticamp in Cape Breton to review whether they can be accepted as a 12th entry into the League in 2024-2025. Two situations are being reviewed right now 1) Will they be an area where the Cumberland County Blues who are presently on a year's leave of absence decide to move to and if not 2) Will the League grant them an expansion franchise in time for the 2024-2025 season. Cheticamp, if permitted to play next season by the Board of Governors would be playing out of the Cabot Trail Arena, an arena that has sitting for 1420 fans according to the Municipality of Inverness.
Before the regular season resumes, here is a look at the Top Five in the League Scoring Race with 3 of the 5 playing for the 1st Place East Hants Penguins in the Fred Fox Division. On top is Devin Meagher of the 17-3-1 Penguins with 19 goals and 8 assists for 27 points. Meagher is a native of Middle Musquodoboit, N.S. and playing in his fourth season with the Penguins. To date including this season, Meagher has recorded 44 goals and 26 assists for 70 points in regular season play while recording another 26 points in the playoffs. Of Meagher’s 19 goals, 5 have come short-handed and 2 on the power-play. Two other Penguins round out the top 3 as Logan Durno and Nick Veinot have both registered 25 points. Durno has 8 goals and 18 assists and Veinot 6 goals and 20 assists, each with 26 points, only one point back of their teammate Meagher. Durno is a native of Toronto and is playing in his first year with the Penguins while Veinot was born in Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia and is 20 years of age. Will Fitzsimmons of the 20-1-1 Antigonish Jr. Bulldogs is only two points out of the lead for the scoring race with 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points including three power-play goals. Fitzsimmons is a native of Orleans, Ontario and is in his fourth year with the Bulldogs where he has notched 42 goals and 43 assists during the regular season and another 15 goals and 11 assists in the playoffs. Nate Supryka of the Pictou County Scotians is tied with Fitzsimmons and rounds out the Top five scoring leaders. Supryka from Gloucester, Ontario has recorded 14 goals and 11 assists to date this season, leaving him only two points out of first in the scoring race. The 8-15-1 Scotians remain in a tight race with the Eskasoni Jr. Eagles for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Sid Rowe Division.
As for the League’s Top Netminders, Adam Tkacz of the Bulldogs is leading the way with three shut-outs and a 11-1-1 records. He has 2.50 GAA and .920 save percentage.
Marcus Pettipas now 21 is leading the Pens with a 10-5-0 and 3.11 GAA and a 3.11 goals against average. He has stopped 468 of the 525 shots he faced while recording 1 shut-out for the 17-3-4 Penguins. Pettipas is a home grown product having been born and raised in Lantz.
Connor Brace of the Capstone Colts is 7-1-0 with a 2.76 Goals Against Average and a .911 save percentage.
Keegan Greencorn of the South Shore Lumberjacks has an 8-6-0 recordnwith two shut-outs and a goals against average of 2.91 and a save percentage of .905 He has stopped 409 of the 452 shots he has faced to date this season.