SUDBURY, Ont. – The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) announced Sunday that Owen King (Greater Sudbury Cubs); Spencer Horgan (Greater Sudbury Cubs); Jace Knoerle (Soo Eagles) and Jax Pereira (Powassan Voodoos) have been named its RBC Forward; Orendorff & Associates Defenceman; Skater’s Edge Source for Sports Goaltender and Journal Printing Rookie of the Month, respectively, for January.
RBC FORWARD: Owen King, Greater Sudbury Cubs – A stellar month saw the 19-year-old Cambridge, Ont., product supply a NOJHL-best 13 tallies, and 23 total points, in just eight contests, for the league-leading Cubs. This helped them go unbeaten with seven wins, as well as an overtime tie, during the time frame.
Of King’s tallies, two were hat tricks and another was a game-winner, while one of his 10 assists came on a deciding marker.
Averaging a NOJHL-high 2.63 points-per-game, King has collected 50 in total in his first 19 games for Greater Sudbury this season and sits fourth in goals with 30, while already having registered a trio of three-tally nights and two more with four.
Honourable Mention: Ryan Saginaw, Powassan Voodoos; Mason Walker, Greater Sudbury Cubs
Monthly recipients
September: Joseph Coates, Espanola Paper Kings
October: Mathieu Comeau, Hearst Lumberjacks
November: Nolan Newton, Greater Sudbury Cubs
December: Kaeden McArthur, Timmins Rock
January: Owen King, Greater Sudbury Cubs
ORENDORFF & ASSOCIATES DEFENCEMAN: Spencer Horgan, Greater Sudbury Cubs – A milestone month that saw him become just the second defenceman in NOJHL history to reach the 200-point plateau, as Horgan had a stellar January where he amassed 20 in eight outings.
In all, the 20-year-old blueliner from Bowmanville, Ont., scored five times, featuring a game-winner, and doled out 15 helpers, one of which was on a winning effort.
Horgan, who currently tops all D-men in offensive production this season, is now just five points shy of establishing a new league record for most in a career by a defenceman with 212, which would surpass the 211 that Noel Caya had from the back-end with the Rayside-Balfour Canadians from 1981-86.
Honourable Mention: Braedyn Cyr, Timmins Rock; Marcus Krats, Powassan Voodoos
Monthly recipients
September: Max DeCoff, Soo Thunderbirds
October: William Pâquet, Hearst Lumberjacks
November: Braedyn Cyr, Timmins Rock
December: Marcus Krats, Powassan Voodoos
January: Spencer Horgan, Greater Sudbury Cubs
SKATER’S EDGE SOURCE FOR SPORTS GOALTENDER: Jace Knoerle, Soo Eagles – A solid period for Knoerle saw him come away victorious in each of his four starts for the surging Eagles in the first month of 2026.
Hailing from Roscoe, Illinois, the 19-year-old netminder made 25-plus saves in each of those triumphs for Sault Ste. Marie, as part of a current solid run of eight wins and two draws for the club in their past 11 contests.
Knoerle presently leads all NOJHL goaltenders in minutes played at 1,686; has made the most saves with 1,015, while his 13 wins, tie him fourth overall. He’s also stopped 35, or more pucks, in 11 outings on the campaign.
Honourable Mention: Iain Wintle, Greater Sudbury Cubs; Derrick Champagne, Powassan Voodoos
Monthly recipients
September: Alexandre Boivin, Hearst Lumberjacks
October: Logan Vale, Espanola Paper Kings
November: Frédéric Cousineau, Timmins Rock
December: Frédéric Cousineau, Timmins Rock
January: Jace Knoerle, Soo Eagles
JOURNAL PRINTING ROOKIE: Jax Pereira, (F) Powassan Voodoos – Returning to the Powassan line-up in mid-January, Pereira piled up 17 points in just seven games, scoring four times and helping set-up 13 others. Two of those assists came on game-winning goals.
Six of his matchups were multi-point efforts for the versatile 16-year-old forward from Uxbridge, Ont.
Pereira presently paces all first-year skaters in point-per-game average at 1.86 and is tied for fourth in NOJHL rookie scoring with 30 points, in his first 19 contests.
Honourable Mention: Matteo Paradiso, (F) Timmins Rock; Owen Smith, (F) Espanola Paper Kings
Monthly recipients
September: Benjamin Coupal, (F) Iroquois Falls Storm
October: Drew Christian, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
November: Gavin Killoran, (F) Soo Thunderbirds
December: Dylan Rousselle, (D) Powassan Voodoos
January: Jax Pereira, (F) Powassan Voodoos
Photo credits:
King/Horgan: Rob Fera / Points North Media
Knoerle: Thomas Perry / Timmins Daily Press
Pereira: Tanner Wallace / Tan Tan Photography
