Photos: Caleigh Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – A three-goal night by Mason Walker in his first game of the season led the Greater Sudbury Cubs to a 5-2 triumph over French River Rapids in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Thursday at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
While the Cubs generated more chances in the first period, it was the Rapids who opened the scoring by converting on the evening’s initial power play opportunity.
On that marker, Tristan Kitchen snagged a loose puck at the right of a downed Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Mateo Beites and lifted a backhand over his pad for his sixth tally of the campaign.
Answering right back, Walker, who was making his 2025-26 debut, connected just 13 seconds later as a long head-man feed up ice by Nate Lazarus sent him driving down the left wing before going to the net and beating French River starter Keiran Caughran.
Moving to the middle stanza, an impressive Walker effort saw him pot his second of the contest as he darted into the Rapids zone with pace, then side-stepped a defender before cutting from right-to-left and sliding one by Caughran at 12:14.
Adding another on the next shift, Mateo Signoretti chipped in a pass put in front by Caden Dubreuil to make it 3-1 Greater Sudbury.
Notching their third of the session, the Cubs countered quickly in transition at their own blueline before moving ahead where Nolan Newton made his way to the slot and pumped a shot into the top lefthand corner.
Pulling closer with 2:59 remaining in regulation, Jeremy Clark banked in his first in the NOJHL on a sharp angle effort that hit off Beites and in.
However, Walker wrapped up the result in the final minute to finish off his hat trick as Newton sent a sharp cross-ice feed to the top of the crease that was neatly steered in to secure the victory.
