Soo Eagles

Soo Eagles

City	Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States
League	North American Hockey League
Division	North
Founded	2005 (NAHL franchise) 1962 (NOJHL franchise)
Home arena	Pullar Stadium
Colors	Black, Yellow, and White
General manager	Bruno Bragagnolo
Head coach	Bruno Bragagnolo
Franchise history
First franchise (NOJHA)/(NOJHL)
1962–2003	Espanola Eagles
2003–2006	Northern Michigan Black Bears
2006–2007	Soo Indians
2008–2012	Soo Eagles
Second franchise (NAHL)
2005–2012	Traverse City North Stars
2012–present	Soo Eagles

The Soo Eagles are a Tier II ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan that plays in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The Eagles were formerly a Junior A team in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League prior to purchasing a NAHL franchise.

History

Espanola Eagles era(s)

The Eagles existed four different times. From 1962 until 1971, Espanola joined the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association in the inaugural seasson and stayed until a year before it folded due to lack of enough competition. They joined the local NOHA Jr. B league (which would become the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League in 1979). Espanola, a very small Northern town, always struggled to keep the team viable and competitive and the franchise went on hiatus after the 1988–89 season. They came back from 1991 but went on hiatus again from 1995–1998. They were never an overly successful team, but they did win the 1963 McNamara Trophy as league champions. In their last season (2002–03), they won only 5 games the whole season. Their last win was against the Sudbury Northern Wolves. At the end of that season, the Screaming Eagles were bought and were relocated to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Most players did not follow, and moved on to other teams.

Black Bears era

As the Northern Michigan Black Bears, the franchise celebrated some of its most successful hockey in years. After 3 winning seasons and a trip to the league finals in 2004–05, the ownership group decided to sell the financially unstable team.

Indians era

In late summer of 2006, New York Land developer Charles Perdicaro bought and renamed the Black Bears the Soo Indians. Perdicaro hired Jim Capy to coach the Indians. The Indians are made up of players from all over the United States, including players from Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Illinois. Over the 2006 Christmas break, Perdicaro fired Capy and his staff due to "philosophical differences" and hired Kevin Cain to take over.

The Soo Indians went on to win the NOJHL's McNamara Trophy as 2007 playoff champions but were not successful at the Dudley Hewitt Cup.

In Spring 2007, Perdicaro put the Indians up for sale. Perdicaro failed to find a buyer and were not able to ice a team for the 2007-08 season.

Eagles era

The Indians were sold in early 2008, and changed their name to the Soo Eagles. They began play in 2008-09.

Capping the 2010-2011 season, the Soo Eagles finished with a 37-10-3 record, 2nd in the West Division behind the Soo Thunderbirds; 2nd overall in the NOJHL. Brian Depp, a native of Fenton, Michigan, led the Eagles in scoring with 73 points, tied for 3rd in the NOJHL.

The Eagles began the 2010-11 playoffs with a matchup against the Blind River Beavers. The Eagles disposed of the Beavers in 5 games, gliding to the West Division Final against their rivals, the Soo Thunderbirds. The Eagles upset the regular-season champion Soo Thunderbirds winning in 6 games in a hard fought series.

The Eagles faced off in a best-of-seven playoff series against the Sudbury Jr. Wolves for the 2010-11 NOJHL title. They won the title in six games. This win put them into the Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship, finishing third.

On March 2, 2012, the Soo Eagles announced that they were leaving the NOJHL for the North American Hockey League. The Eagles bought the franchise rights of the Traverse City North Stars to make the move possible.

On March 24, 2012, the Eagles played their final NOJHL game, a 4-2 loss to the Soo Thunderbirds in front of a hometown crowd in Pullar Stadium. The loss completed a 4-game-sweep of the Eagles in their semi-final series with the Thunderbirds.

Season-by-season results

Season	GP	W	L	T/OTL	PTS	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
Espanola Eagles (NOJHL)
[\| 1978-79	40	5	35	0	10	N/A	N/A	N/A	6th	did not qualify
[\| 1979-80	40	4	32	2	10	203	383	N/A	6th	no playoffs
[\| 1980-81	40	15	20	5	35	222	282	N/A	4th	no playoffs
[\| 1981-82	42	14	27	1	29	207	251	N/A	7th	did not qualify
[\| 1982-83	42	21	19	2	44	234	250	N/A	4th	did not qualify
[\| 1983-84	40	4	32	4	12	211	430	N/A	6th	did not qualify
[\| 1984-85	40	8	28	4	20	221	377	N/A	6th	did not qualify
[\| 1985-86	41	8	33	0	16	211	446	N/A	7th	did not qualify
[\| 1986-87	37	4	31	2	10	169	316	N/A	4th	did not qualify
[\| 1987-88	39	6	31	2	14	172	315	N/A	5th	did not qualify
[\| 1988-89	40	25	10	5	55	274	202	N/A	3rd	did not qualify
1989-91	Did Not Participate
[\| 1991-92	48	10	37	1	11	177	371	N/A	6th	did not qualify
[\| 1992-93	48	11	37	0	22	163	345	N/A	6th	did not qualify
[\| 1993-94	40	23	16	1	47	272	206	N/A	2nd	lost in Semifinals
[\| 1994-95	48	6	39	3	15	173	389	N/A	7th	did not qualify
1995-98	Did Not Participate
[\| 1998-99	40	8	30	2	18	150	281	N/A	6th	did not qualify
Espanola Screaming Eagles (NOJHL)
[\| 1999-00	40	4	34	2	10	128	329	N/A	5th	did not qualify
[\| 2000-01	40	8	29	3	19	99	200	N/A	6th	did not qualify
[\| 2001-02	42	13	27	2	28	168	294	N/A	6th	did not qualify
[\| 2002-03	48	5	43	0	10	140	404	N/A	7th	did not qualify
Northern Michigan Black Bears (NOJHL)
[\| 2003-04	48	25	17	6	56	199	170	857	2nd, West	lost in Seminfinals
[\| 2004-05	48	28	13	7	63	174	126	824	1st, West	lost in Final
[\| 2005-06	48	27	15	6	60	180	142	872	2nd, West	lost in Semifinal
Soo Indians (NOJHL)
[\| 2006-07	48	31	15	2	64	193	145	1,071	1st, West	Champions
2007-08	Did Not Participate
Soo Eagles (NOJHL)
[\| 2008-09	50	26	21	3	55	257	209	932	2nd, West	lost in Semifinal
[\| 2009-10	50	27	18	5	59	224	213	894	3rd, West	lost in Semifinal
[\| 2010-11	50	37	10	3	77	256	159	846	2nd, West	Champions
[\| 2011-12	50	35	11	4	74	290	171	729	2nd, West	lost in Semifinal
Soo Eagles (NAHL)
[\| 2012-13	60	41	14	5	87	203	152	992	1st, North	Lost in Division Final
[\| 2013-14	60	25	27	8	58	149	187	970	6th of 6, North 18th of 24 league	did not qualify
[\| 2014-15	60	31	25	4	66	182	185	1248	3rd of 6, North 18th of 24 league	Won, First Round Series, 3-0 (Ice Miners) tbd, Quarterfinals, ?-? (Jets)

External links

Eagles New Webpage

North American Hockey League

Central Division	Aberdeen Wings Austin Bruins Bismarck Bobcats Brookings Blizzard Minot Minotauros

Midwest Division	Coulee Region Chill Fairbanks Ice Dogs Kenai River Brown Bears Minnesota Magicians Minnesota Wilderness Wenatchee Wild

North Division	Janesville Jets Johnstown Tomahawks Michigan Warriors Port Huron Fighting Falcons Springfield Jr. Blues Soo Eagles

South Division	Amarillo Bulls Corpus Christi IceRays Lone Star Brahmas Odessa Jackalopes Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Topeka RoadRunners Wichita Falls Wildcats

Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League

Current Teams

Former Teams

History

IJBHL
NOJHA

NOHA Junior A
Seasons

NOJHA	1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72

NOJHL	1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15