THUNDER BAY – Cody Bruchkowski was brought back to the Thunder Bay North Stars for one reason – to put points on the board.
The move, which cost the North Stars veteran goaltender Dougie Newhouse’s spot on the roster, paid off almost immediately.
Bruchkowski, a graduate of the Thunder Bay Kings program who took his talents elsewhere the past two season, on Friday potted his first goal in a North Stars uniform, a shorthanded effort that also proved to be the game-winner in a 3-1 triumph over the visiting Thief River Falls Norskies.
The goal, which came with 2:22 to go in the second and broke a 1-1 deadlock, was sheer effort.
“The d-man fumbled the puck at the blueline. I just pressured him, dove at the puck, poked it away from him and just went on a (breakaway), saw an opening glove side, so I ripped ‘er and thankfully it went in.”
Bruchkowski, acquired for cash, had five goals in seven games with the Brockville Braves, but said he yearned for a return to Thunder Bay and the North Stars, a team he suited up for two games with in 2016-17.
He’s plenty familiar with several current North Stars, including Jacob Brown, Joel Willian, Robert McCollum and captain Logan Mihalcin, all former teammates with the Kings.
He said he knows why the Stars acquired him and he’s ready to produce.
“I love to score. If I didn’t like scoring, I wouldn’t be playing this game,” the 20-year-old said. “I take pride in it and hopefully I’m going to keep it going throughout the rest of the season.”
Thunder Bay coach Robert DeGagne said it was a steep price to pay, but with dwindling numbers on defence and a limit of eight 20-year-olds allowed this season, he had to make the difficult decision to release Newhouse.
“We had to get rid of a 20-year-old this week and that really was hard for us to do that, because we lost a really good warrior for us and a good soldier in Dougie,” DeGagne said.
He’s counting on Bruchkowski solidifying an offence not nearly as powerful as the one that led the Stars last season to a Bill Salonen Cup championship.
“He’s a gifted goal scorer. That guy can shoot the puck,” said DeGagne, who coached Bruchkowski in midget before taking the Stars reins.
“I don’t know if there’s anyone on our team, even from last year, that can shoot the puck like him. He can score. We’ve just got to find the right guys to play with him, get him in the right spots and make him good.”
It was the Norskies who struck first, Nick Harder rifling a bullet of a wrist shot past Jordan Smith 2:46 into the middle stanza. But it only took the North Stars, playing in front of 377 fans in their home opener, 29 seconds to notch the equalizer.
Michael Vecchio pounced on a rebound in front of Thief River goalie Seth Purcilly and rammed it home on the backhand, tying the game 1-1.
Ben Erwin one-timed a Nikolas Campbell feed past Purcilly midway through the third, the power-play goal capping the scoring.
The Stars (4-1-0) killed off a double minor assessed to Andrew Rennie with 5:47 to play in regulation and the Norskies (1-3-1) failed to score with their goaltender on the bench over most of the final 1:48 of the contest.
The two teams meet again on Saturday night.
Star gazing: Forward Michael Stubbs, who scored 25 goals with the Stars in 2018-19, has made the jump to the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. He’s been held scoreless in five appearances.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Nicholas TB, Sylvester TRF (roughing) 10:28.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thief River Falls, Harder (Schultheis) 2:46. 3. Thunder Bay, Vecchio (Mrakic) 3:15. 3. Thunder Bay, Bruchkowski 1 (unassisted) 17:38 sh. Penalties: McCollum TB (boarding) 10:34, Nicholas TB (high sticking) 17:12.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Thunder Bay, B. Erwin (Campbell, Mihalcin) 9:12 pp. Penalties: Lizakowski TRF (slashing) 7:47, Rennie TB (spearing double minor) 14:13, Paseschnikoff TRF (slashing) 18:25.
GAME DATA – SOG – Thief River Falls 11-14-7-32; Thunder Bay 20-9-10-39; Power plays (goals-chances) – Thief River Falls (0-3), Thunder Bay (1-2); Goaltenders – Thief River Falls: Seth Purcilly, Thunder Bay: Jordan Smith; A:377.
