THUNDER BAY – The Bobby Orr of the Superior International Junior Hockey League was at it again on Tuesday night.
Thunder Bay North Stars blue-liner Kyle Auger scored once and added three helpers as he wrestled the point-scoring lead away from teammate Keighan Gerrie, upping his season totals to 25 goals, 61 assists and 86, two points clear of Gerrie’s 84 and tied with Red Lake’s Bryce Young, who had a goal and two assists on Tuesday night in a 6-4 win over Dryden.
Young’s 52 goals are the fourth most in SIJHL history.
Realistically, the scoring title is all the North Stars duo, who routed the Minnesota Iron Rangers 13-1 in a make-up game of a contest postponed from earlier in the season, have left to play for before the 2018-19 regular-season campaign winds down in a few weeks.
It should be a fun, but friendly battle down the stretch, said Auger, a veteran of three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, who’s in his second season with the 42-3-2 North Stars, a first-round bye and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs wrapped up with nine games to go.
“We don’t talk that much about it, but I think as a defenceman it would be a pretty big accomplishment. I may not deserve it as much as other guys. I don’t know, maybe I do,” said Auger, who equalled Jordan Smith’s 2006-07 record for points in a season by a defenceman.
Smith, who went on to play at Lakehead, had 46 goals and 40 assists in setting the initial standard.
“It would be pretty cool to do it as a defenceman. I don’t know if it’s ever been done before.”
Gerrie was held off the score sheet for just the ninth time this season, despite hitting the crossbar and losing the handle on another sure-fire chance.
The 17-year-old said he’s more driven to help the North Stars, winners of seven straight, stay focused as the playoffs approach.
But winning a scoring title would be pretty cool, he admitted.
“It would be a huge honour. It’s not easy getting these points, so I’d be happy with it. But if it’s Kyle or Bryce, they’re both really good players as well, so I wouldn’t be disappointed if they got it,” Gerrie said.
Both players said they’re getting ribbed a bit in the dressing room over their scoring output.
“They bug me and (Keighan) a good amount, but me and him don’t really talk about it. They know how good he is. He’s such a good player,” Auger said.
“It’s going to be a close one,” chimed in North Stars captain Ryan Mignault, who scored three times and crossed the 40-goal mark, just the 22nd SIJHL player to do so.
It was a milestone kind of game for the Stars.
Jacob Brown netted a hat trick, helping him edge past the 20-goal threshold, while forward Joel Willan had four assists and hit the 50-helper mark, ending the game with 53.
Mignault, first place already wrapped up, says he’s got one more personal goal in mind.
“It’s just one step closer to 50 and that’s the goal. I’m kind of running out of time, so it’s nice to get a multi-goal game, for sure,” he said.
Minnesota's Joshua Baker ended Dougie Newhouse’s bid for a fifth shutout of the season at 6:23 of the third, beating him alone on the backhand.
Jacob Anttonen, with a pair, Jayden Mrakic, Matthew Halushak, Evan Nicholas, and Brendan Gillis also scored for Thunder Bay.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Halushak 2 (unassisted) 7:42. 2. Thunder Bay, Mignault 39 (Anttonen, Auger) 12:14. 3. Thunder Bay, Mrakic 9 (Vecchio) 13:16. 4. Thunder Bay, Brown 20 (Auger, Willan) 15:14 pp. Penalties: Birkeland MIR (hooking) 14:44.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Thunder Bay, Brown 21 (Willan) 1:23. 6. Thunder Bay, Auger 25 (Gilis, Mignault) 2:10. 7. Thunder Bay, Brown 22 (Willan, Auger) 5:01. 8. Thunder Bay, Anttonen 15 (Willan, Brassard) 6:04. 9. Thunder Bay, Anttonen 16 (Gillis) 17:40. 10. Thunder Bay, Nicholas (Vecchio, Bryant) 19:30. Penalties: None.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 11.Thunder Bay, Gillis (Mignault) 1:51. 12. Minnesota, Baker (Lech) 6:23. 13. Thunder Bay, Mignault 40 (Gillis, Turbide) 6:57. 14. Thunder Bay, Mignault 41 (Halushak, Tyska) 17:51. Penalties: Willan TB (slashing) 10:12, Halushak TB (slashing) 18:44.
GAME DATA – SOG – Minnesota 7-8-10-25, Thunder Bay 30-24-28-82; Power plays (goals-chances) – Minnesota (0-2), Thunder Bay (1-1); Goaltenders – Minnesota: Synjen Amende (39 shots, 31 saves), Nick Crneliusen (12:17, second), Thunder Bay: Dougie Newhouse. A: 100.
