Nickel Baron claims third star in NOJHL

Sudbury Nickel Baron Jake Punkari has been named the third star in the NOJHL Three Stars of the week.

At the top of the list is Peter Poulin-Roy, of the Abitibi Eskimos. He earned the top spot for the week after a seven-point outburst last week.

Despite being saddled with a pair of losses last week, the Eskies did manage to put eight pucks past opposing netminders, keyed largely on the strength of the play from linemates Poulin-Roy and Zach Innes.

An 18-year-old Sudbury native (originally born in Val D’Or, Quebec) who toiled with the Nickel Capital Wolves the past few years, Poulin-Roy moved ahead of Ryan Wildman, into second place in team scoring after a seven point outburst last week.

Poulin-Roy has chalked up 35 points in 25 games with the Eskimos.

Claiming second among the Three Stars is Soo Thunderbird Darcy Casola. A recent hot streak has allowed Casola to overtake Adam Ritchie atop the T-Birds scoring parade. A three-goal and four-point effort in a 7-4 win over Abitibi gives the 20-year-old Sault Ste. Marie native nine points in his past three games.
 
With 60 points in 41 games, Casola has now tripled his output from the 2011-2012 season, sitting third overall in the NOJHL behind the Sudbury tandem of Sebastien Leroux and Darcy Haines.

Much further down the Sudbury scoring list, you will find the name of Jake Punkari. The self-proclaimed “energy player,” who knows and understands his role well, got into the offensive fray last week.

After netting his first goal of the season in a 6-2 win over Elliot Lake and earning first star honours in the process, Punkari assisted on the only Barons goal in a 4-1 loss in Kirkland Lake.

The three-point week nearly doubled his season totals, though few would ever measure the impact of the likeable 19-year-old in goals and assists.