It was a season of highs and lows for North Bay's Marshall McCharles.
After battling through a pair of injuries, the Sudbury Wolves prospect who plays for the Greater Sudbury Cubs, really hit his stride.
The former North Bay AAA Trappers forward scored the series-clinching game-winning goal late in game 5 of the Northern Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League final as the Cubs defeated the Powassan Voodoos four games to one to win the NOJHL crown.
"If felt amazing," admitted McCharles, whose mother is a journalist and dad a nurse in North Bay.
"As soon as I saw the Voodoos goalie bend down I saw the opening and focused on where I wanted to put that puck," he said as his club went on to the 5-3 win after adding an empty net tally to clinch the title.
The 2006 birth year winger finished with 7 goals and 5 assists in 16 playoff games for the Cubs.
That late April championship now sends the Cubs to the Centennial Cup; Canada's national junior 'A' championship which takes place May 9 to 19 in Oakville, Ontario.
The Cubs will represent the NOJHL in the 10-team event.
"My expectations are advancing from the round robin we have the guys and the coaching staff to do it.," said McCharles talking about head coach Darryl Moxam.
"Some people may say I have high expectations, but I really don’t. I expect we give it our all and we come out on top. I know it will be a really hard thing to do, but I feel like this team can do it, especially if we play like we have been."
Regardless, McCharles hopes to represent the North well.
"It’s great for Northern Ontario to be able to compete on a national stage and have the opportunity to showcase what we can do," he said.
Trappers Cubs content
There are some other North Bay area connections to the NOJHL championship team.
Astorville product Kaedyn Long, joined the Cubs as an affiliate player after playing Jr. B with the St. Thomas Stars. In 2022-23, Long, a Battalion draft pick, played for the Voodoos whom the Cubs eliminated in the final.
Meantime Cubs forwards Ben Harris and Nolan Newton also wore North Bay AAA Trappers colours during a portion of their minor hockey days.
North Bay area players at the Centennial Cup
Other North Bay hockey stars to take part in the national event are Zachary Roy and Nick Huard.
The Nipissing Lakers goaltender lost the in the final of the Centennial Cup to the Brooks Bandits in 2022 when he was playing with the Pickering Panthers of the Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League.
Prior to that, North Bay's Nick Huard played at the national event when it was still called the RBC Cup.
Huard, who still plays professionally in Europe, was a member of the Woodstock Slammers of the Maritime Junior 'A' Hockey League in 2012 at the event held in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
