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NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
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The 12th multi-marker performance of the season by Owen King saw him tally three times as part of a 6-2 victory by the Blind River Beavers over the Soo Thunderbirds Sunday afternoon in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting at the Blind River Community Centre.
Converting on the day’s initial man advantage opportunity, King sent a short-side sizzler through traffic from the right circle past Thunderbirds’ netminder Lincoln Mellenthin, three and a half minutes in for his 40th goal of the season.
Notching an equalizer at 12:31 of the first period, Sault Ste. Marie’s James Legler set-up behind the goal line and spotted defenceman Bryan Fenlon skating in the back door and put a pass on the tape that was roofed upstairs on a diving Blind River goaltender, Connor Dunham-Fox.
Retaking the lead late in the frame, a King dump in took a hometown bounce off the end boards and went right into the slot where YiBin Yoo snagged it and wired it through the legs of Mellenthin.
Moving into a share of the NOJHL lead in tallies in the second stanza, King converted with a similar type marker as his first as he took a feed from Owen van de Ven and pumped it past a crowd and in from the right side.
Breaking it open late it in the second, the Beavers banged in two more to take a 5-1 lead into the intermission.
On their fourth, Jonah McIndoo swiped the puck off a defender and quickly propelled a backhand via the five-hole from the top of the crease.
Kalyn McQueen then registered his 10th of the season moments later by tipping in an Isaiah Allen attempt from the point.
Up a skater midway through the third, Jacob Smith got one back for the Soo as he batted in a bounding puck off an attempt from up high by Callum McAuley.
Then with Mellenthin out for an extra attacker, Blind River finished off the win when Rylan Gibbs waited for King to work his way free then provided a pass that allowed him to deposit into an empty net, his NOJHL-best 42nd tally.
With the hat trick, King tops the league with the most three-goal games in 2024-25 at five as do his 11 game-winning markers.
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