The Stouffville Spirit is pleased to announce the signing of defenceman Nolan Jackson of Innisfil, ON.
Jackson, 16, captained the Barrie Colts U16 team last season, leading them in scoring with 29 points in 35 games.
Last week, Jackson signed with the Sudbury Wolves, the Spirit’s Ontario Hockey League affiliate team, who selected him in the second round of this year’s OHL U16 draft. He’ll begin the year in Stouffville where team officials expect him to be called up to Sudbury throughout the season.
Jackson was one of 66 players from across the country who took part in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence summer meetings in preparation for the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
“We’re very pleased to have Nolan in Stouffville,” Spirit General Manager Kenny Burrows. “He’s a very talented player, who our scouts have been talking about for a couple of years. We know Stouffville fans will enjoy watching him this season.”
The Spirit drops the puck on its 2023-24 Ontario Junior Hockey League regular season this weekend.
They’ll play a home-and-home series with their York Region rivals, the Aurora Tigers, beginning Friday night in Aurora.
The next night the puck drops on the Spirit home opener – at 7:30 p.m. at the Stouffville Arena on the Ninth Line
Stouffville’s own Muffin Men Band will perform a pre-game concert outside the arena beginning at 7 p.m.
The Lions Club of Stouffville will welcome kids to their craft table in the arena lobby.
Proceeds from 50/50 draws at all three Spirit home games during September will go to the Stouffville Terry Fox Run.
The Spirit is returning several key members from the team that reached the OJHL playoffs last spring. The Spirit also acquired a mix of veteran junior players and highly-touted rookies during the offseason.
