Soo Eagles
| Soo Eagles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States |
| League | Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League |
| Division | North |
| Founded | 1962 (In the NOJHA) |
| Home arena | Pullar Stadium |
| Colors |
Black, Yellow, and White |
| General manager | Bruno Bragagnolo |
| Head coach | Bruno Bragagnolo |
| Franchise history | |
| NOJHL franchise | |
| 1962–2003 | Espanola Eagles |
| 2003–2006 | Northern Michigan Black Bears |
| 2006–2007 | Soo Indians |
| 2008–2012 2015–present |
Soo Eagles |
| NAHL franchise | |
| 2005–2012 | Traverse City North Stars |
| 2012–2015 | Soo Eagles |
| 2015–present | New Jersey Junior Titans |
The Soo Eagles are an American junior ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan that plays in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). In 2012, the Eagles bought the North American Hockey League franchise rights of the Traverse City North Stars and transferred to the NAHL. In 2015, the Eagles sold their franchise rights and rejoined the NOJHL.
The Eagles existed four different times. From 1962 until 1971, Espanola played in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association and stayed until a year before it folded due to lack of enough competition. They joined the local NOHA Jr. B league (which would become the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League in 1979). Espanola, a very small Northern town, always struggled to keep the team viable and competitive and the franchise went on hiatus after the 1988–89 season. They came back from 1991 but went on hiatus again from 1995–1998. They were never an overly successful team, but they did win the 1963 McNamara Trophy as league champions. In their last season (2002–03), they won only five games the whole season. Their last win was against the Sudbury Northern Wolves. At the end of that season, the Screaming Eagles were bought and were relocated to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Most players did not follow, and moved on to other teams.
As the Northern Michigan Black Bears, the franchise celebrated some of its most successful hockey in years. After three winning seasons and a trip to the league finals in 2004–05, the ownership group decided to sell the financially unstable team.
In late summer of 2006, New York Land developer Charles Perdicaro bought and renamed the Black Bears the Soo Indians. Perdicaro hired Jim Capy to coach the Indians. The Indians are made up of players from all over the United States, including players from Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Illinois. Over the 2006 Christmas break, Perdicaro fired Capy and his staff due to "philosophical differences" and hired Kevin Cain to take over.
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