Uxbridge Bruins look to local talent to fuel 2025-26 PJHL season

By Darryl Knight

The Uxbridge Bruins are set to hit the ice for the 2025-26 Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) season with a mix of hometown talent and veteran leadership. The team opens on the road Thursday, Sept. 18 in Bowmanville against the Clarington Eagles, before returning home to the Bear Den for the home opener Friday, Sept. 19 at 7:45 p.m., renewing hostilities with the rival Little Britain Merchants.

This season’s roster features a strong local presence, highlighted by eight players from Uxbridge. Returning defenceman Jordan Bonner, last season’s Orr Division rookie of the year, will anchor the blue line alongside hometown goalie Robbie DiMaria. New additions include forwards Trent Nobes and Josh Hall, who spent last season in Junior A with the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), and defenceman Trent Warren, joining his hometown club after a season with the North York Rangers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).

A trio of promising local players is making the jump from minor hockey to junior ranks: Devin Hollands from the North Durham Warriors Under-18 AA, Tyson Lotton from the Under-18 Central Ontario Wolves, and Tucker Roberts, who split the 2024-25 season between the Under-18 Markham Waxers and the French River Rapids of the NOJHL. Adding further North Durham ties are Sunderland’s Ryan Shier and Blackstock’s Jack Kemp, strengthening the Bruins’ connection to the community.

“Our local players are the heart of this team,” said Bruins General Manager Trevor Cox, who was one of the team’s most popular players during his tenure in the early 2000s. “When you have guys from Uxbridge and surrounding towns wearing the Bruins jersey, it’s about more than just hockey. It’s about playing for your community, your family, your friends, and playing with pride and purpose. Having these local players also brings focus to younger players in Uxbridge that there is a path right here to playing junior hockey.”

Veteran leadership anchors the team with defencemen Josh Czalij, Tyler Laita, and Colin Glecoff leading the blue line, and forwards Nolan Winter, former Orr Division rookie of the year Evan Gilbert, and team captain Tanner Ryan guiding the younger players up front.

Cox also emphasized the role of alumni in shaping the current roster. “Our former Bruins players are a huge part of recruiting and mentoring our young talent. They understand what it means to wear the Bruins jersey and are always helping to keep that culture alive.”

After a strong second half in the 2024-25 season, the Bruins are approaching this campaign with the theme of unfinished business. “We know what this team is capable of,” Cox said. “The goal is to take the lessons from last season, push harder, and get one step closer to our ultimate goal. There’s a real hunger in this locker room, and we’re excited to get the season started.”

Local fans can catch the Bruins in action first on the road Thursday and then at the Bear Den next Friday night, where hometown pride and community support are expected to energize the team’s push for another strong season.