Hounds land Sulmonte
Soo Greyhounds GM Dave Torrie is extremely pleased and excited to announce that RUDY SULMONTE has signed with the club.
“We are very happy that Rudy has made the decision to join our team and pursue his dream of pro hockey. It’s the first time in my 8 years as General Manager we have had a free agent player who was attending an NCAA institution on a full scholarship decide to leave and join our program” started the Hounds GM
The Levittown, NY native had previously made an early commitment and received a full ride scholarship to Mercyhurst College (D1, NCAA) in Erie, Pennsylvania. As a true freshman, the 18-year old chose to re-evaluate his options and join the Hounds.
“I’m excited to join the OHL and I’m ready to play against the elite junior players in the world. The OHL is a proven league and has produced the best hockey players in the National Hockey League today. I feel the Soo Greyhounds offer me the best situation possible and I’m extremely anxious to join the program. Talking to General Manager Torrie has really filled me with excitement and I can’t wait to play for the Greyhounds” stated Sulmonte.
Sulmonte is a graduate of the New Jersey Rockets Junior program where in the 2009/2010 season he had 32 goals and 70 points while being 4th in league scoring.
“The opportunity for Rudy to join the Greyhounds was all about finding the right fit for him in the OHL. His time with the Rockets the last two seasons allowed him to become a prolific goal scorer in the AJHL. He joins former Rockets junior standouts, John Carlson and David Kolomatis to go onto the OHL” said Bob Thornton, Director of the New Jersey Rockets Junior Program.
Additionally, Sulmonte will not only join the Hounds to continue his on-ice aspirations but will continue his education in Sault Ste. Marie while attending Algoma University.
“We were fortunate to get an early phone call indicating that Rudy was interested in leaving Mercyhurst and pursuing coming to the OHL. Over the past week or so I’ve had numerous conversations with Rudy and his family and was able to convince them that our program would give Rudy the best opportunity to continue his hockey dreams while continuing his education. As the process moved along Rudy was contacted by other OHL teams but decided that we had the right situation for him” explained Torrie.
The 5’9”, 180-lber entered the summer months rated for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Despite going undrafted, Sulmonte later attended the New York Islander’s Development Camp in July.
“I have not seen Rudy play personally but have been given very good reports by various sources that Rudy would be a good player and a good fit for our program. He comes highly recommended by numerous sources including his former coach with the Rockets, Bob Thornton, who played in the OHL during his Junior career. I expect that once Rudy gets into game shape and gets accustomed to the OHL he will make a significant contribution to our team” concluded Torrie.
Sulmonte will join his new Hounds teammates later this week when the team opens a three-game road trip on Thursday against the Windsor Spitfires. Game time is 7:05 p.m. and you can hear all the action live on Rock 101 (101.3FM) or rock101.net
