Sudbury Wolves Welcome 2025 U18 Draft Class
The 2025 U18 OHL Priority Selection took place on April 16th, with the Sudbury Wolves selecting two players to join the organization.
The Wolves started their draft with the 10th overall pick, selecting Sutton Maltby, a 6-foot, 175 lbs, right-handed centre from Cambridge, Ontario. Sutton played the previous season with the Waterloo Wolves U18 AAA, the same program that current Wolves forward Rowan Henderson was selected from.
Sutton is a two-way forward who plays the game at a high pace and with good speed. He is a player who was liked last season for his compete level and someone who elevated his game in U18 on a strong Waterloo team. Sutton can be relied upon in defensive situations and is tough to play against. His game made a seamless transition to junior hockey, playing seven games this year for the Elmira Sugar Kings of the GOJHL.
“He’s a player who makes his presence known on every shift”, said Rob Papineau, Vice President and General Manager of the Sudbury Wolves. “The interest was there for him since last year and he went to a very good Waterloo program that has shown its results with players such as Rowan Henderson. His right-handed shot we think will be a great add to the hockey team, and with his character and high compete level, we know our coaches will love him.”
The Wolves made their second and final selection of the draft with the 30th overall pick, selecting Luca Kettles, a 5-foot-10, 160 lbs, left-handed left wing from Ottawa, Ontario. Luca was drafted out of the Ottawa Jr. 67’s U18 AAA program.
Luca is arguably the fastest skater in the draft and for his age, you can make a case for any 2008 in the country. He is explosive from stop to start and wins virtually every race for a puck. His ability to win small races or his speed chasing down pucks on a forecheck makes him dangerous on every shift with puck possession.
“With hockey players, you talk about the first three steps, and with Luca, he can get to full speed in about a step”, expressed Papineau. “He’s dynamically explosive, we really liked him at the Big Nickel tournament. Luca is someone who grabs your attention and you can’t turn away from watching his skating ability”.
The Sudbury Wolves would like to welcome all the young men drafted in the past week during both the OHL Priority Selection and the U18 OHL Priority Selection, to the city of Sudbury and the organization. Don’t miss your chance to receive Early Bird pricing and for your chance to enter exclusive prize draws, as the 2025/26 Sudbury Wolves Season Membership Early Bird deadline approaches on April 30th. Contact [email protected] for more information.
