Wolves Set for NHL Camps
The Sudbury Wolves will open the pre-season Thursday night in Barrie against the Barrie Colts. Game time is 7:30.
The Wolves will return home on Friday to face the Soo Greyhounds at 7:30 at the Sudbury Arena. JUNGLE GYMNASTICS will Sponsor Friday’s game in Sudbury. The Wolves will travel to the Soo on Saturday to play the Greyhounds Saturday night at 7:30.
That will be 3 games in 3 nights for the Wolves who will use pre-season games to evaluate the players that remain in camp and reduce the roster in time for their home opener weekend.
The Wolves are carrying 32 players right now but 7 of those players are heading to NHL camps this week at various dates and times.
The seven players are: MICHAEL SGARBOSSA (SAN JOSE), JUSTIN SEFTON (SAN JOSE), FRANK CORRADO (VANCOUVER), CHARLIE DODERO (BOSTON), JOSH LEIVO (TORONTO), JOHAN MATTSSON (CHICAGO) and JOSH MCFADDEN (MONTREAL). The departure of these great players will leave the Wolves with 25 players including 4 goaltenders.
“It’s a lot of exhibition games in a short period of time but it will provide us with a good idea of what players we can count on and what players may not be quite ready for the grind of playing OHL hockey in northern Ontario” notes Wolves’ Head Coach Trent Cull.
“Grinding through tough schedules like this sometimes causes the players to separate themselves from the group. We have a number of good players still with us and we still have some difficult decisions to make. I look forward to seeing our players battle it out over the next two weeks.”
One of the toughest decisions that Wolves’ management faces will be in goal with incumbent JACOB RILEY leading the way. BRENDAN O’NEILL is also back with the Wolves while the two eldest goaltenders in camp are new to the club – JOHAN MATTSSON, 19 from Sweden who was picked up in the CHL IMPORT draft while JOEL VIENNEAU, 19, from Hearst, Ontario arrived from Muskegon of the USHL. MATTSSON will be away at the Chicago Blackhawks camp this week so it is expected that RILEY, O’NEILL and VIENNEAU will get the opportunity to showcase their skills in goal during this week’s exhibition games.
