2019-20 Season Summary: Sudbury Wolves

In a Central Division that saw its share of tight battles, the Sudbury Wolves emerged victorious at the top; a spot they held on to throughout the 2019-20 season. Though they faced intermittent struggles from a defensive standpoint, they saw no shortage of offence from players both old and new with highly anticipated NHL Draft eligible Quinton Byfield leading the pack.

Division champs
For the first time since 2001, the Sudbury Wolves claimed the Emms Trophy as Central Division champions. While the Barrie Colts, Mississauga Steelheads and Niagara IceDogs saw some movement up and down the division over the course of the campaign, the Wolves were able to hold on their first place slot, rounding out the year six points above the Colts. The race was often a close one, with a cushion as tight two-point separating them from the second place team at points throughout the season. They’d finish out with a record of 34-27-1-1, battling defensive inconsistency at times and notably facing some adversity over the month of December without power forward Byfield in the lineup.

All eyes on Byfield
Of course, all eyes were on Quinton Byfield, the top ranked OHL skater heading into the 2020 NHL Draft by NHL Central Scouting standards. To follow up his Rookie of the Year welcoming party to the league, the 6-foot-4 star centreman had another monster year. He finished his sophomore season fourteenth in OHL scoring with 82 points in a 45-game season shortened by injury and a trip to the World Juniors, good for a sixth-best 1.82 points-per game pace. Byfield’s dominant speed, size and skill combination also resulted in an appearance with Team OHL at the CIBC Canada Russia Series, a World Junior gold medal with Team Canada and a captaincy stint at the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Loading up
The Wolves added some veteran talent at the deadline that surely paid off over the course of the second half. They traded for Barrie Colt and Buffalo Sabres prospect Matej Pekar as well as fourth year winger Brad Chenier from North Bay and both maintained a regular offensive pace. Pekar notched a 34-point showing over just 25 appearances in Sudbury while Chenier was consistent with 24 points over 22 games.

Vets doing their part
While the new guys made a persistent impact, long-time members of the Pack didn’t slow down either. Carolina Hurricanes prospect Blake Murray took a leap as an offensive threat with a team-high 35 goals. Fifth year vet David Levin graduates from the league having put forth his best hockey yet, finishing second in Sudbury scoring with a dominant 73 points.

Captain Carson leaves a legacy
Also skating away from a full five seasons in Sudbury, Macauley Carson expectedly played a vital part in his team’s offensive success. The veteran centreman, who assumed full-time captain duties upon Shane Bulitka’s deadline deal to North Bay, entered the 20-goal mark and 50-point club for the first time over his OHL career. With a total 304 appearances, all in a Wolves jersey, Carson set a new franchise record for games played. He’ll spend the coming seasons with the defending Atlantic University Sport champion University of New Brunswick Reds.