Five Questions: Sudbury Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves had a solid 2020 season cut short by the Covid pandemic, one that saw them capture the Central Division for the first time since 2001. A few years later, the Wolves are looking good again, with an impressive forward group ready to put some pucks in the net this coming season.
The Wolves have seen a few different faces lead the team behind the bench in recent years, with long-time OHL fixture Ken MacKenzie at the helm for 2023-24.
Five Questions looks at the Sudbury Wolves, a team with some real promise entering the new season, featuring several names drafted and developed within the organization.
1. Does Sudbury have the league’s top returning offence?
The Wolves are really only losing Nick DeGrazia from their offensive corps, meaning 92-point producer David Goyette, San Jose Sharks first round pick Quentin Musty, veteran playmaker Landon McCallum, speedy centreman Kocha Delic, American flank Evan Konyen and Chicago Blackhawks draftee Alex Pharand are all coming back. While those names are all expected to be impactful in 2023-24, the Wolves did own the league’s worst power play last season. If they can straighten that out, the club’s offensive ceiling becomes very high.
The newest @SanJoseSharks prospect will bring you out of your seat!
Check out some of the finest work from @Sudbury_Wolves winger Quentin Musty in 2022-23 🎥#NHLDraft | #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/rsOaGac4Wv
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 29, 2023
2. Can Ken MacKenzie’s coaching renaissance put the Wolves over the top?
With Derek MacKenzie joining fellow Sudburian Andrew Brunette behind the bench with the NHL’s Nashville Predators after one season with the Wolves, father Ken MacKenzie is taking the reins in his first OHL head coaching gig since 1992. The elder MacKenzie has been around the Wolves organization, largely in a managerial capacity for a very long time, and stepped behind the bench as an assistant last season. When Ken MacKenzie last served as head coach of the Wolves, the team featured such names as Glen Murray, Derek Armstrong, Mike Peca and Jamie Matthews. Staying within the bounds of the father-son approach, the Wolves can be expected to stick with familiar systems as they return with their sights set on the top of the Eastern Conference.
After part of one season behind the @Sudbury_Wolves bench, Derek MacKenzie has accepted a position as Assistant Coach of the #NHL's @PredsNHL, with father Ken MacKenzie taking the reins as Wolves Head Coach moving into 2023-24.
DETAILS 📰: https://t.co/P1K4WmZj4y pic.twitter.com/4XlmmJE3uN
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 22, 2023
3. How big of a goaltending boost would Vondras provide?
The Wolves have gone the goaltending route at the CHL Import Draft a couple times in the past number of years, bringing in former Red Tilson Trophy and OHL Goaltender of the Year recipient Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in 2018. They picked up Danish netminder Frederik Dichow in 2019, but his arrival was thwarted by the Covid pandemic. Wolves GM Rob Papineau scooped up right-handed catching Czech netminder Jakub Vondras with the 22nd overall pick earlier this month. The 19-year-old was a fourth round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2022 NHL Draft and had a strong showing in Czechia’s top junior circuit last year, going 18-10 with a 2.19 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in 29 games for Plzen. Nate Krawchuk showed some promise in his first OHL season and is accompanied in the Wolves goaltending pipeline by second round 2022 OHL Priority Selection choice Drew Gaulton who spent last season with the Espanola Paper Kings of the NOJHL.
Day 4 of Camp is highlighted by this afternoon's scrimmage, but the goalies are on the ice to start the day. 🏕️
It's been great to catch up with Jakub Vondras, who will play a season in North America for the first time this fall with the @Sudbury_Wolves.
"I think it's a really… pic.twitter.com/aIvhF8Jkpo
— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) July 13, 2023
4. Is Villeneuve in for a big season?
The third overall pick of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Nathan Villeneuve proved to be one of the league’s fiercest competitors in his first season. At 6-foot, 183Ibs., Villeneuve was reliable in the faceoff circle and showed a willingness to battle for pucks against bigger opponents. He finished the year with 22 points (12-10–22) in 55 games and enters his draft eligible campaign in a forward group with a number of high profile names. He might not lead the Wolves on the scoresheet, but Villeneuve’s willingness to battle and go to the hard areas so early in his OHL career makes him an intriguing player to keep tabs on.
NATHAN VILLENEUVE TIES IT UP 👀💔
Quentin Musty puts it right in the @Sudbury_Wolves rookie's wheelhouse to bring the game back to square one to tie the game at five 📽️ pic.twitter.com/u410G9guzV
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) December 14, 2022
5. Can the Wolves cut down on the penalties?
It was one area that kind of held the Wolves back in 2022-23 as they went down in four straight first round games to the eventual champion Peterborough Petes. Sudbury was the most penalized team in the OHL, and owned the league’s 17th-ranked penalty kill. The Wolves have a number of players who play “on the edge” such as 6-foot-7 blueliner Djibril Toure, an overage candidate, the aforementioned Villeneuve, and even Quentin Musty, who had 71 penalty minutes last season. Perhaps a more established presence in the crease can help the team improve in this area, but a more disciplined approach wouldn’t hurt either.
9 Wolves are howling their way to greatness at NHL Development Camps! 🏒🐺
David Goyette – Seattle Kraken
Nolan Collins – Pittsburgh Penguins
Quentin Musty- San Jose Sharks
Alex Pharand – Chicago Blackhawks
Matthew Mania – Los Angeles Kings
Landon McCallum – Toronto Maple Leafs… pic.twitter.com/o0QeK7BIBO— Sudbury Wolves (@Sudbury_Wolves) July 5, 2023
Five Questions is put together by Josh Sweetland (@joshsweetland). Follow along throughout the summer for an offseason look at all 20 OHL clubs.
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