Sudbury Wolves primed for playoff push, GM says

With the OHL trade deadline now come and gone, the Sudbury Wolves find themselves battling for a post-season berth in the Eastern Conference of the OHL.

General manager Rob Papineau told CTV News the plan for the second half of the season is to dig deep and make the playoffs.

“Since the middle of November we’ve been holding teams on average to basically 26 shots a game, which is an incredible stat,” Papineau said.

“If we can keep that up for the second half with some of the changes that we’ve made, I think its going to be really promising for us.”

Before the trade window closed, the Wolves picked up overage goalie Kevyn Brassard. Papineau said he likes what Brassard brings to the team.

“He was 9-0-3 in Drummondville in 15 games and he’s a big body,” he said.

“He’s 6-foot-4, he carries 220 plus ponds so you know if he can bring some stability to us and give our team a chance every night … with the guys in front of him, we’re going to be in good shape.”

Newly arrived forwards Nicolas Yearwood and Chase Coughlan bring a little “feistiness” to the lineup, Papineau said.

“We needed a little bit more on energy and grit and a little bit more toughness on the bottom of our lineup and we think both these guys fit that bill,” he said.

Another big change for the Wolves is new head coach Derek Mackenzie. Papineau said he has complete faith in the former NHLer to lead the team.

“The way he carries himself, his knowledge, the respect he has in the room from our players, you know he’s just a professional,” Papineau said.

“Anybody in the town that’s dealt with him from anything ... NEO kids to hockey. He comes to work hard every day, he brings a ton of experience.”