Ties with the city run deep for Sudbury Wolves’ goalie
Goalie Joe Ranger says he’s the guy to provide the Sudbury Wolves with the expertise and leadership it needs between the pipes as the team makes a run for a playoff berth.
Ranger, 20, arrived in a late June trade with the Mississauga Steelheads, giving the Wolves a goalie with plenty of experience and a true connection to the Nickel City.
“My grandfather, Frank St. Marseille, is originally from Sudbury in Blezard Valley,” he said.
“There’s also a cool picture of the game he played in the game of the famous Bobby Orr goal with Orr flying across the crease … He got an assist in the second period of that game.”
Ranger said hockey definitely runs deep in his family’s blood -- and Sudbury does, too.
“St. Marseille has always been a good mentor for me, and a hero of mine, so it’s definitely cool to take our roots back to Sudbury,” he said.
Ranger is from Carp, Ont., just outside of Ottawa, and is already providing the Wolves with the net presence general manager Rob Papineau expected from a 20-year old.
Ranger said he’s happy to shoulder that responsibility.
“Growing up, I'm quite familiar with the city especially the arena, so I'd like to think I know every weird bounce that goes on in the rink,” he said.
“So, I'm just looking to, like I said, be a backbone for the guys on the ice and hopefully, bring a veteran presence to the room."
When he’s not at the rink, Ranger said he enjoys his downtime and getting away from the game.
"I like to play golf a lot with my friends, it's a great hobby to stay active. And, also during the summer, I come up to camp,” he said.
“Go fishing, hunting, you know, hanging out with family by the fire. It's always something I look forward to during the summer."
Hobbies aside, Ranger said he is all about family, and with his grandparents close by in the community of Lively in Greater Sudbury, he feels at home.
“We always stop in there before we make the trip up towards Espanola to camp, and they definitely have always been supportive,” he said.
“So it would be nice again to have them cheer for the Wolves, again.”
Ranger said he’s found his happy place in Sudbury and hopes that will be reflected in his play.
“I'm really excited to be here. It's definitely a full circle moment for me and my family. From being a fan as a young boy to now being a player, it's really cool.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
Canucks hold off Oilers for 4-3 win in Game 3
Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise's disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.