With 29 players still in camp, the Sudbury Wolves are now down to the nitty gritty of working towards a roster that will take to the ice for the 2024-2025 season opener on Friday, September 27th at home versus the Barrie Colts.

The Wolves opened their exhibition schedule on the road, deadlocked in a 2-2 draw with the Soo Greyhounds entering the third period of play before succumbing by a final count of 5-2 to their northern rivals.

Following a scoreless opening period of play, the teams traded goals in the second, with Hudson Chitaroni (on the PP) and Quentin Musty finding the back of the net for the locals to counter strikes from Julian Fantino and Justin Cloutier of the Hounds.

A goal by Justin DeZoete less than a minute into the third set the tone for the homeside in the final frame as they padded their advantage with tallies from Marco Mignosa and Travis Hayes (empty-net).

Drew Gaulton started the contest between the pipes for Sudbury, turning aside 11 of the 12 shots that he faced with Finn Marshall posting in at 12/15 in the second half of the match-up.

While veterans were interspersed in both lineups, the Wolves featured neither back-end overager (Donovan McCoy/Nick DeAngelis) nor third year blueliner Gavin Ewles, acquired from the Flint Firebirds that sent Nolan Collins and Matthew Mania the opposite way.

With more than one hundred OHL games under his belt, Ewles sits, at the moment, as the third most tenured defenseman in the Sudbury lineup, leaned upon heavily even as he works his way through the acclimatization process.

"Everything is new: new city, new billets, new teammates - so we have to get used to all of that," noted the 19 year-old native of Barrie. "But the guys have been so welcoming. It's been a really good start."

A fifth round draft pick of the Ottawa 67's (2021), Ewles has registered 8 goals and 20 assists to date, looking to bump up those numbers this winter. "I would like to produce more in the offensive zone - and in the defensive zone, be more physical," he said.

"That may be laying big hits, but even just finishing all of my checks, playing hard in front of the net, blocking shots and all that."

Though he grew up only three hours away, Ewles has not spent a great deal of time in the Nickel City, though he already feels a kinship to the area.

"I just think the rocks are pretty cool - and the lakes and forests," he said. "I love it here so far."

As for the long bus rides ahead, Ewles suggested an Adam Sandler movie is always a go-to ("maybe Happy Gilmore or one of the originals") - or relaxing while listening to some of his favourite country artists, notably Zack Ryan or Luke Combs.

Others who remain in camp and are not mention above include:

Goaltenders Ben Rossi and Nate Krawchuk

Defensemen Brady Smith, Brady Bruce, Cole Wreggitt, Luca Blonda, Nolan Jackson, Spencer Horgan and Trevor O'Dell

Forwards Kocha Delic, Alex Pharand, Nathan Villeneuve, Chase Coughlan, Blake Clayton, Daks Klinkhammer, Ethan Dean, Grant Booth, Henry Doucet, Kieron Walton, Lucas Di Giantommaso, Noah Kohan and Rowan Henderson

The Wolves also confirmed over the weekend that Doucet (3rd rd - 2024), Wreggitt (4th rd - 2024), Smith (6th rd - 2024), Henderson (1st rd - U18 draft - 2024) and Marshall (13th rd - 2022) have all now signed standard OHL contracts with the team.