For many a reason, the Greater Sudbury Cubs are feeling far more prepared as they make a second consecutive appearance at the 2025 Centennial Cup later this week in Calgary.

Representing the NOJHL (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) at the event last year for the first time since 1991, the Cubs took a couple of games to get their feet settled under them, beaten by both the Collingwood Blues (10-2) and Navan Grads (5-1) out of the gate before dropping a close 3-2 affair to the Calgary Canucks.

A 6-0 win over the Collège Francais de Longueuil was not nearly enough to secure a berth in a playoff matchup, something they absolutely hope to achieve the second time around.

"You have to be ready to go," stressed Sudbury coach Darryl Moxam as his team wrapped up their final practice in Sudbury before departing for Alberta on Tuesday. "It took us a while last year with the long layoff to get going in that first game against Collingwood."

"Our guys remember that. They've talked about it all year."

But the confidence that coach Moxam maintains goes beyond simply having been there before. Where the Cubs were crowned league champs in 2023-2024 following a comfortable five-game series against the Powassan Voodoos, this year's team went the distance with the Hearst Lumberjacks - just last week.

"I thought that going into a winner take all game would benefit either of the teams at the next level," he said. "Having failed at it once in game five was a benefit." (the Cubs surrendered a two goal third period lead at home and lost game five 10-6).

"And then finding a way to win in a tight game seven is only going to help us."

And perhaps above all else, the lessons learned against Hearst are still fresh in their minds.

"Just staying consistent with keeping pressure on the other team on the forecheck," said Moxam. "There were a couple of times in that series against Hearst when we got a lead and seemed to lay back a little."

"It was almost like we were playing a 1-2-2 - and we definitely did NOT put that into play."

And, of course, there are those tried and true areas of the game that are seemingly always the focus at this time of year.

"You can never work too much on your "D" zone," said Moxam. "We got a little bit loose, caught on the offensive side of the puck and we need to tighten that up. We've worked on that this week."

Affiliated playoff additions Kaedyn Long and Lincoln Moore are joining the Cubs on the trip west, with veteran defenceman and team captain Mason Chitaroni done for the year.

Moxam did make note of the fact that mid-season acquisition William Haley may make a return to the Sudbury blueline as the team opens round robin play Friday evening opposite the Grande Prairie Storm.

The Cubs will then face the Northern Manitoba Blizzard (Saturday), the Trenton Golden Hawks (Monday) and the Kam River Fighting Walleye (Wednesday), with the top three in the pool of five moving on.