The Sudbury Wolves kicked off 2023 on the right foot, notching a 6-4 win against the Oshawa Generals on their home turf Friday night.
David Goyette, Matthew Mania, Landon McCallum, Dylan Robinson, Quentin Musty and Marc Boudreau all hit the net for the Wolves, kicking off both the season and a three-game weekend.
Goyette recorded three assists, Musty and Kocha Delic each had two while Nick DeGrazia and Ethan Larmand earned one each.
Both Goyette and Musty were “red hot” going into the game, according to a media release issued by the Wolves, in which they note Goyette sat third in the OHL in goals scored, with 24, while Musty sat third in the OHL in assists, with 34. Nick DeGrazia ended the year with a bang as he recorded his first career OHL hat-trick to lead the pack into the new year with a win against the Greyhounds.
Goaltender Joe Ranger made 26 saves.
During a post-game interview, Delic said their goal going into the game was to work hard in the defensive zone.
Head coach Derek MacKenzie “definitely came in and he tried to stress the d-zone first to make sure we’re doing everything right in the defensive zone and that we’re going to get our fun time in the offensive zone,” he said.
This is a big weekend for the team, Delic said, adding that between the three games they have a real opportunity to jump up in league standings.
The team will chase Friday’s win with two away games on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, they face off against the Hamilton Bulldogs at 7 p.m., and on Sunday they play the Mississauga Steelheads.
The Generals reached the seventh game in their losing streak, while the Wolves extended their streak to three, following a 7-5 victory in Sault Ste. Marie.
Following Friday’s game, Sudbury was eighth in the Eastern Conference, Hamilton was seventh and Mississauga was sixth.
Friday’s home game was First Responders Appreciation Night, during which they welcomed the police and fire chiefs for a special ceremonial puck drop and first responders had the chance to win prizes.
Click here to see a video compilation of highlights from Friday’s home game.
