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Different faces in a new place

Get to know some of the new kids in the Pack
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Learn more about some of the newest members of the Sudbury Wolves. (File)

An off-season in the Ontario Hockey League often brings in a good amount of change for an organization.

You have drafts, players who graduate, those who don’t come back and then you have trades.

The Sudbury Wolves made a few this Summer and two players from the Guelph Storm are once again teammates in Sudbury.

Nolan Makkonen and Kyle Rhodes were acquired in separate deals from the Storm, Rhodes on June 27, for a fourth round pick and Makkonen on August 23 along with six draft picks for Owen Lalonde.

Both had to step in and make an adjustment, but at least they had a training camp to do so.

“It’s a little different, there’s a lot of getting used to, but as the days go by you get more comfortable everyday and try and get better everyday,” said Rhodes.

Makkonen had less time to let it sit in, but says the team really helped him feel welcome.

“This is such a first class organization, as far as the coaching staff and players, they made the transition as easy as possible,”said Makkonen.  “Overall it couldn’t have went any better or any easier.”

For Makkonen the trade and the drive up north was a very welcomed one and one he had done plenty.

He is from Sault Ste. Marie and has spent a lot of time travelling Highway 17 for hockey games and tournaments.

“It really can’t get any better for me, going back to playing a lot of hockey in Sudbury and the Sault. My family is going to come down so much more often and I’ve got lots of friends in Sudbury. It’s going to be fun playing for them and especially when I go back home playing against my home town that’s always fun as well,” said Makkonen.

They are key acquisitions because they are players who are going to be leaned on heavily to lead as vets, especially since they will make up a good chunk of a back end that lost Kyle Capobianco, Lalonde, Aiden Jamieson and Patrick Sanvido.

Rhodes will be leaned on a bit more entering his fourth OHL campaign, something he is just fine with.

“It was my first time here and first time meeting the guys, it’s been different for the start here but I’m getting used to it,” said Rhodes. “I’m just trying to be myself and do what I do best and lead by example for the young guys. Try and make everyone comfortable in the room and perform my best everyday.”

Makkonen is used to the area, the people and sights.

But it might be a bit new in the eyes of Kyle Rhodes.

“I really like the area of Sudbury, it’s a little different, I’m from Virginia so I don’t get to see this kind of landscape but it’s been great so far,” said Rhodes.

But both players went through the same feelings in the first few games, looking down at the new jersey and a Wolf staring back.

“The home feeling really came out after having it on. It’s one thing to be around the rink and seeing it and being in town, but when you put that jersey on it’s a whole other feeling,” said Makkonen.


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