BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Sudbury Wolves head coach Mike Foligno and
his scouting staff are vigorously digging through prospect
reports in order to draft the next wave of eager Wolves players
at the 2005 OHL Priority Draft.
This year's draft takes place tomorrow
(Saturday) at 9 am. Fans can follow the draft in real time at
www.ontariohockeyleague.com
.
Like all teams, the Wolves will be looking to
hit a home run with their first pick (13th overall) and uncover
a few gems in the later rounds.
With the graduation of snipers Bobby Chaumont
and Rafal Martynowski, along with number one goalie Patrick
Ehelechner (all over-aged players this past season) and the
potential departure of captain Zack Stortini (he could return
for an overage season, but it's highly unlikely), the Wolves
will be looking to restock with some scoring, size and
skill.
Wolves management has seen numerous
prospects, and now it's time to decide how to complement the
existing players on the roster.
"It never gets easier," said Foligno about
his second draft. "It's always a difficult decision. In the
end, we are looking for players who fit the criteria of what
the Wolves are all about, and that's players with grit, an
incredible work ethic and players who show up every night to
play."
Foligno knows each OHL Priority draft is full
of talent.
"Absolutely there's a lot of good kids
eligible," said Foligno. "Our scouting staff has done a
tremendous job seeing these players in a lot of games. It's not
just Canadian kids. There's some American kids we got a good
handle on as well. It makes it more of a broader area to cover,
but it's important."
The Wolves will have their eye on local
talent, even though the 2005 Sudbury crop isn't considered
strong by scouts.
"Having the local flair is always important,"
said Foligno. "We are fortunate to have some good players in
the area who are available. This club has a history of having
local talent. We don't want other teams getting a hold of our
players."
Last year, The Wolves scored several gems
throughout the draft.
With their first pick, fifth overall, the
Wolves nabbed centre Ryan McDonough, who produced 15 goals and
37 points in 58 games. McDonough finished second in scoring to
Kitchener's Justin Azevedo (58-18-21-39) by 2004 first round
draft picks.
Winger Devin DiDiomete, selected 45th overall
in the third round, forged a decent rookie campaign with seven
goals and 15 points in 58 games.
DiDiomete also showed plenty of guts and
toughness by amassing 113 penalty minutes and fighting 17
times.
Winger Jesse Messier, taken 25th overall,
never got a chance to show his stuff as he was injured in an
exhibition game, and never played this past season.
The Wolves hope Messier will be back for the
2005-06 season. He's recuperating back in his hometown of
Keswick.
A host of other young players from the 2004
draft made their impact felt in small, but important
ways.
Keaton Turkiewicz (54th overall) managed to
play two games with the Wolves, and impressed with his
desire.
Bill Kueneman (174th overall) played three
regular season games, recording an assist.
Defenceman Trevor Erdie got in two games,
including the big win over London back in December.
Defenceman Ryan Crouch (105th overall) played
one regular season game, but made a noticeable impact in three
playoff games, registering one goal and two points.
"We always follow our prospects...and we had
good feedback about these guys," said Foligno. "Some of the
players had the opportunity to play a few games for us this
season, and did well."
Three selections from the 2003 draft, who
didn't play regularly or in other leagues in 2003-04 also made
significant contributions to the Wolves this past season.
Nick Foligno, taken 84th, exploded on the
scene, racking up 10 goals and 38 points in 65 games. The
younger Foligno also piled up 111 penalty minutes, 12th most by
a first-year player.
Foligno stepped it up in the playoffs with
five goals and 10 points in 12 games.
Defenceman Thomas Sample, taken 123rd ,
played 13 games in the 2003-04 campaign, and enjoyed a fairly
decent first full season with six points
and 86 penalty minutes in 60 games.
