Luukkonen named Wolves MVP as team announces 2018-19 award winners

Standout rookie season nets Quinton Byfield top rookie award to go along with winning OHL Rookie of the Year

The Sudbury Wolves announced their 2018-19 season award last week, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen taking top honours as team MVP. (File)

The Sudbury Wolves announced their 2018-19 season award last week, with goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen taking top honours as team MVP.

The Wolves finished the 2018-19 campaign with a record of 43-20-3-2. The 43 victories were the most since 1994-95, and was just four wins shy of the franchise record established in 1975-76 by the team that boasted Ron Duguay, Mike Foligno and Randy Carlyle.

After sweeping the Mississauga Steelheads in the opening round of the playoffs, the Wolves fell to the OHL regular season champions and newly-crowned Bobby Orr Trophy winners, the Ottawa 67’s.

“It was a very successful season,” said Sudbury Wolves VP Hockey Operations and General Manager Rob Papineau. “Everyone stepped up this year and had an impact on the ice. Quinton Byfield had an outstanding rookie campaign which was topped off by being named OHL Rookie of the Year last week. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was phenomenal in net, earning a gold medal at the World Juniors and was unanimously voted OHL Goaltender of the Year.

"(Blake) Murray, (Liam) Ross, (Shane) Bulitka, (Macauley) Carson, and (David) Levin each had milestone seasons as well. We are very excited to have the majority of the team set to return next year, which will make for a competitive camp.”

Select members of the team will also join the prospects on May 11 and 12 at Countryside Arena for the team’s orientation camp. More details on the camp will be released in the coming weeks.

Season tickets are on-sale now, you can get yours at sudburywolves.com.