Newest players sign on with Sudbury Wolves

The Sudbury Wolves have officially signed three highly touted student-athletes to The Pack.

The team's first-round selection, defenceman Kyle Capobianco, along with the Wolves’ second-round draft selection, goaltender Troy Timpano, as well as defenceman Stefan Leblanc, the Wolves’ seventh-round selection from the 2012 OHL priority draft, all signed their contracts June 17.

Capobianco is a skilled defenceman from Mississauga and was the second highest defenceman taken in the draft. The six-foot, 155-lb offensively gifted blue-liner played for the OHL cup champion Oakville Rangers minor midgets last season, where he notched seven goals and assisted on 24 more in 40 games, while collecting 38 penalty minutes, said the Sudbury Wolves in a press release.

“I'm really looking forward to the high competition level and the ability to play against top-end players,” said Capobianco. “The OHL is the top junior development league in the world, and I am excited to be part of the experience. It’s a huge honour to be a part of such a great organization that is highly respected around the league. It’s the first step in taking a hockey career to the next level.”

“Kyle is an outstanding defenceman,” said Wolves’ General Manger Blaine Smith “He is very skilled, an excellent play-maker, he has a very accurate shot and he is one of the best skaters in the draft. kyle is a leader in every respect. He is mature beyond his years and has a wonderful family to support him in his hockey and schooling aspirations.”

Timpano is a highly regarded goaltender from Pickering. The 6-foot, 175-lb netminder posted a stellar 1.85 goals-against average and .930 save percentage with the Toronto Titans last season. Timpano was the first goalie selected in the 2013 draft.

“The Wolves showed that they believed in me and how I can play when they drafted me as the first goalie overall, and now that I’ve officially joined this great organization, I want to do everything I can to be a big part of the team and the city,” Timpano said. “I can’t wait to compete for a spot on the team. I’m just thrilled and excited, and it’s really a dream come true to get this opportunity. I didn’t know much about the Sudbury Wolves before the draft, but now I feel really lucky that this is where I could get my start in the OHL.”

Smith said he was thrilled to select Timpano as the first goaltender in the draft.

“Our entire scouting staff, led by head scout Andrew Shaw, identified Troy as the top goaltender in the draft, so we were thrilled to have selected him in the second round of the OHL draft. It has been a while since the Sudbury Wolves have stepped up and selected the first goaltender in the draft, and we are very confident that Troy will develop into a top goaltender for the Sudbury Wolves.”

Timpano was recently selected to participate in an OHL goaltenders' symposium and he made an outstanding impression with the OHL management in attendance.

Leblanc spent last season with the Oakville Blades Jr., a team for which he scored four goals and added 29 assists in 49 games. The 5-11 defenceman developed excellent skills as an offensive quarterback as 19 of his points came with the man advantage, said the Wolves.

“It is a tremendous honour to sign a contract with the Sudbury Wolves,” Leblanc said. “Sudbury is a great hockey town and the history the organization has here in Sudbury is truly outstanding. I'm looking forward to having a chance to play for a great organization in Sudbury, but simply playing here will not satisfy me. I want to make a contribution to the team and do my best to help the team win every night. I also look forward to developing my game to the next level.”

“Stefan had an outstanding season in Oakville last season and developed into one of the best offensive defencemen in the Ontario Provincial Junior League as a 16-year-old,” said Smith. “Stefan is an outstanding skater, competes very hard and plays in all situations. He is very focused on his hockey career and his education and will be a terrific addition to the Sudbury Wolves lineup.”

All three will look to make their first step of acquiring a roster spot with the Sudbury Wolves when The Pack opens training camp in august.