BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
They have been the dominant team in the NOJHL all season, and now the Sudbury Northern Wolves are turning their attention to hockey teams in Southern Ontario and the United States to prove theyÂ?re a team to be reckoned with.
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The Northern Wolves depart Sunday, Dec. 27 for the Newmarket Holiday Showcase, where they will face some of the best Junior Tier II hockey teams in the province and beyond.
Sudbury is guaranteed three games, and they will not be easy.
They will square off against the Ajax Axemen, Thornhill Major Islanders and the Milton Icehawks, who all play in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.
Most of the top teams from what is considered the strongest Tier II junior league in the provinces will be competing in the tournament.
The benefits of attending a tournament of this nature will be immense for the Northern Wolves, who enter the tournament as the third-ranked Tier II team in the country, based on their remarkable win-loss record so far this season.
Head coach Jason Stos will be scouting all the teams he can.
Â?ItÂ?s a great chance to evaluate other teams that could be in the Ontario final,Â? said Stos. Â?It gives you an indication if you have to make changes by the end of January and see just how competitive this team can be against the best in the province.Â?
It will also be a boon for the players.
Â?The tournament will be full of university, college and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) scouts,Â? said Stos. Â?The players get the chance to be evaluated by the scouts and draft picks get a chance to be evaluated on how well theyÂ?re developing.Â?
Director of hockey operations Mark Siedel echoed StosÂ? comments about players performing in front of top-level scouts.
Â?This tournament is probably the most heavily scouted junior tournament in North America,Â? said Siedel. Â?It will give a number of our players the chance to perform on the grand stage.Â?
And the players are excited about making an impact in the minds of scouts.
Christian Cundari, 15, is in his OHL draft year and he will be looking to show scouts he has the goods to be a productive OHL player.
Â?A lot of scouts are going to be there, so it could make or break a career,Â? said Cundari.
Forward Dan Bourgeois knows he and all his teammates are raring to go and prove themselves in the tournament.
Â?We just want to represent our league well because people down in southern Ontario think this league is weak,Â? said Bourgeois. Â?We want to win our division and go as far as we can.Â?
Captain Brian McGarry knows the whole experience will be a huge boost to the team for the stretch run in the NOJHL.
Â?WeÂ?re one of the top ranked teams in the country and we want to prove we have earned and deserved it,Â? said McGarry. Â?This tournament will show us how well we stack up against the top teams in the province, so a good showing down there will be a confidence boost to us for the rest of the season.Â?
Siedel also hopes the tournament will give the team a big confidence boost.
Â?Confidence has always been an issue with us because we have a young team,Â? said Siedel. Â?If we play well, it should allow our guys to know theyÂ?re one of the best teams in the country, and hopefully they will play like it down the stretch.Â?
