It was still two hours before Sudbury Wolves 2008 first overall draft pick when John McFarland hit the ice at the Countryside Arena.
Yet, a steady flow of traffic and people were filling up the facility's parking lot in a hurry.
In a series of huddled one-on-one interviews with the media, McFarland stickhandled through the questions, much like the way he goes around defencemen in games.
Fans walking by couldn't help but search the crowd for McFarland. Upon spotting him, fans could be heard whispering to one another, "There he is."
Yes, the Wolves 2008 rookie camp was full of highly-skilled players, ranging from the smooth and poised defenceman and 2008 second-round pick Nick Quinn, to the quick-shooting winger and 2008 third-round pick Drew Collinson. But the majority of fans were there to see if McFarland matched the hype.
The talented six-foot-one forward had no problem meeting lofty expectations.
He was a leader in the drills during practice and was a total force, especially offensively, in the scrimmages during the weekend-long camp.  
McFarland felt honoured to be at the camp simply because of the number of fans at Countryside Arena.   
He was amazed so many people would spend their day, one which was a sizzling 28 degrees and full of sunshine, at a hockey rink.
At that point, McFarland knew he and the other players were somewhere special. A place where, if they ended making the cut down the road, they would be playing in front of almost 5,000 rabid fans a game. McFarland is glad he has landed in Sudbury and can't wait to play real games.
"It's definitely special and flattering being here," the 16-year-old said. "There's a huge history here with the fans, who obviously love this team a lot. I've played in the Big Nickel Hockey Tournament and been to a Wolves' game before. It showed me just how exciting playing here is going to be. There's no better place to be."
McFarland will be dedicating his game to helping the Wolves become a top contender in the OHL.
"I'm here to win and help this team win," he said without hesitation. "This organization wants to win and I like that...it's all that really matters. I want to fit in and learn from the other players and contribute to winning." 
The lure of the Wolves franchise isn't just the prospect of playing Major Junior hockey. The city itself held a lot of value to the players from out-of-town attending the camp.
2008 second-round pick and defenceman Nick Quinn was living out a dream by participating in the camp, the first step towards realizing his dream of playing OHL hockey. The Toronto native caught a good vibe from the club and the city.
"Sudbury is a really nice place...the air is a lot nicer up here," the six-foot defenceman said. "The people are really friendly, too. The Wolves organization is cool. I now know the fans are great...there's a lot of them here. They seem to be crazy...it's a great first impression. I want to play hockey here."  
Some players, such as defenceman Kevin Lind, a ninth-round pick in 2008, drove much further than Toronto to attend the camp. Lind and his father drove 12 hours from their hometown of Chicago, U.S. to see what the OHL is all about. Lind was a highly-rated defender for the 2008 draft, but slipped to the late rounds because of his failure to make his intentions of playing NCAA hockey clear. 
Sudbury selected him regardless, with the hopes of luring the strapping defenceman to the Nickel City.   
Lind, who still wasn't clear about where he would play, was blown away by the Sudbury experience.  
"We drove 12 hours to be here, so we're interested," said Lind. "My overall goal is to make the NHL. Sudbury has a long history of players going onto the NHL. I'm here to see if this would be a better way to get to the NHL than college. It was really worth while and I liked it here."
Lind makes no reservations about the style of player he is and how he also wants to be part of a winning club.
"I feel I could bring leadership qualities," the six-foot-one defenceman said. "I'm a team player. I'm not focused on my own statistics. I'm focused on how the team does and winning. I feel I could start a spark here or something. The organization seems like a tight-knit group and that's what I'm all about."  
A host of local players also participated, with 12th -round 2008 pick Denis Restoule of the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves headlining the way.
Restoule was passed over in the 2007 OHL draft before being selected by Sudbury this past spring. He feels he has a lot to prove.
"I'm lucky to get another chance at the OHL...I'm out to prove people made a mistake by not drafting me last year," Restoule said. "I'm a physical guy and I like to go into corners and give or take a hit to give my team a boost."
Overall, Wolves head coach and general manager Mike Foligno was left with a strong feeling this young crop of players will challenge each other for roster spots for the 2008-09 season.
"I'm pleased with what I saw," Foligno said. "We saw a lot of skill and I really liked the work ethic. John McFarland didn't disappoint...neither did the other players. The group, in general, had a higher level of skill than we've had in the past. It was an exciting camp...it was great to see all the fans come out as well."
Next up for the Wolves is the CHL Import Draft, in which they pick first overall. It occurs in late June.
