The Sudbury Wolves OHL team have acquired defenceman Gavin Ewles and forward Daks Klinkhammer in a recent trade, plus nine draft picks.
“We are very excited to add a couple of players with OHL experience,” Sudbury Wolves vice-president and general manager Rob Papineau said in a media release.
“Gavin Eweles is a player who we have highly regarded since his draft year, possesses good size, physical strength, excellent skating and makes a strong first pass. He is a great team player. Daks Klinkhammer is a big, strong-skating forward who brings energy and leadership to the team.”
Both of Klinkhammer’s parents are from Sudbury.
“Additionally, acquiring nine draft picks, many of whom are high picks, is crucial for our future,” Papineau said. “We now have seven second-round picks and six third-round picks over the next four years.”
The drafts were in exchange for Wolves overage forward Evan Konyen, overage defenceman Nolan Collins, defenceman Matthew Mania and the rights to Josh Colosimo.
“Trading players who have been with us for so long is always tough,” Papineau said. “With the overage rules only allowing us to play three overage players, we wanted to get ahead of this early in the summer and find a good opportunity for both Evan and Nolan.
“They are two outstanding players and individuals from wonderful families. We wish them both a great season with Flint next year and thank them for being excellent Sudbury Wolves and contributors to our community. We also extend our gratitude to Matthew for his contributions to our team and wish him continued success in his future endeavours.”
Ewles is from Barrie, is 6-1 and 192 lbs. He is a right-shot defender selected by Ottawa in the fifth round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. His career has included 29 games with the Flint Firebirds. His record includes eight goals and 20 assists along with a +7 plus/minus rating over 114 career OHL games.
Klinkhammer was selected by the Firebirds’ sixth round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. He is a 6-0, 192-lbs forward from Ajax, who made his OHL debut on Oct. 7, 2022. He has gone on to play two seasons with Flint, playing 89 OHL games.
In a media release, Sudbury Wolves owner and governor Dario Zulich said he’s “fully aligned” with Papineau’s strategic decisions.
“Our shared goal is clear: to go deep into the playoffs and bring home a championship,” Zulich said. “The Wolves are united in our pursuit of excellence, and I have every confidence in our team's potential and direction."