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Wolves have work cut out in tough Central Division

BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW [email protected] The Sudbury WolvesÂ' competition in the Ontario Hockey LeagueÂ's Central Division will be stiff once again.
BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW

The Sudbury WolvesÂ' competition in the Ontario Hockey LeagueÂ's Central Division will be stiff once again.

Although some of the teams are entering what could be described as a rebuilding phase, they will still provide the Wolves with grueling games as they all attempt to be the class of the division.

HereÂ's a peek at the competition.

Barrie Colts
Last seasonÂ's record: 31-21-12-4, 78 points

The Colts, who have quickly become, in the decade since they joined the OHL, the fiercest rivals of the Wolves, have lost arguably the best goalie in the league to graduation. Paulo Colaiacovo was an OHL first team All-Star and gave the Colts a chance to win on any given night. The Colts have also lost last seasonÂ's leading scorer, Cory Stillman, to graduation, but this doesnÂ't mean they will have a weak offence.

Superstar sophomore Bryan Little returns as the main man for Barrie. As a 16 year old, Little torched OHL goalies for 34 goals. HeÂ's as dynamic as any player in the league at creating chances and will be a force to be reckoned with this season and for many more to come. Little is so talented, many
have him pegged to go first overall in the 2006 NHL draft.

Barrie will have plenty of emotional lift from rugged winger B.J. Crombeen. The Dallas Stars draft pick can score, hit and fight. He had a titanic battle with WolvesÂ' captain Zack Stortini early last season, and could push for 30 goals this year.

The Colts defence will be anchored by Scott Hotham, who can move the puck around and pile up points.

Â"As a rookie coach, itÂ's hard to get a handle on all the teams right away and where we measure up,Â" said Colts head coach Marty Williamson. Â"We are a young team, the second youngest in the league, but we have a lot of character. Like every team, we will have to work hard every game to compete. Our key guys will be Little, Crombeen and Hotham.Â"

Hunter HaddowÂ's bottom line - The Colts will have to overcome the loss of Colaiacovo, adapt to new coach Marty Williamson and persevere through team defence to challenge the Wolves.

Brampton Battalion
25-32-9-2, 61 points

Any team coached by Stan Butler canÂ't be taken lightly. Butler knows what it takes to win and demands the most from his players.

Even though the Battalion have lost two of their leading scores from last season, in Adam Henrich and Kamil Kreps, they will have plenty of talent left over to make some noise. Expect the team to be led by Wojtek Wolski again. The Colorado Avalanche 2004 first round draft pick put up 29 goals and 70 points last season, and should easily surpass both totals this year.

Watch for former WolvesÂ' player Howie Martin to make a little more noise this year. He scored 31 points last season, and he will want to stick it to his former teammates when he plays against them.

Â"ItÂ's going to be a tough division,Â" said Butler. Â"We will have to play good defence every game. Sudbury is going to be a tough team as well. Two key players for us are going to be Wolski and Tyler Harrison. Wolski can do it all, and Harrison is big, fast and can handle the puck. HeÂ's got it all.Â"

Hunter HaddowÂ's bottom line - Any team coached by Butler will have plenty of resolve and determination, making them a foe that canÂ't be underestimated.

Mississauga IceDogs
36-21-7-4, 83 points

The defending Eastern Conference Champions know thereÂ's a bullseye on them, but with several key players returning, the IceDogs will again be a major force.

Superstar Patrick OÂ'Sullivan is back to terrorize the league with his smooth skating and blistering shot. He should challenge for the OHL scoring title.

Many experts consider him the best pure offensive player in the league.

The IceDogs boast a solid roster with high NHL picks such as defenceman Kyle Quincey, one of the leagueÂ's best goalies in David Shantz and overage scoring ace Brad Efthimiou, a former Wolves player.

Â"We rose the bar last season, and we expect to reach that again this year,Â" said head coach Greg Gilbert. Â"We have our work cut out for us though.

There will be some heated battles in this division.Â"

Hunter HaddowÂ's bottom line - The IceDogs will challenge for the top spot. They have it all, and will be a worth adversary for the Wolves because of their balance.

Toronto St. MichaelÂ's Majors
38-21-7-2, 85 points

The club that put the Wolves out of the playoffs last season returns with a distinct change to the franchise. Last yearÂ's head coach Dave Cameron, has moved on to the professional ranks, but he has been replaced by Bud Stefanski, formerly with Barrie.

The loss of captain Tim Brent will be felt, but Toronto returns as a strong team with a blueline loaded with big, physical defencemen, pesky, feisty forwards and solid goaltending with Justin Peters and Michael Ouzas.

Watch for an offensive explosion from 19-year old Corey Vitarelli. He buried 29 tallies last season, and should bump that total up this year.

Â"ItÂ's wide open because there will be no real dominant team in the division,Â" said head coach Bud Stefanski. Â"Sudbury has a good young defence and it will be a battle with them. Barrie, Mississauga and Brampton will also be good. We have six returning defencemen and that will be a strong point for us.Â"

Hunter HaddowÂ's bottom line - Teams coached by Stefanski always play the Wolves tough and he will no doubt have the boys fired up every time
they hit the ice against Sudbury.




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