Hello OHL fans, it's time for an early summer fixing of news and happenings. Let's go with some Sudbury Wolves stuff.
The Sudbury franchise held its annual rookie orientation camp
last weekend with much success, in more ways than one.
First, the camp was held out in Lively, which gave a lot of
different fans the opportunity to check out the camp.
Second, the players attending showed a great deal of
determination during on- and off-ice sessions.
From my perspective, a couple of players really stood out.
Akim Aliu, a rookie last season, was at the camp to get the feel of what is really expected from all Wolves players.
Aliu was acquired at the trade deadline from Windsor during
the 2005-06 season, which means, obviously, he missed last
year's camp.
Aliu was there front and centre, leading exercises and
putting a great deal into his efforts.
When Aliu arrived in Sudbury back in January, he was
overweight and needed conditioning.
The Aliu at this camp is 180 degrees opposite from the Aliu
back in January.
He is down to about 205 pounds of pure muscle. At
six-foot-three, he casts a formidable shadow wherever he walks
or skates.
If he keeps working hard, I can see Aliu making a huge
impact with the Wolves for the 2006-07 season. If he pours his
heart out in every game, I see Aliu racking up 25 goals and
60-plus points, along with 100-plus penalty minutes.
He looked like a man among boys during scrimmages. As he
gets older and matures, Aliu will be a force.
Aliu could turn out to be the defining trade of head coach
and general manager Mike Foligno's career in Sudbury.
Another player that stood out was Justin Larson, the Wolves
second-round pick in 2006. Larson was rated high among all OHL
scouts. Many had him pegged as a first round selection.
He seems to have a real head on his shoulders and takes a
humble approach to the Wolves, insisting he get stronger and
better in order to make a difference in the league.
Larson is the type of player who knows he's only as good as
his last shift and will work hard every second of his life to
become better. He's exactly the type of player Sudbury needs.
Rumour has it that Ron Duguay will be the next Wolves player to be inducted onto the Wall of Fame. Duguay spent four season with the Wolves in the 70s, recording 131 goals and 361 points in 245 games. He went onto a 12 season NHL career with the New York Rangers, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, scoring 274 goals and 620 points in 864 games.
