The Sudbury Wolves announced that four players have committed to the hockey club following the end of the team’s training camp on Sept. 3.
In the future, Will Bishop, Michael Derbidge, Joshua Hoover, and Hayden Simpson will be lacing up for the Pack.
“We are extremely happy with the way both Orientation and Main camp rolled out over the past five days,” said VP and GM Rob Papineau. “The guys really pushed themselves this week and it was great to see their skill and talent shine after being away from the rink for so long.”
At 6-4, Will Bishop brings some size to the Wolves blue line. The London lnative played for London Jr. Knights U15 during the 2019-2020 season.
“Will Bishop had an outstanding camp and continued to get stronger as the camp went on,” said Papineau. “He’s a big man and is still filling out. He is a great skater that we selected in the 7th round from the 2021 OHL Draft. Now, after seeing him playing with our veterans, he fits right in, and looking back we would have selected him as a higher pick.”
Bishop will be playing this season at Ridley College under Head Coach Mike McCourt.
Michael Derbidge was selected by the Wolves in the fifth round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. From Holland Landing, Ont., Derbridge played for the York Simcoe Express U15 during the 2019-2020 season. This 5-11, 188-pound forward picked up 28 goals and 25 assists in 41 games during his last season of play.
“Michael Derbidge brings a lot of energy and a high compete,” Papineau said. “He wins a lot of one-on-one puck battles and will be a really hard player to play against in this league. Michael carries a good sense of confidence about his skill and made it an easy decision for us to want to get him committed to the hockey club.”
Joshua Hoover was selected by the Wolves in the 10th round of the 2020 OHL Priority selection. The Sarnia native played for the Lambton Jr. Sting U16 in 26 games, picking up nine goals and 15 assists during the 2019-2020 season. The 5’10” 195 lbs., defenceman notched.
“Right from day one, Josh Hoover, had a physical presence, threw body checks, made good decisions with the puck and kept plays alive,” said Papinau of the 5-10, 195-pound defender. “Josh was very consistent from the start of camp, which is something we loved about his playing ability when scouting for him prior to the 2020 OHL Priority section. Since drafting Josh, he has gotten bigger and creates a great presence in the back end.”
Hayden Simpson was selected by the Wolves in the seventh round of the 2020 OHL Priority selection. Hailing from Caledon, Ont., he played for the Toronto Titans U16 squad during the 2019-2020, recording 61 points (31G – 31A) in 61 games played.
“Hayden Simpson possesses a strong ability to manage the play and the puck, while constantly finding his way to the scoresheet,” Papineau said. “He is a very smart hockey player both with his play making and scoring ability. He has a high compete and is a tough young kid who took a couple of big body checks from our veteran players and bounces right back. Hayden will be a good compliment to our current roster.”
The team will start the regular season home schedule with a visit from the Peterborough Petes on Oct. 8 at 7:05 p.m. at Sudbury Arena.
