Skip to content

Capobianco emerging as blue-line leader

There haven’t been a lot of positives in the first 10 games of the Sudbury Wolves season, but there is one emerging on the team’s blue-line. Heading into last night’s game in Sault Ste.
231014_Capobianco_Kyle
Sudbury Wolves defenceman Kyle Capobianco will be part of Canada's National Men's Under-18 team for the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championships.
There haven’t been a lot of positives in the first 10 games of the Sudbury Wolves season, but there is one emerging on the team’s blue-line.

Heading into last night’s game in Sault Ste. Marie, 17-year old Kyle Capobianco led the Wolves in scoring with a goal and six assists, good for seven points.

I think it’s safe to say there weren’t too many people who though he would be in that position at this stage of his career, but, at the same time, it was the consensus that the signs were there that Capobianco would take big strides forward this season.

The Wolves lost plenty of experience when the likes of Kevin Raine, Craig Duininck and Trevor Carrick graduated at the end of last season, leaving plenty of questions about who would be the leaders on the blue-line this year.

There was no doubt that overage defenceman Jeff Corbett would be considered the leader, mainly because of his experience, but then what?

No question there was going to be youth. Guys like Trenton Bourque, Austin ClaphamClapham and Jonathon Masters stepped up in the pre-season to earn a spot on the team.

That means there were only two other guys in Evan de Haan and Connor Cummins who had more than one year experience. They join Capobianco as the ones who really have to step up to carry a much bigger load this season.

That is exactly what Capobianco has done.

The Wolves first-round pick, seventh overall, in the 2013 OHL Priority Draft, called last year a development year. With so many veterans, Capobianco used it as a chance to learn as much as he could. Talking with some of his teammates last season, they called him a sponge for not only taking in information, but for putting what he learned into his game night in and night out.

This is a big year for Capobianco, his NHL draft year, and surprisingly he was left off Central Scouting’s early season draft rankings. That was a shock to many, but look for him to log big minutes this season and take his game to another level.

I would even go as far to say, look for Capobianco to not only get on the list when it counts, but rocket up the list before the draft next summer.

Also a surprise is that Capobianco was not picked for the summer’s under 18 team that competed at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

You can bet that Capobianco will use these as incentives for the continued improvement in his game.

That has already been seen in the first few games this season. He’s always been a smooth-skating defenceman with an appetite for joining the rush, but you can see how his confidence level has increased. He’s bigger and stronger, and is ready to take a leadership role on the Wolves blue-line.

He scored his first OHL goal on Oct. 11 in Barrie with his parents in the stands, and you can bet it won’t be his last in the 2014-15 season.

Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.