Wolves faithful ready to move on after worst season

Ab Moreau has witnessed a lot of hockey, after all, his son is former Sudbury Wolves winger Ethan Moreau, who played 17 seasons in the NHL.

He believes the Sudbury Arena will be jam packed again soon.

Ab, who lived in Sudbury for seven years, now lives in Orillia but was back to take in the Wolves Orientation Camp over the weekend.

His son, Ethan, played 23 games for Sudbury in the 1994-1995 season, after being traded from Niagara.

Hockey fans will remember him from the Edmonton Oiler team that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 losing in Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Ab says when he lived here, the arena was the place to go on the weekend.

“When I lived in Sudbury, the rink was full, and I think that spirit is going to come back, especially when you have young kids like Sudbury has right now, and the potential is just amazing," he said. "When people start to come back to the rink, it makes a big difference to the city.”

The Wolves are in rebuild mode, there is no doubt about that, but Moreau was not alone as hundreds of fans were at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex this weekend for the two-day rookie camp.

President and General Manager Blaine Smith was excited about the rookies they would be showcasing over the weekend. He knows that bringing in these talented draft picks, five in the top three rounds this year, will bring some hope to the fans.

“We want to thank the fans that stuck with us, we know we have a very loyal following, and they are here to support the players. We owe it to our fans to reassure them that we are on the right track.”

Fans like John Rauh, a season ticket holder for 30 years.

Rauh believes the moves made are going to bring the team success in the long run.

“I’m not into the hockey politics, and the nonsense, I focus on the youth development.," he said. "Michael Pezzetta, our European imports and Brady Pataki, I was pleased with them. I am optimistic, but it’s going to take time. We’re headed in the right direction.”

For many like Chad Thibodeau, team success is important, but the Wolves rink is a place to spend with family, specifically his son, Tyler.

“It’s bonding between my son and I, we follow hockey and we like to follow the Sudbury Wolves.”

For Joel Marin and his son, Logan Rumball, it’s an experience to cherish in the future.

“It’s great to be able to see these guys play, shake their hand, give them a high five, and tell them how excited they make me and my kids. Every weekend to be able to come see them play win or lose, and to know that we might be able to put on our favourite NHL game in a few years and see that guy that we used to give a high five to at the Sudbury Arena, that is all the excitement right there, seeing what these guys can turn into.”

The general vibe of the arena was not that of a negative one, but rather one of a sense of moving on and past the worst season in franchise history. With the fans looking on at first overall pick David Levin, maybe they’re right, maybe this team could surprise.