GNML update: Wolves hanging in with big boys

The addition of a Minor Midget "AAA" team to the Great North Midget League (GNML) might have been a few years in coming, but fans of the league are certainly not about to complain now that it's here.

Any concerns about the competitiveness of the Sudbury Minor Midget "AAA" Wolves have quickly disapeared, with the team showing that while it can certainly compete with the "big boys" (witness a 7-0 and 5-1 sweep in New Liskeard), the underage crew will still need to fight tooth and nail for every point.

Coming off the impressive weekend versus the Cubs, the Minor Midget Wolves have lost three straight games, including defeats of 5-0 and 4-3 at the hands of the Kapuskasing Flyers last weekend on the road.

For Sudbury head coach Shawn Frappier, the league has been all that he hoped for, and then some. "I don't think that we could have any more of an advantage, going to tournaments, than we have by playing in this league," said Frappier recently.

"These major midget players play hard, they don't want to be beat by 15 year-olds, and I don't blame them." That much was evidenced Saturday night in Kapuskasing, as the Flyers received goals from Brendon Clavelle, Samuel Bourdages, Maxim Lacroix, Jacy Filion and Martin Poisson in support of the shutout effort of netminder Nicholas Dubé.

Things were much tighter on Sunday as Kapuskasing scored three times in the second period before holding on for the one goal win. Chad Robert, Clavelle, Lacroix and Kristopher Carroll hit the mark for the winners, with Billy Moskal, Brandon Atkins and Mathieu Dokis-Dupuis answering for the visitors.

After flying out of the gate with a four-game unbeaten pre-season weekend in the GTA, the Minor Midgets have struggled to remain consistent, game in and game out. Little surprise to a man who has been there before.

"We have a lot of skill, we can compete with all teams," said Frappier, a four year OHLer who also appeared in more than 300 games in the pros with the Mississippi Sea Wolves, Grand Rapids Griffins, Orlando Solar Bears, Johnstown Chiefs and Corpus Christi Icerays.

"These guys have always been the go-to guys, the offensive guys," added Frappier. "They need to learn to play 200 feet. I think that with most players at this age, the defensive zone is probably the hardest for them to learn."

In the end, the former Sudbury Wolves' defenceman (1992-1995) recognizes the changes in the game over the past two decades. "The kids now days are so much more skilled and so much faster than I was," laughed Frappier.

"There are guys that are 6'1", or 6'2", that are as fast as the guys that were 5'10" when I played, the skilled guys. I played lots, and I know that it's a different time of my life, but I'm having so much fun now coming to the rink," said Frappier. "I enjoy every moment."

Nickel Capital Wolves

The Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves improved to 6-4 Thursday night in North Bay, tripling the Trappers 6-2, following a 1-2 weekend versus the Cubs in New Liskeard. Nick Chokan and Glenn Therrien scored two goals apiece in the most recent Sudbury win, with Kyle Liinamaa and Connor Tessier rounding out the scoring.

Joe Whittet and Dylan D'Agostino replied for the North Bay crew, who remain in first place at 7-4, in spite of suffering defeats in three of their past four games.

The Sudbury-New Liskeard weekend challenge was kicked off with a 4-2 win for the Cubs, as Cade Herd opened and closed the scoring for the homeside. Cameron Moore and Calvin Chartrand also found the back of the net for the winners, with Jacob Burton and Therrien replying for coach Peter Michelutti Jr and company.

The Nickel Capital Wolves would get that one back the very next day, grounding the Cubs 5-1 as a balanced attack that featured goals from Hunter Chiblow, Alex Guido, Alex Rodrigue, Liinamaa and Burton was more than enough to offset the second goal of the weekend from Chartrand.

The Cubs regained their form in the series finale, recording their second 4-2 triumph in three days, as Jake Murphy, Alex Maille and Devin Williamson all scored in the opening twenty minutes, with Herd netting the only tally that either team netted in the final forty minutes.

Chokan and Liinamaa managed to keep Sudbury close through one period of play, but that was all the Nickel Capital Wolves offense could muster.

Timmins Majors

In Timmins, the Majors are showing signs of adjusting nicely to a coaching change, with Cid Bradette flying solo after six years of working in tandem with former NOJHL sniper Matt Tremblay.

After winning just one of their first five outings, the Majors took two of the three from the front-running Trappers, on the road, no less. "It's a big change," acknowledged Bradette, who has added both Justin Piquette andKeith Nixon as assistant coaches, as he transitions to the role of head coach.

"My new position has me running the bench, making sure that everything is smooth," he said. "I'm doing a lot more bench management, that's one of the biggest changes. I find that I'm adjusting pretty good."

Defenceman Lucas Dolanjski scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes to play in the series opener, as Timmins trimmed North Bay 5-4. Jace Soroko, with a pair, Karter Renouf and Tristan Flood all scored for the Majors, while Seth Reuben, Eric Lachance, Braeden Villeneuve and Robert Ranger countered for the Trappers.

North Bay turned the tables in game two, registering a 5-4 win of their own, as Mickey George and Conor Eastaugh joined Whittet, Reuben and Ranger on the scoresheet for head coach Mike Reise's troops.

Blueliners were at the forefront again for Timmins, as Cameron Svec scored twice, with Renouf and Danny Katic adding solo markers. "In our first and second game, we got contributions from guys on the back-end," noted Bradette.

"When you get production from guys on the back-end, it's always a nice surprise." A very different game on Sunday as a tight-checking affair would see Timmins topple North Bay 2-1 on goals from Dolanjski and Svec, with Jack Drinkwalter draining the only goal of the game for the Trappers.

"Our discipline was key to the series with North Bay," stated Bradette. "And we've really been working on defensive zone coverage. We have a very young team, so our defensive zone is my #1 priority."

"We also rely heavily on our goaltenders," continued Bradette. "Bradley Dobson was great." A one-time resident of Timmins, Dobson suited up with the Quinte Minor Midget Red Devils and Greater Kingston Midget "AAA" Frontenacs the past two years, with work moving the family south before returning north this past September.

The only league action this coming weekend sees the Majors playing host to the Sault Ste Marie Thunder for a three game set, with the visitors sitting with a record of 0-1-1 in limited league play to date.

Timmins will be without the services of top-ten scorer Danny Katic, serving the second of a two-game suspension on Friday, while forward Cameron Chisholm is also sidelined with an upper body injury for another two to three weeks.