Sudbury Wolves 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 1)

[billoink]

Papineau started the race 4 years ago and along with the scouting staff made some great picks over the next 3 seasons to build a team that would be a favorite to win the east. Sadly he entered the race but had no clue how to finish it. Not recognizing the goal tending issues back in November and waiting a day before the deadline to decide not to go all in sealed their fate. He is responsible and has to go, by keeping him Dario is conceding he is not all in.

 

[StewieFan76]

Definitely one of the most disappointing seasons ever. They have that level of skill upfront, that kind of scoring power, it’ll be a long time before we have that again. But having the leading score.

Sorry, navigating this page on my phone an ad got in the way and I posted way too soon. What I meant to say was having the leading scorer in the league and several other great scorers doesn’t always equal success. Sometimes you just need to have balanced scoring and lots and lots of heart. I would’ve traded all that scoring for heart, desire, will to win and a better coach and some gold. I know there are a lot of people complaining about the coaching and other people saying that if you complain about the coaching, you’re excusing other things and you’re just complaining all the time blah blah blah. but you tell me that we wouldn’t be still in this series and probably win it if we didn’t have a competent coach. And yes, a goaltender which means a competent GM. If you don’t have the right people to build the team and coach it it doesn’t matter how much you score.

 

[hockieguy]

This team did not have what has been needed to win since The GM got the job. I said it last yr and this year the players on this team would never win anything. You guys can complain about coaching and what not, but this falls completely on the shoulders of Papineau for not doing his job. There were 4 cancerous players in the room that the GM never disciplined or called out and it started last year. You saw one of them yelling at McKenzie on the bench.

I’ll go out on a limb and say 27 will not play in NHL as does not have the character to get there. He has talent, but he can’t skate and his attitude is horrible.

Rule of thumb: If a player isn’t in the top 15% of the best skaters in the OHL, Q, or W, he has about. 1.5% chance of playing in the NHL. Musty is nowhere near the top skaters in the league.

Again, looking at the draft, didn’t address the main reason this team got swept in RND 2 by a team missing their key players.

Just my opinion.

Fight it out amongst yourselves but it’s pretty simple.

No goaltending, horrible defence, no character at all, selfish “stars”.

 

[Donnie740]

Is tonight the night?
That the Wolves play to their potential and win a game?

It is now 6190 days since May 8, 2007. That is the last time the cursed Sudbury franchise won a playoff game in any round other than the first round.

Makes Me Wonder by Maroon 5 had just bumped Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne at the top of the music charts. Spider-Man 3 was leading the way at the box office.

That day the singer Prince announced 21 concert dates in London England.

That day was 16 years, 11 months and 10 days ago.

That seems almost impossible, given the cyclical peaks and valleys of junior hockey.

 

[jamo27]

This team did not have what has been needed to win since The GM got the job. I said it last yr and this year the players on this team would never win anything. You guys can complain about coaching and what not, but this falls completely on the shoulders of Papineau for not doing his job. There were 4 cancerous players in the room that the GM never disciplined or called out and it started last year. You saw one of them yelling at McKenzie on the bench.

I’ll go out on a limb and say 27 will not play in NHL as does not have the character to get there. He has talent, but he can’t skate and his attitude is horrible.

Rule of thumb: If a player isn’t in the top 15% of the best skaters in the OHL, Q, or W, he has about. 1.5% chance of playing in the NHL. Musty is nowhere near the top skaters in the league.

Again, looking at the draft, didn’t address the main reason this team got swept in RND 2 by a team missing their key players.

Just my opinion.

You are partly right. The GM didn’t do his job. But it is not the GMs job to discipline players. It’s the coaches job. Papineau built a great team but didn’t get a goalie. He also didn’t hire a coach and for that reason he should be relieved of gm duties. If you want to run a team you get the proper personnel to coach. What he did by allowing Mackenzie to coach this team is beyond malpractice. Everyone that knows anything about hockey is laughing at the wolves for their coaching choice. As for the goaltending, I’m not sure anyone would be effective with this teams defensive structure.

Dario probably made some money with the better attendance and I really believe he would like the wolves to be successful. If he really wants to win, he needs to get rid of all the old wood in this organization and find a new gm and coach who know what modern hockey business is.

It’s absolute bullshit what this organization did this year to their diehard fans cheaping out on getting an actual OHL level coach with possibly the best team they’ve had in decades. (But they had money to chirp the fanbase with commercials on local tv telling us to shhhhh on social media when they “show us what they can do”. What incredible arrogance from a franchise that hasn’t done shit in 50 years.

Thank goodness there are stupid people like me who cheer for them.

 

[djscooter]

You are partly right. The GM didn’t do his job. But it is not the GMs job to discipline players. It’s the coaches job. Papineau built a great team but didn’t get a goalie. He also didn’t hire a coach and for that reason he should be relieved of gm duties. If you want to run a team you get the proper personnel to coach. What he did by allowing Mackenzie to coach this team is beyond malpractice. Everyone that knows anything about hockey is laughing at the wolves for their coaching choice. As for the goaltending, I’m not sure anyone would be effective with this teams defensive structure.

Dario probably made some money with the better attendance and I really believe he would like the wolves to be successful. If he really wants to win, he needs to get rid of all the old wood in this organization and find a new gm and coach who know what modern hockey business is.

It’s absolute bullshit what this organization did this year to their diehard fans cheaping out on getting an actual OHL level coach with possibly the best team they’ve had in decades. (But they had money to chirp the fanbase with commercials on local tv telling us to shhhhh on social media when they “show us what they can do”. What incredible arrogance from a franchise that hasn’t done shit in 50 years.

Thank goodness there are stupid people like me who cheer for them.

Don't forget the emergency press conference to announce cheap beer. This team has constantly disrespected its own fanbase this year and spit in their face. Fans get rewarded for their support with some of the largest season ticket price increases in a while.

 

[Donnie740]

I’ll go out on a limb and say 27 will not play in NHL as does not have the character to get there. He has talent, but he can’t skate and his attitude is horrible.

Rule of thumb: If a player isn’t in the top 15% of the best skaters in the OHL, Q, or W, he has about. 1.5% chance of playing in the NHL. Musty is nowhere near the top skaters in the league.

Ouch. That’s a pretty damning assessment of Musty.

Then again, John Tavares has always been a pisspoor skater and he managed to put up 1,000 points and have a borderline hall of fame career.

But I agree skating ability is such a huge factor now. I remember Paul Maurice saying that when he first came to the NHL, the biggest eye opener was when he blew his whistle for the guys to skate laps, within two or three strides they were all at full speed and just flying around the rink.

 

[TheRailBird2]

That seems almost impossible, given the cyclical peaks and valleys of junior hockey.

Do not underestimate the ineptitude of the Sudbury Wolves. We have valleys and potholes, occasional sinkholes. What are these peaks you speak of?

 

[frontsfan67]

This team did not have what has been needed to win since The GM got the job. I said it last yr and this year the players on this team would never win anything. You guys can complain about coaching and what not, but this falls completely on the shoulders of Papineau for not doing his job. There were 4 cancerous players in the room that the GM never disciplined or called out and it started last year. You saw one of them yelling at McKenzie on the bench.

I’ll go out on a limb and say 27 will not play in NHL as does not have the character to get there. He has talent, but he can’t skate and his attitude is horrible.

Rule of thumb: If a player isn’t in the top 15% of the best skaters in the OHL, Q, or W, he has about. 1.5% chance of playing in the NHL. Musty is nowhere near the top skaters in the league.

Again, looking at the draft, didn’t address the main reason this team got swept in RND 2 by a team missing their key players.

Just my opinion.

Fight it out amongst yourselves but it’s pretty simple.

No goaltending, horrible defence, no character at all, selfish “stars”.

Because of how weak San Jose is, he could make it as a second/third liner. Skating will be something he has to work on for sure but very offensively talented.

If he is back I’d expect him to lead the league in points- him and martone, Misa, Rehkopf, Romani and the 2 London guys barkey and Cowan will all be up for that.

 

[frontsfan67]

Ouch. That’s a pretty damning assessment of Musty.

Then again, John Tavares has always been a pisspoor skater and he managed to put up 1,000 points and have a borderline hall of fame career.

But I agree skating ability is such a huge factor now. I remember Paul Maurice saying that when he first came to the NHL, the biggest eye opener was when he blew his whistle for the guys to skate laps, within two or three strides they were all at full speed and just flying around the rink.

100% imagine if Tavares had McDavids speed or even like makar or barzals speed.

 

[cub]

organization is accountable, need to change GM and Coaching Staff.

Need to hire a hard ass coach that instills discipline and systems, who will create a better culture.

Leadership core has to be immensely improved, play for team not for individual stats. Need to bring in players that have sandpaper, toughness, smarts.

Goaltending, we haven't developed a goalie in years, I look at McIvor from NB, what a difference from the beginning of this season when I saw him play and now, looks like a totally new goalie, and playing very well. That means full time goaltending coach not part time.

 

[Between The Goalpost]

After mulling over that tough loss, I've come to share my thoughts here.

Honestly, I can't say I'm thrilled with how the season concluded. It feels like inadequate coaching and a shaky goaltending situation let us down. Spending big on Vandenburg at the trade deadline only to see Vondras take the lead in the playoffs feels like a letdown.

Change is overdue. We need fresh faces in coaching. The current regime isn't cutting it anymore. But whether we'll actually see that change is anyone's guess.

Despite the ups and downs, I'm still proud to be a Sudbury Wolves fan. This season has been a blast, largely thanks to the amazing support from the fans. Their energy at every game is something special.

Looking forward to next season brings a mix of excitement and anticipation. I'm really looking forward to returning to the Barn on Elgin with my buddies. We now know these moments are fleeting, so we'll have to make the most of them.

And to everyone here, I just wanted to say thanks. Your posts in this forum have really added to the whole season experience for me. This place feels like a real community.

Here's to next season. Go Wolves!

 

[yacky]

After mulling over that tough loss, I've come to share my thoughts here.

Honestly, I can't say I'm thrilled with how the season concluded. It feels like inadequate coaching and a shaky goaltending situation let us down. Spending big on Vandenburg at the trade deadline only to see Vondras take the lead in the playoffs feels like a letdown.

Change is overdue. We need fresh faces in coaching. The current regime isn't cutting it anymore. But whether we'll actually see that change is anyone's guess.

Despite the ups and downs, I'm still proud to be a Sudbury Wolves fan. This season has been a blast, largely thanks to the amazing support from the fans. Their energy at every game is something special.

Looking forward to next season brings a mix of excitement and anticipation. I'm really looking forward to returning to the Barn on Elgin with my buddies. We now know these moments are fleeting, so we'll have to make the most of them.

And to everyone here, I just wanted to say thanks. Your posts in this forum have really added to the whole season experience for me. This place feels like a real community.

Here's to next season. Go Wolves!

from a true classy Hockey fan to another WELL SAID

 

[billoink]

Papineau fled the gondola with under 5 min to go, past the Zulich box somewhat like a jail break..

 

[Samee987]

NB ditched Stan Butler and his old-school ways. Our new Gm and Coach are both 39 years old. Bring in some new blood.

I don't think Vondras was 100% healthy. Didn't move well.

 

[djscooter]

NB ditched Stan Butler and his old-school ways. Our new Gm and Coach are both 39 years old. Bring in some new blood.

I don't think Vondras was 100% healthy. Didn't move well.

Vondras has moved that way all year to be honest.

 

[dirty12]

No one really expected the coaching or goalies to lead Sudbury to victory. It was Goyette -10, Dvorsky -8, Musty -5 in the short series vs NB that let the team down.

 

[dirty12]

NB ditched Stan Butler and his old-school ways. Our new Gm and Coach are both 39 years old. Bring in some new blood.

I don't think Vondras was 100% healthy. Didn't move well.

The wolves would have been a much, much better team with Butler as coach. The disciples of Butler have been and will continue to be awesome for the battalion if Dennis does not become commissioner. But to say the philosophy and systems are fundamentally different from the mentor would be very inaccurate.

 

[Voice from the North]

Papineau started the race 4 years ago and along with the scouting staff made some great picks over the next 3 seasons to build a team that would be a favorite to win the east. Sadly he entered the race but had no clue how to finish it. Not recognizing the goal tending issues back in November and waiting a day before the deadline to decide not to go all in sealed their fate. He is responsible and has to go, by keeping him Dario is conceding he is not all in.

Not recognizing the coaching issues in September is the biggest issue. Discipline has to be team wide and certain players did whatever they pleased and it crept into the team. They had not improved as a group since the beginning of the season. House cleaning in order

 

[I Loveallsports]

No one really expected the coaching or goalies to lead Sudbury to victory. It was Goyette -10, Dvorsky -8, Musty -5 in the short series vs NB that let the team down.

Bingo!

 

[Lycanthrope]

Too bad for North Bay they’l have to play a team with a goaltender in net next series. They would do well to remember they had zero shots in the second last game and had 3 goals on six shots with a paltry 12 after 2. That won’t do it next round.

 

[billoink]

Too bad for North Bay they’l have to play a team with a goaltender in net next series. They would do well to remember they had zero shots in the second last game and had 3 goals on six shots with a paltry 12 after 2. That won’t do it next round.

That's all they needed, they spanked us with a depleted lineup give credit where credit is do. They will have a full lineup against the Gens and it will be a great series. Suck it up, they shut us down with great coaching, pulling the goalie down by 3 for a 6 on 3 with 5 min left in game three. That took balls and it worked. They got off quicker than a prom dress in this series and deserved the sweep.

 

[yalbmert25]

Too bad for North Bay they’l have to play a team with a goaltender in net next series. They would do well to remember they had zero shots in the second last game and had 3 goals on six shots with a paltry 12 after 2. That won’t do it next round.

Opportunistic perhaps?

We couldn't score on their backup goalie although he did play very well though. No Arnsby, no Romani and they still swept us without any threat.

Throwing shade at a team that was shorthanded and just swept us isn't needed. They scored 3 goals in like 5 minutes to beat us in that game. They didn't need to take a shot in the second. They still won. Goalie issues or not for the Wolves as a team you can't do that.

 

[Samee987]

The wolves would have been a much, much better team with Butler as coach. The disciples of Butler have been and will continue to be awesome for the battalion if Dennis does not become commissioner. But to say the philosophy and systems are fundamentally different from the mentor would be very inaccurate.

I would say the system is very different. If you don't think 6 years of Butler trap, 1-0 hockey and Oulahan's 2-100 point players in one season is different, I don't understand. I've yet to see Oulahan berate an official or player.

 

[SpezzaNoLookDropPass]

The wolves would have been a much, much better team with Butler as coach. The disciples of Butler have been and will continue to be awesome for the battalion if Dennis does not become commissioner. But to say the philosophy and systems are fundamentally different from the mentor would be very inaccurate.

Are there whispers of Dennis taking a run for commissioner? I was worried about a pro team scooping him up eventually, would be a loss for the team but the league would greatly benefit