Sudbury Wolves
City	Sudbury,Ontario
League	Ontario Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Founded	1962 (1962)(NOJHA) 1972(OHL)
Home arena	Sudbury Community Arena
Colours	Blue, white and grey
Owner(s)	Dario Zulich[1]
General manager	Rob Papineau
Head coach	Scott Barney[2]
Affiliate	Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL)
Website	sudburywolves.com
Franchise history
1945–1960	Barrie Flyers
1960–1972	Niagara Falls Flyers
1972–present	Sudbury Wolves
Current uniform

TheSudbury Wolves are anOntario Hockey League (OHL)ice hockey team based inSudbury,Ontario, Canada.

Sudbury has had various hockey teams competing at thejunior andsenior ice hockey levels of the game known as the "Wolves" (or "Cub Wolves") nearly every year since around the time ofWorld War I. The current junior franchise came into existence in 1972 when local businessman Mervin "Bud" Burke purchased theNiagara Falls Flyers and relocated the team to Sudbury.^[3]

The current franchise has never won the Memorial Cup, nor has it captured theJ. Ross Robertson Cup. Despite this lack of championships, the team has been one of the top development franchises in major junior over its history,^[4] with over 120 players drafted in to theNational Hockey League (NHL) since 1973. The Wolves have been a central part of Sudbury's history for decades, and the team is among the most iconic junior hockey franchises in all of North America.^[5][6]

Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the Wolves or Cub Wolves nearly every year since around WWI. This team name was informally adopted around 1920 as the "Wolves of the North", likely a reference to the "voracity and tenacity that typified the play of these men from Sudbury."^[7]

The Sudbury Cub Wolves junior team began play in the 1920s as a member of the Nickel Belt Hockey League. Under the management ofMax Silverman, and coached bySam Rothschild, the Cub Wolves won theMemorial Cup in 1932 with a roster that featured future NHL players such asHector "Toe" Blake,Nakina Smith, andAdélard Lafrance. In 1935, the Cub Wolves lost in the Memorial Cup finals to the Winnipeg Monarchs.

A senior team competing under the banner of the Sudbury Wolves, again coached by Silverman, have twice been chosen to beCanada's representatives at theIce Hockey World Championships, winning the title for Canada in 1938 and the silver medal in 1949.^[8] An iteration of the Wolves competed as theEastern Canada entry at the1954 Allan Cup senior national championship, falling to thePenticton Vees fromWestern Canada.

A professional Sudbury Wolves team competed in theEastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) from 1959 until the league folded in 1963. Players such asDon Cherry,Dave Keon, andGerry Cheevers suited up for the club during its brief existence.

A junior version of the Wolves emerged in the early 1960s as a member of theNorthern Ontario Junior Hockey Association, winning the league championship in 1969 and 1971.^[5]

The OHL - then known as the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League - arrived in Sudbury in 1972 when local businessman Bud Burke, who was a shareholder in the NOJHL Wolves, purchased the Niagara Falls Flyers fromLeighton "Hap" Emms and moved the team toNorthern Ontario. In1975-76, the Wolves, coached byJerry Toppazzini, who won theMatt Leyden Trophy that season, wonHamilton Spectator Trophy for having the best regular season record in the league with a roster of future NHL players such asRandy Carlyle,Ron Duguay,Rod Schutt, andMike Foligno. Sudbury advanced to the 1975-76 OHL finals, but lost to theHamilton Fincups in five games. In 1979, Burke sold the team to a large ownership group headed by future Hockey Canada board of directors chair Joe Drago.^[9] From 1973 to 1979, a youngJoe Bowen began his broadcasting career covering the Wolves on local Sudbury radio.^[5]

The Wolves were the worst performing team in the entireCanadian Hockey League (CHL) in the 1980s, making the playoffs only once and not winning a single postseason game in the process. The club did manage to develop some notable players in this era, such asPat Verbeek andJeff Brown. A turning point in franchise history came in 1986 when local businessman Ken Burgess purchased the struggling club and initiated a major organizational turnaround.Sam McMaster was hired as general manager in 1988, and under his direction the team experienced renewed success, winning its first playoff series since1979-80 when they defeated theOshawa Generals in the first round of1991-92 OHL playoffs. McMaster was namedOHL Executive of the Year in1989–90.^[5]

From the early 1990s to the mid-2000s, the Wolves experienced mixed success. The club lost in Game 7 of the1994-95 OHL semi-finals to theDetroit Junior Red Wings. A string of disappointing seasons came to an end in2006–07 - the Wolves' 35th anniversary - when the team advanced to the OHL Finals, but ultimately lost to thePlymouth Whalers in six games. Coached byMike Foligno, the Wolves roster that season featured several future NHL players, namelyMarc Staal,Nick Foligno,Adam McQuaid, andAkim Aliu.^[5]

From 2007 to 2016, the team generally struggled, including posting the worst season in franchise history in2014-2015. In August 2012, the Wolves were sent to represent Canada at the 2012Junior Club World Cup. Sudbury defeated theWaterloo Black Hawks of theUnited States Hockey League in the championship finals by a score of 2-0.^[10] In 2016, the Burgess family, at the time the longest-serving ownership group in the OHL, sold the team to Sudbury businessman Dario Zulich. Since Zulich's takeover, the team has been moving in a positive direction, drafting players such asQuinton Byfield andUkka-Pekka Luukkonen, and winning a regular season division title in2019-20.^[11]

The current Sudbury Wolves have never won theOHL championship, and have never participated in the Memorial Cup tournament. The team currently holds the third-longest Memorial Cup championship drought in the CHL, and the longest in the OHL.

The team has twice lost in the OHL finals, once in 1976 and again in 2007, winning the 1976Leyden Trophy and the 2007Bobby Orr Trophy in the process. The Wolves have twice won theEmms Trophy as the regular season Central Division champions, first in 2000-01 and then in 2019-20.

Jerry Toppazzini was awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy as the league's coach of the year in 1976, leading his team to a first-place finish in the regular season.

List of Sudbury Wolves coaches with multiple years in parentheses.

The Sudbury Wolves have retired six players' numbers, and have had over 120 players drafted to the NHL.^{[citation needed]}

• 1. 6Randy Carlyle
  2. 8Rod Schutt
  3. 10Ron Duguay
  4. 14Marc Staal
  5. 15Dale Hunter
  6. 17Mike Foligno

• 1975–76 -Jim Bedard,Dave Pinkney Trophy
• 1978–79 -Mike Foligno,Red Tilson Trophy,Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy,Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy
• 1981–82 -Pat Verbeek,Emms Family Award
• 1984 -Dave Moylan,Jack Ferguson Award
• 1985–86 -Jeff Brown,Max Kaminsky Trophy
• 1987 -John Uniac,Jack Ferguson Award
• 1993–94 -Jamie Rivers,Max Kaminsky Trophy
• 1994–95 -David MacDonald,F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy
• 1998–99 -Norm Milley,Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy
• 1998–99 -Ryan McKie,Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy
• 2000–01 -Alexei Semenov,Max Kaminsky Trophy
• 2004–05 -Benoit Pouliot,CHL Rookie of the Year,Emms Family Award
• 2006–07 -Marc Staal,Max Kaminsky Trophy,Wayne Gretzky 99 Award
• 2008 -John McFarland,Jack Ferguson Award
• 2009-10 -John Kurtz,Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy
• 2011–12 -Michael Sgarbossa,Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
• 2012-13 -Connor Burgess,Ivan Tennant Memorial Award
• 2015 -David Levin,Jack Ferguson Award
• 2018 -Quinton Byfield,Jack Ferguson Award
• 2018–19 -Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen,Red Tilson Trophy,OHL Goaltender of the Year
• 2018–19 -Quinton Byfield,Emms Family Award,CHL Rookie of the Year
• 2021 -Quentin Musty,Jack Ferguson Award
• 2023-24 -David Goyette,Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy,Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy

• 1962–1972 NOJHL
• 1972–1974 OHA
• 1974–1980 OMJHL
• 1980–present OHL

Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss

• 1972–73 Lost to Ottawa 67's 8 points to 0 in first round.
• 1973–74 Lost to Kitchener Rangers 8 points to 0 in first round.
• 1974–75 Defeated Ottawa 67's 8 points to 6 in first round.
  Lost to Toronto Marlboros 9 points to 7 in second round.
• 1975–76 Defeated S.S. Marie Greyhounds 9 points to 5 in quarterfinals.
  Defeated Ottawa 67's 8 points to 2 in semifinals.
  Lost to Hamilton Fincups 8 points to 2 in finals.
• 1976–77 Lost to Kingston Canadians 4 games to 1 with 1 tie in quarterfinals.
• 1977–78 Out of playoffs.
• 1978–79 Defeated Oshawa Generals 8 points to 2 in quarterfinals.
  Lost to Peterborough Petes 8 points to 2 in semifinals.
• 1979–80 Defeated Kingston Canadians 3 games to 0 in first round.
  Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 3 in quarterfinals.
• 1980–81 Out of playoffs.
• 1981–82 Out of playoffs.
• 1982–83 Out of playoffs.
• 1983–84 Out of playoffs.
• 1984–85 Out of playoffs.
• 1985–86 Lost to Guelph Platers 8 points to 0 in first round.
• 1986–87 Out of playoffs.
• 1987–88 Out of playoffs.
• 1988–89 Out of playoffs.
• 1989–90 Lost to Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 3 in first round.
• 1990–91 Lost to Oshawa Generals 4 games to 1 in first round.
• 1991–92 Defeated Oshawa Generals 4 games to 3 in first round.
  Lost to North Bay Centennials 4 games to 0 in quarterfinals.
• 1992–93 Defeated Newmarket Royals 4 games to 3 in first round.
  Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 3 in quarterfinals.
• 1993–94 Defeated Oshawa Generals 4 games to 1 in division quarterfinals.
  Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 2 in division semifinals.
• 1994–95 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in division quarterfinals.
  Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 2 in quarterfinals.
  Lost to Detroit Jr. Red Wings 4 games to 3 in semifinals.
• 1995–96 Out of playoffs.
• 1996–97 Out of playoffs.
• 1997–98 Defeated Barrie Colts 4 games to 2 in division quarterfinals.
  Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in quarterfinals.
• 1998–99 Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 0 in conference quarterfinals.
• 1999–2000 Defeated Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 1 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 3 in conference semifinals.
• 2000–01 Defeated Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to Toronto St. Michael's Majors 4 games to 3 in conference semifinals.
• 2001–02 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2002–03 Out of playoffs.
• 2003–04 Lost to Toronto St. Michael's Majors 4 games to 3 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2004–05 Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 2 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 2 in conference semifinals.
• 2005–06 Defeated Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 2 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 0 in conference semifinals.
• 2006–07 Defeated Mississauga Ice Dogs 4 games to 1 in conference quarterfinals.
  Defeated Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference semifinals.
  Defeated Belleville Bulls 4 games to 2 in conference finals.
  Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 2 in finals.
• 2007–08 Out of playoffs.
• 2008–09 Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 2 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2009–10 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2010–11 Defeated Ottawa 67's 4 games to 0 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 4 games to 0 in conference semifinals.
• 2011–12 Lost to Brampton Battalion 4 games to 0 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2012–13 Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 0 in conference semifinals.
• 2013–14 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2014–15 Out of playoffs.
• 2015–16 Out of playoffs.
• 2016–17 Lost to Oshawa Generals 4 games to 2 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2017–18 Out of playoffs.
• 2018–19 Defeated Mississauga Steelheads 4 games to 0 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 0 in conference semifinals.
• 2019–20 Cancelled.
• 2020–21 Cancelled.
• 2021–22 Out of playoffs.
• 2022–23 Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 0 in conference quarterfinals.
• 2023–24 Defeated Mississauga Steelheads 4 games to 1 in conference quarterfinals.
  Lost to North Bay Battalion 4 games to 0 in conference semifinals.
• 2024–25 Lost to Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 0 in conference quarterfinals.

From 1972 to 1988, the Sudbury Wolves' colours were green, white and gold. The tradition of Sudbury teams wearing green jerseys dates back to the mid-1910s. In 1988–89, Ken Burgess - who famously asked "Who ever heard of a green wolf?" - changed the team's colours to blue, white and grey, which happened to be the corporate colours of the business that bore his name. These have been the Wolves' colours ever since, though the team has occasionally donned throwback green jerseys. The iconic blood-toothed, wily wolf-head logo has subtly evolved since the current franchise's inception, but overall has remained relatively unchanged and today is one of the most recognizable logos in the CHL.^[5]

There have been various alterations and versions of the team's primary jersey design over the years, as well as the introduction of third alternate jerseys, such as black and grey ones that were introduced in the mid-1990s and again in the early-2010s.^[13] The team unveiled several special edition jerseys during the2022-23 season, including a fiftieth anniversary jersey,^[14] as well as a limited editionShoresy Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs themed jersey.^[15]

The Sudbury Wolves play their home games at the downtownSudbury Community Arena, which was constructed in 1951. TheCity of Greater Sudbury and the Wolves have upgraded the facility over the years, but since the mid-2010s there have been intensified debates about the building of a new arena.^[16]

Every time the Wolves score a goal, ataxidermic wolf rolls out on a pulley system from the rafters of the Sudbury Arena in the direction of the opposing team's bench. This tradition began in the 1950s whenThe Sudbury Star donated a stuffed wolf to the local Wolves team as a token of appreciation.^[5]

In the 2009-10 hockey season, Wolves games were broadcast onCJTK-FM in Sudbury.^[17] As of 2018, Wolves games are broadcast onCKLU-FM.^[18]

• List of ice hockey teams in Ontario

• Sudbury Wolves

• Ontario Hockey League teams
• Sports clubs and teams in Greater Sudbury
• Ice hockey clubs established in 1962
• 1962 establishments in Ontario
• Ice hockey teams in Ontario
• Ice hockey teams representing Canada internationally

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023