The Sudbury U14 AAA Wolves have added a pair of players with some pretty interesting hockey pedigree to the fold this year.

Exactly how much this impacts their ability to compete on a provincial scale remains to be seen, but there is no denying that a forward group that now includes Diesel Berehowsky (son of Wolves' assistant coach and former NHLer Drake Berehowsky) and Greyson Mackenzie (son of former Florida Panthers' captain Derek Mackenzie) to an offense that already featured the likes of Preston Hebert and Sam Frappier should be a fun one to follow.

Preparing for the Red Wings Early Bird Invitational this coming weekend, the local crew completed a two-game sweep of the Soo Jr Greyhounds, with both affairs ending with a scoreboard that read 6-2 in favour of the homeside.

Diesel Berehowsky paced the Wolves attack on Saturday morning with a two-goal effort while teammates Preston Hebert, Van Sakellaris, Sam Frappier and Greyson Mackenzie all found the back of the net once each.

Lukas Maninos and Matt Lappalainen replied in a losing cause for the Jr Greyhounds, the minor hockey team which Cole Jarrett coaches in addition to holding down the same role with the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL.

A grade eight student at St Charles College, Frappier took something of an innovative approach in recent months to broadening his perspective in terms of better understanding the game that he loves.

"This summer, I actually played defense for a couple of teams, just to see the game differently," he said. "It gave me a better idea of where to be on the ice when our defense has the puck in the corner."

"It just helps me see the ice better, overall."

The game is changing in many ways for Frappier and his teammates, including the fact that the 2024-2025 season will mark the first in which these young men are able to layout a body check impunity.

"I think most of us like it because we are a pretty big team," said Frappier. "We've had a couple of body checking clinics to help us out. We know not to go running around trying to kill kids. We don't want to hurt other players."

The U14 AAA Wolves open play on Friday with games opposite the North York Rangers and Buffalo Regals, moving on to face the Toronto Nationals and Toronto Red Wings on Saturday.

Rounding out the 2024-2025 team roster are goaltenders Max Barros and Brayden Bouillon, defensemen Myles Talbot, Linden Bertoli, Dustin Primeau, Carson Barr and Vince Tarini and forwards Padraig Courtney, André Beaudry, Connor Wainio, Jonathan Croome and Cameron Swartz.