There is no easing back into the OHL schedule for the Sudbury Wolves this year. The local juniors take to the ice in a game situation for the first time in nine days and run head first into the second best team in the league - not to mention one that has been among the hottest in recent weeks.

The Kitchener Rangers had won seven straight games before dropping back to back 3-2 decisions to both the London Knights (Dec 15th) and Sarnia Sting (Dec 18th). Like the Wolves, they closed off their pre-Christmas schedule with a win, doubling the Ottawa 67’s 6-3 on December 20th.

Following their Sunday afternoon encounter in Sudbury, the Rangers will head to North Bay and again contest a matinee affair, this time on New Year’s Eve with a 1:00 p.m. puck drop scheduled against the Battalion.

The Wolves have already seen just how potent an offense that Kitchener is able to unleash this year, beaten 8-4 on the road on November 1st as Adrian Misaljevic enjoyed a monster game with three goals and three assists for the Rangers. Offensive support would come in the form of Trent Swick (G + 3A), Tanner Lam (3A) and Cameron Reid (G + 2A).

That contest marked the Wolves fourth straight loss in Kitchener. Thankfully, the Wolves are riding a five game winning streak versus the Rangers at home, a roll that began with a 4-2 victory on November 26th 2017. Third period goals by Michael Pezzetta and Reagan O’Grady snapped a 2-2 tie after twins Darian and Drake Pilon lit the lamp for Sudbury earlier in the game.

Last year’s battle in the nickel city wrapped up in a nutshell the Sudbury season that was 2023-2024, dealing with a team that was as offensively gifted as any squad in the entire league, but could find themselves more than a little challenged at times keeping the puck out of their net.

The Wolves opened the scoring 1:36 in courtesy of a goal from overage blueliner Andre Anania - but trailed the visiting Rangers 4-1 by the end of the first period of play. Kieron Walton (Sudbury) and Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener) traded goals early in period two before the Wolves countered with five straight in racking up a 7-5 win.

Kocha Delic, Alex Pharand and David Goyette all enjoyed three point games while Nate Krawchuk picked up the win between the pipes, replacing starter Marcus Vandenberg at the start of the middle stanza.

This first post-Christmas game also marks the first of five games in eight days for the Sudbury Wolves, who travel to Brampton (December 31st) and Barrie (January 2nd) before returning home to face the North Bay Battalion (January 3rd) and Peterborough Petes (January 5th).