It is seldom a bad idea to build up a little optimism within the fan base of any OHL (Ontario Hockey League) team at this time of year.

So for as much as back to back pre-season shootout wins this week over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (4-3 in Timmins on Wednesday) and the Soo Greyhounds (6-5 in Sudbury on Friday) aren't likely to mean a whole lot of anything come the start of regular season play on September 19th versus the North Bay Battalion, the Sudbury Wolves - and their fans - will gladly take the wins, just the same.

A back and forth affair at the McIntyre Arena would see the Huskies sandwich goals by Jeremy Jarret and Thomas Verdon around a counter from Sudbury freshman import Jan Chovan, giving Rouyn-Noranda a 2-1 lead after twenty minutes of play.

Though the Wolves outshot the Huskies by a close margin of 10-7 in the middle stanza, the outcome on the scoreboard was more notable as veterans Rowan Henderson (SH - on a lovely feed from Blake Clayton) and Kieron Walton hit the mark, vaulting the home team into a 3-2 lead.

Vladislav Murzov deadlocked the contest at 3-3 wit just under eight minutes to play, forcing the shootout (there is no five-minute 3 on 3 OT sessions in pre-season hockey), with Kieron Walton and Daniel Berehowsky converting on their penalty shots while Karsen Chartier turned aside both attempts that he faced between the pipes for Sudbury.

Finn Marshall earned the start in net for the Wolves (8 saves on 10 shots), with Chartier coming in eleven seconds shy of the halfway mark of the contest.

Friday night at home, the Wolves overcame a 4-2 second period deficit, securing a 5-4 lead in the third period then relinquishing it before making good in the shootout for the second time in three days.

Five different players accounted for the Sudbury goals as Hudson Chitaroni, Vladimir Provorov, Chase Coughlan, Luca Blonda and Jan Chovan all contributing offensively, with Chitaroni adding a pair of assists as well.

Brady T Smith (2), Callum Coskery, Noah Laus and Christopher Brown replied in a losing cause as Kieron Walton and Vladimir Provorov both scored in the skills competition, enough to render a Ryan Kaczynski shootout goal mute.

Owen Leonard (20/23) and Karsen Chartier (8/10) handled the netminding duties for the Wolves, a squad which did not have a single encounter in 2024-2025 decided via the shootout.

Sudbury has two remaining exhibition games on their schedule, playing host next Friday to the North Bay Battalion and then doing battle on Sunday afternoon in Stouffville with the Kingston Frontenacs.