With veteran forwards Rowan Henderson, JC Lemieux, Blake Clayton, Adam Nemec and Jan Chovan all out of the lineup for the Sudbury Wolves pre-season match-up with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Wednesday night in Timmins, the local juniors were going to need others to step it up in the goal-scoring department this time around.

Thankfully, a seven-man defense brigade that included five players with at least 49 games of OHL experience or more came to the rescue - along with the Sudbury netminders.

Liam Ladds scored the game-winning goal, rifling a high wrister home in the third and Hudson Martin tapped in a goal-crease feed from Patrik Ula to give the Wolves a 2-0 lead in the middle stanza as coach Scott Barney and company improved to 2-0 with a 3-2 win.

Even the ice-breaking tally from Parker Smith came from a shot out near the blue-line, albeit with plenty of traffic in front.

Malik Tremblay netted both goals for the Huskies as Sudbury decided to take a good, long look at several young forwards vying for what are likely the final three spots available on Opening Night (Sept 18th vs Peterborough Petes).

In the meantime, the back-end crew that also featured veterans Luca Blonda, Genc Ula and Brady Smith along with prospects Cole Wreggitt and Alex Dvorak helped keep things in check in front of returning netminders Owen Leonard and Paolo Frasca.

Looking for a strong game after allowing a pair of goals on eight shots in one period of action versus the Barrie Colts on Monday, Wolves' starting goalie Owen Leonard was on top of his game in Timmins, turning aside all 16 shots that he faced before handing the baton to Paolo Frasca between the pipes.

For as much as the overager surrendered a pair of goals on 17 shots, he also came through with a potential save of the year candidate, denying Tremblay the hat trick with a glove-hand thievery of a opposite side rebound.

With forwards Ethan Dean, Hudson Chitaroni, Brayden Bennett and Vladimir Provorov the only three lads up front with any kind of substantive OHL experience to speak of, the likes of Norman Greene, Colton Colby, Kingston Harris, Mason Walker as well as Patrik Ula and Parker Smith were in something of an audition mode at the McIntyre Arena - with 2026 first round pick Kash Kwajah rounding out the roster.

The Wolves are back in action on Friday, facing the Greyhounds in Sault Ste Marie before travelling to North Bay on Sunday to do battle with the Battalion.