Power of the Sudbury Cubs
They are in pursuit of what is called a three peat. And to be sure, the two time reigning champion Sudbury Cubs have sights set on a third successive Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League crown.
Not that it will be an easy path to another NOJHL title for Sudbury.
With the 52 game regular season slate winding down, Sudbury is in sole possession of first place among the 11 teams of the NOJHL with 74 points from a record of 35-6-4. But while Sudbury has turned on the power full throttle, there are two teams within moderate range of the Cubs, namely the Hearst Lumberjacks and Timmins Rock.
Still, it is Sudbury that is clearly in the driver’s seat and is poised to have home ice advantage throughout the upcoming NOJHL playoffs, which are slated to begin on March 19.
A veteran laden team and with several skaters who have Ontario Hockey League experience, the Cubs have a den of high performance talent led by impact forwards Nolan Newton, Mason Walker, Daks Klinkhammer and Owen King and productive defenseman Spencer Horgan.
Notably, Newton has a chance to score 100 points this season while Walker — a signed prospect of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves — is coming off of a sizzling six assist outing in a recent win over Timmins. Meanwhile, King has an amazing 35 goals, 24 assists, 59 points in just 24 games since joining Sudbury from the Milton Menace of the Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
And while Sudbury is flush with seasoned skaters born in 2005 and 2006, the Cubs are also developing younger players such as the aforementioned Mason Walker and defenseman Cole Wreggitt, who both have 2008 birth dates. Walker is a local Sudbury product while Wreggitt is from Sault Ste. Marie.
Even younger, the Cubs have a pair of 2009 birth year skaters in forward Ty Dubreuil and defenseman Jonathan Varela.
OHL draft wise, Walker and Wreggitt were both taken by the Sudbury Wolves in 2024 while Dubreuil and Varela were both picked at the 2025 OHL priority selections draft.
A local Sudbury product, Dubreuil was a 14th round selection by the Windsor Spitfires while the big bodied Varela was a 15th round choice by the Sudbury Wolves. Notably, Dubreuil has points in three of his last four games for the NOJHL Cubs while developing his all around game as a speedy forward with smarts and skill.
Any way you look at it, the Cubs are loaded.
Great coaching staff year after year. They know how to recruit, relate, teach and promote. Where’s that lacking eh????