Pressure is on Wolves coach


By
July 25, 2016

By all accounts, Sudbury Wolves head coach David Matsos is a thoughtful, intelligent man. Ergo, it is suspected that Matsos is smart enough to know that the pressure is on to get the Wolves back into the Ontario Hockey League playoffs after a two-year hiatus.

With a season-and-a-half at the helm of the Wolves, Matsos has had the benefit of the learning curve as struggling Sudbury has finished last and 19th overall respectively in the 20-team OHL.

Clearly, probation period is over for the Matsos, who for the sake of argument, gets a free pass for what has ailed the Wolves in the 1.5 seasons under his watch.

For the record, the Wolves record under Matsos is what it is — 5-29-0 in 2014-2015 after replacing the fired Paul Fixter and 16-46-6 in 2015-2016 in his first full season on the job.

Add it up and the Wolves record with Matsos as head coach is 21-75-6 in 102 games.

Heading into the second year of a new three-year contract that he signed with the Wolves prior to the start of last season, the pressure is on Matsos to produce — as it would be on any OHL head coach whose team has missed the playoffs two years in a row.

And it’s not as though Matsos is short on high-level coaching experience as prior to his arrival in Sudbury three years, he had a three-season stint as an assistant with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. In other words, Matsos has had significant preparation as an OHL coach.

As the Wolves head into the 2016-2017 season, the roster is a significant improvement over what Matsos inherited midway through the ’14-15 campaign.

Top players such as goalie Troy Timpano and Kyle Capobianco are both readying for their fourth season in the OHL as are retread defenders Aiden Jamieson and Zach Wilkie, to name two more. Toss in third-year defenseman Reagan O’Grady — who is already being projected as a noteworthy prospect for the 2017 National Hockey League draft — and the Wolves have the makings of a solid, seasoned corps back of the blueline.

Add in the fact that second-year general manager Barclay Branch has strengthened the Wolves for the immediate future via the trade route and the early line on Sudbury is that it should at least contend for sixth place in the Eastern Conference in ’16-17.

To be sure, making the playoffs in ’16-17 after two years out of the post-season is the goal, according to aforementioned GM Branch.

“We want to see the group take a big step forward,” Branch recently told Postmedia. “There is so much parity in the league now that once you are in the playoffs, anything can happen.

“So the goal is to make the playoffs and it’s important our young group experiences playoff hockey. The level of play and intensity is elevated there and unless you experience it, there is no way to learn it, and that would be our expectation for sure.”

No doubt that Matsos and his hand-picked associate coach Drake Berehowsky have received the message, loud and clear.

PHOTO: Sudbury Wolves head coach David Matsos.


What you think about “Pressure is on Wolves coach”

  1. It would be great to revisit the rivalry we once enjoyed ! Somehow I am channeling the late Muzz McPherson for assistance!

  2. If the Wolves organization is feeling any pressure it’s from seeing entire sections of empty blue seats last season. It’s imperative the team gets off to a good start or that losing culture will start to seep in. The depth is there. We’ll see if this coaching staff can develop this group and elevate their game to make a playoff run.
    Best case scenario: I’m wishing for a new direction for this organization beginning at the very top, and I hope it comes sooner than later.

  3. If the depth is there then should be no issue for Matzos and the Wolves to win.

  4. It is a big year for the good ole Woofers that is vary obvious. My thought’s are to get something beside’s future Draft Picks for which ever Goalie that we trade.
    Because ….. the future is NOW !!!!!

  5. Thank God , Dave will do this … pretty hard to do much with your hands tied!!!!!!! Welcome Dario !!!

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