The Sudbury Wolves swung a blockbuster OHL trade to acquire Timmins product Tanner Adams from the Brampton Steelheads in exchange for 15 draft picks. Adams was selected third overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, but refused to report to the Steelheads. He had signed with the NOJHL’s Timmins Rock, but will now report to the Wolves. Photo by THOMAS PERRY /The Daily Press
Sudbury Wolves deal 15 draft picks to acquire Timmins star and unite him with fifth-overall selection Kwajah
Ben Leeson, Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
Tanner Adams stay with the NOJHL’s Timmins Rock proved to be short lived, as the Sudbury Wolves swung a deal to acquire the third overall selection in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection from the Brampton Steelheads, on Friday.
Adams maintained all along he would not report to the Steelheads and when it became apparent Brampton was not going to trade his rights to the Wolves — his preferred destination — he signed with his hometown Rock.
That all changed on Friday, however, as the Wolves shipped 15 draft picks to Brampton in exchange for Adams.
As a result, the Sudbury-bound Adams was not in the lineup when the Rock opened their 2026-27 NOJHL regular season with a 4-1 win over the Storm in Iroquois Falls.
“We were ready for every situation that could have happened with him,” said Rock coach and general manager Sheldon Reasbeck.
“We would have welcomed him with open arms if he was staying, but we are happy he is going to have this opportunity.
“He is a great kid and he is going to be an absolutely great hockey player and we wish him all the best, for sure.”
In an interview with Postmedia Network colleague Ben Leeson, of the Sudbury Star, Adams described the trade as “a dream come true.”
Expanding on those feelings, he added: “This is something we have been looking forward to and it finally happened, so it’s very exciting.
“Since I was a young kid, being from Timmins, Sudbury was the closest team and that’s who I grew up cheering for. That’s aside from the family decision. I moved away from home when I was 14 years old, so being close to home is very important to me, but all around, Sudbury has always been the dream.”
Sudbury general manager Rob Papineau and company felt just as strongly about making Adams a part of his program alongside fellow 16-year-old standout Kash Kwajah, the fifth-overall selection in this year’s OHL Priority Selection and another key piece in the Pack’s future.
With the Steelheads seemingly reluctant to deal Adams’ rights despite his agent’s assertions he would not suit up for the Steelheads, Sudbury’s GM finally pried the player loose for a package that included second-, third-, fifth- and 10th-round draft picks in 2027, and second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round selections in 2028, as well as second-, third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in 2029, and second-, fifth- and sixth-round choices in 2030.
By declaring a drafted player as defected, OHL teams can trade them in a two-week window prior to the regular season for draft picks only. As a lottery team, Brampton will also receive compensation from the league in the form of the fifth-overall pick in 2027, as well as a pick at the end of the second round — bringing the total return for head coach and GM James Richmond to 17 selections in total.
“Tanner has obviously got a real passion to be in Sudbury and to be a Wolf and that’s exciting,” Papineau said.
“Our fans love those types of players. Going into the draft, we felt the two top players in that draft were Kash and Tanner, so to be sitting here today with both of them, it’s remarkable. They’re very different in the style they play and the way they play the game, but they complement each other so well.
“Both of these guys have their feet underneath them, they’re both real humble and they’re both special players in different ways.”
While Kwajah’s game might rely more on finesse, deception and quick-draw playmaking ability to generate offence, the 6-foot-1, 194-pound Adams is a prototypical power forward, though one with his own share of skill and savvy.
Adams totalled 34 goals and 54 assists in 52 games with The Hill Academy’s U16 ‘AAA’ crew in 2025-26. He also scored six goals in only four games at the OHL Cup showcase this past spring and had two assists in three outings while suiting up for the Rock of the NOJHL as an affiliate.
“I’m a complete player,” he said. “I don’t like when people outwork me and I play a physical game. It’s something that just came easy to me and right from the get-go, it was something that just belonged in my game.”
While he didn’t delve into the more personal reasons for his preference to stay in the North, Adams admitted living so far from home the last two seasons, while certainly beneficial for his hockey career, was not easy for him or his family.
“The Hill made it easier for me, but once again, it’s still tough being away from home,” he said.
Parents John and Lee-Ann, who were also thrilled to hear the trade had been completed, were a vital source of support this off-season, helping the up-and-coming player to stay focused on his training amid so many potential distractions.
“It has played a big part in everything, family and friends being there for me — it has helped me a lot,” Adams said. “It has been a big summer with lots going on.”
While expectations are often tempered for 16-year-old OHL rookies, even first-rounders with the skill levels of a Tanner Adams or a Kash Kwajah, Papineau believes those two can be key contributors for a Sudbury squad that has aspirations of making a deep playoff run come spring, hence his willingness to meet the Steelheads’ steep asking price.
“I think when you look at both those guys, we think either one of them could have been picked first overall, just with the talent levels they have,” Papineau said. “When you’re talking about those types of players, like the Byfields and the Mustys, they can contribute at 16 years old. That’s what makes them special and that’s why they’re in the conversation that high in the draft. We’re not worried about the birth certificate. We’re worried about the talent they have and how they can help our hockey team — and we feel both of them can.”
Adams knows a few folks in the Wolves organization, including scout Taylor Loucks, who also serves as The Hill’s GM. Sudbury blueline prospect Shayden Hintenberger was his roommate and a close friend the last two seasons. But most of the faces around the dressing room will be new.
“I’m pumped to get started and to meet everyone,” he said.
Papineau is confident the newcomer will fit right in.
“We have such a good dressing room right now,” Papineau said. “These guys are becoming part of a team. They’ve got great talent and our fans will be able to enjoy them. They’re passionate about being here and passionate about being Sudbury Wolves.
“We’ve got this year and next year to close this building and we’ve got a brand-new, exciting building being built across the street. This is the group that’s going to do both those things, close this place and open the other, and they’re just exceptional players.”
