Future NHL star Quinton Byfield lines up for the national anthem during an exhibition game in Timmins between the Sudbury Wolves and the Rouyn Noranda Huskies on September 7, 2019. ANDREW AUTIO/THE DAILY PRESS
Pre-season interleague match a chance to see potential future NHLers. Ticket sales open Friday.
Andrew Autio
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
Hockey fans in Timmins will get another opportunity to see some potential future NHLers this fall as the McIntyre Arena will once again play host to an interleague pre-season battle between the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
The game will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 7p.m.
It marks a return to Timmins for both the Wolves and Huskies, having played pre-season games at The Mac in both 2018 and 2019.
“This pre-season interleague match is returning to Timmins thanks to a partnership spearheaded by the Timmins Rock organization, in collaboration with the Sudbury Wolves, and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies,” said Timmins Rock president Ted Gooch.
“Its a huge win for hockey fans in Timmins, bringing OHL and QMJHL calibre hockey back to the McIntyre Arena.”
Situated roughly halfway between the two communities, Timmins is a prime spot for a neutral site game.
Fans who attended the 2018 and 2019 had a chance to watch the talents of a young Quinton Byfield, who was selected by the Wolves with the first overall pick in the 2018 Ontario Hockey League draft.
The then 16-year old Byfield scored a goal, and added three assists in what turned out to be a 7 to 6 shootout win for the Wolves in front of a packed house.
Then in the fall of 2019, Byfield and the Wolves returned to Timmins where he scored two goals and two assists in a dominant 7-2 win over the Huskies.
At the conclusion of that season, Byfield was selected second overall in the 2020 NHL entry draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He now has four NHL seasons under his belt, and has become one of the team’s key players.
It remains to be seen whether or not players of that eventual calibre will take the ice at The Mac in September, but there will no doubt be plenty of talent and plenty of intrigue.
Interestingly, the Wolves and the Huskies will also play two regular season inter-league games, which will count in their respective leagues standings. This will be the first inter-league regular season action in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) – the governing body of major junior hockey across the country – since the 2022-23 season.
The canine combatants will face off in Sudbury on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, and then in Rouyn-Noranda on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
The games will be played under QMJHL rules, which includes a game misconduct for fighting, which is the same rule used by the NOJHL.
The only other CHL clubs taking part in inter-league play this season will be cross river rivals the Ottawa 67s of the OHL, and the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL.
Tickets for the Sept. 3rd pre-season game in Timmins can be purchased through the Timmins Rock’s website, and sales are expected to be open on Friday.
Gooch said the club is proud to once again host this event, and its something that they have been hoping to bring back for a few years now after such successful turnouts in 2018 and 2019.
“In short, its not just exciting, its an impactful showcase for elite junior hockey, community engagement, and regional pride all rolled into one.”
Wolves general manager Rob Papineau told The Daily Press that they pushed for the game in Timmins, and it didn’t take much convincing for both the Huskies and Rock organizations to agree. The Wolves will once again be considered the home team for the matchup.
“Playing at the old McIntyre is a great atmosphere, and our players really enjoyed it in the pre-COVID years,” he said.
“The team loved the games in 2018 and 2019 which is a big reason we wanted to come back. This year, we actually have a home-and-home regular season matchup, so this exhibition game is even more meaningful this year.”
Papineau said that the Wolves lineup will be a mix of returning players, and some new players.
“We have always wanted to bring as close to our normal lineup for the people of Timmins as possible.”
