Zacharie Giroux has made the eight-hour drive from Flint to Sudbury many times before, but never with the same tireless enthusiasm that propelled him down the road ahead of OHL’s surplus industry deadline on Tuesday.
A local Hanmer and a Sudbury Wolves fan as a youngster, the now 20-year-old forward knew he would end his youth career with his team after an industry with the Flint Firebirds.
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Sudbury Wolves general manager Rob Papineau announced Tuesday morning that Giroux acquired in exchange for two third-round picks, originally made through the Greyhounds and Windsor Spitfires, in 2026. Papineau also revealed that surplus defender Djibril Toure has been traded. Windsor Spitfires in exchange for Flint’s 2027 third-round pick and Windsor’s 2025 eighth-round pick.
Giroux and his circle of family members arrived at the Sudbury Network Arena on Tuesday to introduce their new teammates, adding OA teammates Landon McCallum and Andre Anania, who will also be making their best careers as OHL players dressed in blue, white and gray.
“It’s a dream come true,” said the 5-foot-6, 162-pound forward, who played in the Nickel City and Sudbury minor hockey associations before becoming Flint’s third-round pick in 2019.
“It’s been a dream for me to put on that uniform and play and I’m just grateful that Papineau gave me this opportunity. “
Following his older brother, Damien, to the OHL, Giroux played 168 regular-season games in a Firebirds uniform, collecting 141 points. He was also a key contributor during Flint’s playoff runs, including a drive to the Western Conference final in 2022, and was named this past fall as the fifth captain in franchise history.
However, when the opportunity arose to return to Northern Ontario, Daniel and Claudette Giroux’s son, a fast skater, eagerly jumped at the chance.
“It’s been a goal to win a championship here at home,” he explained. “They’re in first place and I think they have the most productive team in the league, so it was perfect. In fact, I wanted to come here.
That feeling is truly mutual, as Papineau has been thinking for some time about how he could incorporate a player with Giroux’s skills and two-way painting ethic into a squad that also includes his friend and local colleague, Alex Pharand. In the end, Sudbury’s general manager made the difficult decision to compose tactics with Toure, the 6-foot-7, 205-pound player who signed with the Wolves as a free agent last season and then signed an NHL contract with the Ottawa Senators in September.
Full return! I can’t help it, I probably wouldn’t help it Zacharie Giroux @FlintFirebirds | @OHLHockey pic. twitter. com/KTDRpCPs4Y
Prior to negotiating with Toure, Wolves bolstered their blue line by bringing in 19-year-old defender Donovan McCoy, who also wore a captain’s C for Peterborough Petes, as part of the deal that sent rookie forward Caden Taylor to The Electric City.
“Over the years, we’ve had a lot of respect for the game Zach plays in this league,” Papineau said. “We know the family, we know the meaning of commitment and passion, and a guy like him is a guy that you want to just add as well. He’s scoring more than a point per game in this league, so that kind of offense will help a hockey team as well. To get there, we had to bring a bit of delight to our blue line and end up separating tactics with an excess of D. These decisions are never easy, especially when it comes to Djibril. He’s such a high-level human being, such a delightful story, and an inspiration to many young children that we may not have heard his call the first time, but we’ve never lost sight of his goals, and that’s how much we think of Zach. Giroux.
Papineau said he would never trade forward McCallum, his first-round pick in 2019, or defenseman Anania, his fourth-round pick that same year.
“These are guys that have been with us since the beginning,” Papineau said. “We drafted them right before the COVID pandemic, they guided us through that and they’re vital players in our locker room, or smart players at their positions and we feel a strong bond with the two guys. We’re looking to do something special here and we need them to be a component of it.
Giroux, like his older brother, can count on a large crowd during the Firebirds’ infrequent stops at Sudbury and his fans rarely went home disappointed. He scored two goals in a 4-3 win in October and would like to match that performance. one way or another, when he makes his Wolves debut against the Mississauga Steelheads on Wednesday.
Game time is 7:05 p. m.
“It’s fun, with friends and family coming to watch and this time to see them cheering on the home team, as well as me, will be amazing,” Giroux said.
“I’m in a position to do whatever it takes. I need to win here and get a ring. I’ll settle for any role that comes my way.
After clearing their excess fee, the Wolves have until noon Wednesday to make changes involving the rest of their roster.
Papineau followed up deals for McCoy and Giroux by acquiring 19-year-old defensive back Noah Van Vliet from the Brantford Bulldogs on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for rookie defenseman Owen Protz, as well as two second-round picks and one third-rounder. choose. .
bleeson@postmedia. com
twitter. com/ben_leeson
Thank you for everything, G.Enjoy your last ride at home in Sudbury! pic.twitter.com/aGqg7tkQbD
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