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Veterans return in Greyhounds win (photo)

A pair of veteran players made their returns to the Soo Greyhounds lineup on Wednesday night against the Sudbury Wolves. Veterans Jared McCann (mononucleosis) and Jean Dupuy (St.

A pair of veteran players made their returns to the Soo Greyhounds lineup on Wednesday night against the Sudbury Wolves.

Veterans Jared McCann (mononucleosis) and Jean Dupuy (St. John’s Ice Caps training camp) saw their first action of the season for the Greyhounds against the Wolves, a 6-1 win in Ontario Hockey League action..

McCann was seeing his first action since early on in training camp and picked up a goal and an assist in the win.

“I felt a little rusty,” McCann said. “Getting my energy up is probably going to be the biggest thing.”

“I practiced for a week and felt like I was ready to go but nothing can prepare you for the game,” McCann said. “You’ve got to be in those situations.”

Greyhounds Coach Sheldon Keefe was pleased with both players overall in their first action of the season.

“They were okay,” Keefe said of McCann and Dupuy. “Both of them are still adjusting, McCann in particular. He didn’t play in any exhibition games or NHL camps. A couple of times he got caught on the ice for long shifts in the first period in particular. That really wore on him and you could see it but he was good.”

“Dupuy skated hard and had a lot of energy,” Keefe added. “He did the things we expected.”

For the Greyhounds, Wednesday’s win saw them play what many considered their best period this season.

The Greyhounds scored four times in the second period, which saw them outshoot the Wolves 26-1.

“We didn’t do the things we wanted to do (in the first period),” said Keefe. “It just started to click. One of the things we did highlight (after the first period) was being harder on the puck. Everything was crisper and it just started to click. To me was haven’t played a good period of hockey yet this season. We haven’t played a period that I’ve been overly happy with. Today in the second period, you could just sense that it was starting to come. We’ve been a little frustrated as a coaching staff because we haven’t been in control of any period.”

“It was the first time all season I felt we were playing the way we wanted to play,” Keefe added.

Wednesday provided few positives for a Wolves team that falls to 1-5 with the loss.

“We didn’t come out to play,” said Wolves coach Paul Fixter. “That was an embarrassed as I’ve been as a member of this organization in two years. Other than Troy Timpano, who kept the game relatively reasonable, the game could have easily hit double digits without his effort.”

Nathan Pancel had the lone goal for the Wolves in the loss, scoring a shorthanded marker in the first period to open the scoring. Goaltender Troy Timpano stopped 46 shots

“Sault Ste. Marie dominated from start to finish,” Fixter said. “They looked like they had fun and we didn’t.”

Fixter also said he didn’t address his players following the loss.

“I don’t really like to talk (to the players) when I’m emotional and I’m quite emotional right now,” Fixter said. “I’ll cool down and talk tomorrow.”

Medric Mercier, Tyler Hore, Charley Graaskamp, Michael Bunting and Gustav Bouramman also scored for the Greyhounds while goaltender Brandon Halverson made 15 saves.

The Greyhounds return to action with back-to-back games on the weekend, beginning with a game against the Owen Sound Attack on Saturday night at the Essar Centre.

In Wednesday’s lone other OHL game on the schedule, Brett Gustavsen scored a pair of goals to lead the Belleville Bulls to a 4-1 win on home ice over the Plymouth Whalers. Whalers goaltender Zack Bowman made 50 saves in the loss.

(PHOTO: Jared McCann seen during a game against the visiting Sudbury Wolves on October 8, 2014. McCann had 1 goal and 1 assist in his return to the Soo Greyhounds lineup. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)

To read SooToday's live blog of Wednesday's game, click here


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Brad Coccimiglio

About the Author: Brad Coccimiglio

A graduate of Loyalist College’s Sports Journalism program, Brad Coccimiglio’s work has appeared in The Hockey News as well as online at FoxSports.com in addition to regular freelance work with SooToday before joining the team full time.
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