Sudbury Wolves fans will soon be bidding a fond farewell to Alex Pharand and Nathan Villeneuve.
The two strong Pack players have been traded to the Windsor Spitfires in exchange for coveted player Jean-Christoph Lemieux and eight draft picks.
The team also announced the signing of Adam Nemec, the club’s second round pick (96th overall) in the 2024 CHL Import Draft.
“It is never an easy day when you trade quality people like Nathan and Alex,” Wolves GM Rob Papineau said in a news release. “We wish them both great success for the rest of this season and beyond.
“At the same time being able to add a young player who we highly coveted and wanted to draft in his draft year in Jean-Christoph is something that will benefit us not just now but for the next couple years.”
Papineau describes Lemieux as a player with high intelligence “who plays the game the right way.”
“He has enjoyed great success at both the U17 and U18 level with Team Canada.”
Lemieux stands 5-11 and weighs 81 kg (180 lbs). A left-handed forward, he’s notched 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 33 games this season.
The Gatineau, Quebec native was born in 2008 and was selected 22nd overall by the Spitfires in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection draft. He has represented Canada several times, including at the 2024 IIHF U17 World Challenge where record seven points (two goals and five assists) in five games and helped Team Canada White win a gold medal.
Along with Lemieux, the Wolves acquired eight draft picks from Windsor. These include:
- 2027 Ottawa 2nd round selection
- 2028 Windsor 2nd round selection
- 2026 Peterborough 3rd round selection
- 2028 Oshawa 3rd round selection
- 2028 Windsor 3rd round selection
- 2029 Windsor 4th round selection
- 2028 Windsor 5th round selection
- 2029 Windsor 5th round selection
Pharand, a Sudbury boy, played 270 games for the Wolves. Acquired as a rookie at the 2022 trade deadline, the overage forward recorded 67 goals and 95 assists over that span.
Villeneuve heads to Windsor after 196 OHL games with the Sudbury Wolves. The third overall selection of the Wolves in the 2022 OHL Priority, he finishes his Wolves career with 186 points (85 goals and 101 assists). Selected by the Seattle Kraken 63rd overall in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Villeneuve earned an entry-level contract with the Kraken in April of 2025. Entering the 2025-26 OHL season, he was named the 55th captain in Sudbury Wolves history.
Meanwhile, the Pack announced the signing of forward Adam Nemec.
“We are thrilled to add Adam to our hockey club,” Papineau said. “Adam brings size and speed to our team and is a talented player who has played with men and has a solid international resume. He comes from a strong hockey family, and we welcome Adam and his family to the Sudbury Wolves and the OHL”.
Nemec stands 6-1 and weighs 81 kg (180 lbs). The left-handed forward hails from Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia.