Wolves Acquire Lemieux and Draft Picks from Windsor
OHL Sudbury Wolves

Wolves Acquire Lemieux and Draft Picks from Windsor

Published on January 5, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Sudbury Wolves News Release


(Greater Sudbury, ON) - Vice President and General Manager of the Sudbury Wolves Rob Papineau announced today that a trade has been completed with the Windsor Spitfires. The Sudbury Wolves have acquired Jean-Christoph Lemieux and eight draft picks from Windsor, with the Windsor Spitfires acquiring forwards Alex Pharand and Nathan Villeneuve.

"It is never an easy day when you trade quality people like Nathan and Alex", expressed Papineau. "Both are tremendous humans from outstanding families, and both have left a very positive mark on not only our team but also our city. 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. JC is a fast, highly intelligent player who plays the game the right way. He has enjoyed great success at both the U17 and U18 level with Team Canada. We also have added 8 very high future draft picks which gives us many options as we move forward".

Jean-Christoph Lemieux is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound left-handed forward with 18 points (10 goals and eight assists) in 33 games this season. A native of Gatineau, Quebec, the 2008-born forward was selected 22nd overall by the Spitfires in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. Lemieux has represented Canada several times, including the 2024 IIHF U17 World Challenge, where he helped Team Canada White win a gold medal, recording seven points (two goals and five assists) in five games, and this past summer at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he won a bronze medal with Team Canada. In the 2026 NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List released in October, Lemieux is ranked a 'C' prospect for the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, indicating a fourth to fifth round candidate.

Along with Lemieux, the Wolves acquired eight draft picks from the Windsor Spitfires. 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

Alex Pharand departs Sudbury after 270 games played with his hometown team. Acquired as a rookie by the Wolves at the 2022 trade deadline, the overage forward recorded 67 goals and 95 assists over that span, hitting the 150-point milestone with the club. Pharand was just as valuable off the ice, being recognized with the Wolves Community Service Award for the past three seasons for his contributions to the community and involvement with the Hockey Gives Blood program.

Nathan Villeneuve heads to Windsor after 196 OHL games with the Sudbury Wolves. The third overall selection of the Wolves in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Villeneuve 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.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 5, 2026


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