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Key members of a youthful Sudbury Wolves roster moving forward, forwards Adam Nemec, JC Lemieux and Rowan Henderson will all have the chance to raise their draft stock even more with NHL scouts.
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All three Pack members were listed on Monday in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, to be held in Buffalo on June 26 and 27.
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Nemec was ranked 29th among international, or non-North American skaters, the rankings having been compiled before the Slovak import signed with the Wolves last week.
Lemieux was ranked 184th and Henderson 191st among North American skaters.
Nemec, a 6-foot-1, 176-pound native of Liptovsky Mikulas who turned 18 back in October, is off to a strong start as a Wolf with a goal and three assists in his first three games.Â
Just before signing in Sudbury, the younger brother of New Jersey Devils defenceman Simon Nemec represented his home country in the IIHF World Junior Championship and recorded five points in five games. He started the season with HK Nitra in the Slovak men’s league and totalled 15 points in 28 games.
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The younger Nemec sibling was Sudbury’s second-round pick in the 2024 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Adam Nemec, right, of the Sudbury Wolves, and Haoxi Wang, of the Niagara IceDogs, battle in front of IceDogs goalie Vladislav Yermolenko during OHL action at the Sudbury Community Arena in Sudbury, Ont. on Friday Jan. 9, 2026. Photo by John Lappa /The Sudbury Star
Lemieux, a 5-foot-11, 190-pounder from Gatineau, Que. and Nemec’s frequent linemate for their first few games together, is another newcomer to the Nickel City. He was a key piece in a major trade that sent veterans Nathan Villeneuve and Alex Pharand to the Windsor Spitfires, with a package of draft picks also coming back to the Wolves.
Lemieux, who won’t turn 18 until June, announced his arrival by scoring three goals and assisting on two others in his first three appearances in a Sudbury uniform, giving him totals of 13 tallies and 10 helpers in 36 games as a second-year OHLer.
Windsor’s second-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection, Lemieux has represented Canada in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.Â
Henderson, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Wellesley, Ont. who turned 18 in December, has eight goals and 11 assists in 40 games, but has also played a vital role as a defensive forward and penalty killer who leads his team with two short-handed goals.
Sudbury’s first-round pick in the 2024 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection and an alternate captain for the club, Henderson has earned attention from NHL Central Scouting and big-league general managers, who selected him to play in the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game in Peterborough this Wednesday.
That contest begins at 7 p.m.
Rowan Henderson, left, of the Sudbury Wolves, is tied up by Liam Spencer, of the Niagara IceDogs, during OHL action at the Sudbury Community Arena in Sudbury, Ont. on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. Photo by John Lappa /The Sudbury Star
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