Gritty City, Gritty Arena, Gritty Team, Fun to Shoot!
Steve Russell - Staff Photographer
A quick look at the local paper was all it took to convince me to go, the Sudbury Wolves who struggled most of the season and qualified for the playoffs in the seventh seed had won the opening two games of their best-of-seven series with the Ottawa 67's.
The Arena, built in 1951, is fun to shoot in. It has character. It is photographer friendly, there are almost too many options for a photographer as opposed to the limited options when shooting the Leafs
I love shooting the Ontario Hockey League. I shot a lot of OHL when I was at photojournalism school at Loyalist College. I followed the Belleville Bulls and sometimes made the trip to Kingston for Frontenac games. Most OHL arenas allow a photographer to roam around and test different angles.
Fans talk by the city coat of arms on the front of the Sudbury Community Arena.
Through the throat of am inflatable wolf, the Wolves take to the ice. I was disappointed the smoke machine was broken.
Josh McFadden, in blue, lays the body on Taylor Feilding.
The ability to move around the bottom of the arena because the seats do not go right down to the glass allowed me to look for some different angles.
The glass was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. It allowed me to use a 300 mm lens down ice to get Joshua Leivo trying to tip the puck past Peter Mrazek.
Ottawa 67's Steven Janes blasts a shot.
Peter Mzazek watches the puck pass him for the second Wolves goal.
Fans cheer on the home side infront of the Queen.
Wolves defenceman Kristoff Kontos breaks up a Steven Janes breakaway as the Sudbury Wolves jump out to an early 2-1 lead after the first period.
Sudbury Star reporter Bruce Heidman watches the game from the Gondola.
Shooting from the gondola offered a slightly different angle as, somehow, Peter Mzarek denies Marcus Foligno.
There is nothing like OHL games. Fans watch the action as the Sudbury Wolves come back after being two goals down.
A jubulant 67's player gets hit with a high stick celebrating a goal.
Wolves goaltender Alain Valiquette gets some help from the post .
When I was in Belleville they had a Bulls head whose eyes would light up and nostrils smoke everytime the home team scores, after each Wolves goal a stuffed wolf makes its way from a corner of the Arena to over the ice.
Fans get into the game as the home side begins to engineer a third period comeback.
Wolves Eric O'Dell is taken down by Adam Sedlak giving Sudbury Wolves a power play and a chance to come back after being two goals down.
Not quite the same as his father's goal celebration, Marcus Foligno celebrates the game tying goal.
Fans celebrate the tying goal with 16 seconds left in the game.
Michael Lomas celebrates the overtime winner as the Sudbury Wolves come back after being two goals down to win 5-4 in overtime and take a 3-0 series lead over the Ottawa 67's.
great shots.... love the last one
Posted by: Jeff Prince | 03/30/2011 at 11:50 AM
Those are some nice pictures Steve
Was nice to see you again
Posted by: Darren MacDonald | 03/30/2011 at 11:54 AM
Nice photos Steve-o - brings back good memories - especially the wolf in the rafters - looks like an updated model since my last trip to the barn when the woofster was looking a tad tattered:) Go Wolves Go!
Posted by: Lisa Gervais | 03/30/2011 at 01:16 PM
Very nice shots - how did you get the accreditation to be ringside for the OHL games back when you were in college? I'm interested as I've recently upgraded my camera gear and would love to try it out at OHL, but apparently the CHL doesn't allow the new gear unless you're with a "recognized and accredited media outlet"...
Posted by: Tabercil | 03/30/2011 at 01:24 PM
Thanks for the coverage! Great to see Wolves get some national press . It's always interesting at the Sudbury Arena when the Wolves are playing - regardless of the outcome.
Posted by: Al Sizer | 03/30/2011 at 01:39 PM
Awesome photagraphy. You picked a heck of a game to come & shoot!
Posted by: André Soucy | 03/30/2011 at 02:44 PM
Thank you so much for showcasing what all Sudbury Wolves fans love about their team and their building!!! Great photos and memories!
Posted by: Julie Regimbald | 03/30/2011 at 04:09 PM
Steve, thanks for capturing these outstanding images of our Wolves and our beloved barn from the many angles that you did. I wasn't able to make last night's game due to a photo assignment of my own, but your pictures have given me a good idea of what it must have been like to be there. The arena is so familiar to me, that the perspectives which you offered in these photos is extremely refreshing. Thanks again and I hope you return later in the playoffs as I'm sure these Sudbury Wolves will be sticking around for a while!
Posted by: John Rumball | 03/30/2011 at 07:50 PM
Steve what lenses did you use this night and what iso/ss/f were you using for the on-ice action shots? Custom WB?
Thanks. :)
Posted by: John Rumball | 03/30/2011 at 08:25 PM
As a Sudburian now living in Toronto, this was fantastic to see!! Thanks so much - I felt like I was there!
Posted by: Hannah | 03/30/2011 at 11:07 PM
@John Rumball, For the most part I used a 70-200 and 300, but I did use a 16-35 as well. The light in the arena is surprisingly good. I wonder if they got left by some TV station after the Briar. I used ISO 1600 for the most part, which was nice because I was ready for 3200!
Posted by: Steve Russell, Toronto Star Staff Photographer | 03/30/2011 at 11:27 PM
Great shots Steve! I especially like the feature picture w/ the players reflected in the glass. The other pictures are awesome sports pictures too!
Are you using a 1D Mk IV? My MKiin can't produce as clean images. :(
Posted by: Dan | 03/31/2011 at 02:00 AM
we were there at the game a great team and the best of fans - GO WOLFS GO
Posted by: Kathy Smith | 03/31/2011 at 09:21 AM
STEVE,YOUR PHOTO'S OF THE SUDBURY WOLVES ARE GREAT. MY GRANDSON IS JOSHUA LEIVO AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET COPIES OF THEM FOR HIS SCRAPBOOK. YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT [email protected]
HERE'S HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU
WENDY VAN DER VOORT
Posted by: Wendy van der Voort | 04/04/2011 at 10:33 AM