Sudbury Wolves forward Michael Pezzetta returned to Sudbury Community Arena on Wednesday from Montreal Canadiens training camp.

The hulking centre went through a ton of travel to get to Sudbury and arrived 10 minutes before practice at Sudbury Community Arena, and practically begged the coaching staff to get on the ice and practice with his teammates despite being given the option of taking the day off.

"I just want to get out there and skate, get ready for Friday," he told the coaching staff.

Pezzetta was thrilled with his first NHL camp and returned with a few new tricks up his sleeve.

"It was a great experience, what a feeling to put a Montreal Canadiens sweater on for the first time," he said. "It was a lot of fun and I showed my game well and did what I had to do. Coming back, I feel stronger now, and after moving your feet at that pace, I think it will be good for me back here and I am excited to be back and excited to play here Friday.

"The pace of the game at that level is extremely quick, so your feet are always moving and that is a big thing to bring back," he added. "Just be patient with the puck and make smart plays, and that is a key there I can bring back."

Joining such a storied franchise was an eye-opener.

"It was a bit overwhelming, but at the same time it is the lifestyle you want to live," said Pezzetta, who the Habs selected in the sixth round this summer

. "It’s is surreal and you see how the NHL guys live and how it is there. Montreal is a great organization, so you see all the signs on the wall with quotes from all the legends and you have a feeling that you want to win and it is like, wow, it was pretty cool."

Sudbury Wolves head coach Dave Matsos wasn’t happy with his team’s 1-3-1 preseason record, but he was happy with how his team performed, its final game of the five in Barrie aside.

Matsos saw some numbers trending the way he wants them to as he preps his squad for Friday’s home and season opener.

"We averaged 36 shots a game, which is way up from last year, and we only conceded 26 shots a game, which is 18 or 19 off the mark from last year, and allowed 2.86 goals per game, which I think is acceptable," he said. "The problem is we only scored 2.2 per game. So we’re getting shots, we just have to be more efficient and be sharper shooters.

"We played the whole preseason with a young lineup, so I guess you can commend them," he added. "They were breaking up plays and allowing fewer shots than last year, and our penalty kill was outstanding in the preseason at 89.3%, and that is off the charts, and our power play, which wasn’t great, was still at 18.1%, so there are a lot of good things. The penalties were a bit high with 5.4 a game and we want four per game max, but when you crunch the numbers in an analytic world now, the numbers are heading in the right direction, it’s just getting the goals for up."

Matsos is a big fan of the train horn donated to the team by CP Railway last week that will sound whenever the Wolves score.

"I think the horn is fantastic," he said. "It shows the enthusiasm and spirit Dario (Zulich) wants to bring to this. The contagiousness of the passion will filter from the top through to the bottom of our organization, and I love the horn."

Matsos also likes that the team is taking part in a pep rally at the New Sudbury Centre on Thursday at 7 p.m. There will be player introductions through the inflatable wolf head, a question and answer period and the players will sign autographs during a meet and greet with the fans.

"What a great way to start," he said. "I think the message is amazing that we are going out as a team the night before at home having a good team meal together, boyus will be dressed up nice, the staff is going, management has been invited, the training staff, so it is a nice thing to start knowing what is going into our players’ system, which is a good thing, and the excitement of the pep rally is a great idea. I always tell these guys, there will come a day when nobody is going to ask for your autograph anymore. So take advantage of what you are right now as a role model."

In other Wolves news, the team announced Thursday that Andrew Dale has been named vice-president of marketing and business development.

Team CEO Dario Zulich, together with team president Blaine Smith, made the appointment effective immediately. Dale will oversee sales, marketing, communications and development, reporting to Smith.

“Andrew is a great addition to the dedicated team we have within the sales, marketing and game-day promotions group,” Smith said in a press release. “He will provide further support and leadership to the team while building on the service and experience offered to customers, sponsors and fans. Andrew is from Greater Sudbury and an alumnus, having played 185 games in a Wolves uniform. He combines his hockey and business experience offering a great deal to the organization.”

“It is very exciting to join the Sudbury Wolves organization and be part of this storied franchise for a second time, especially at this exciting time in the city’s great history,” Dale said in a press release. “I would like to thank Dario for the opportunities in the past couple years. Being part of one of the best brands in hockey is a dream. I look forward to working with the sales and marketing team, building on and contributing to, the vision that is being energized by new ownership.”

After finishing his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers, Dale signed with the Los Angeles Kings and played 5 seasons of professional hockey, having won the Kelly Cup in 1999 with the Mississippi Sea Wolves. Dale graduated from Laurentian University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2001 and then again with a Master’s of Business Administration in 2007.

bheidman@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @bheidmanSudStar