Wolf Giles looking forward to his Canucks hosting the Governors’ Showcase next week
Ontario Junior Hockey League resident writer Ron Valentine is profiling the 2025-26 team captains across The OJ.
BY RON VALENTINE
Wolf Giles is wearing the ‘C’ for the Niagara Falls Canucks this season.
Big No. 8 racked up 47 points in just 45 games last season. That included five two-goal games. Ten of his 21 goals came via the powerplay.
In 2023-24 Wolf potted 33 goals, including two hat tricks and had a total of 60 points in 55 contests, best on the club.
Head coach Frank Pietrangelo on his new captain: “Wolf has been with the Canucks for four years now, and has really matured both as a person and as a player over this time. He came to us in a trade from the Hamilton Kilty Bees when we were still a Jr. B team. He experienced the BCHL briefly last year with the Blackfalds Bulldogs, so he knows what it’s like to be elsewhere and to be here.”
“His choice to return to be a ‘Canuck’ speaks volumes in itself, and by witnessing firsthand the differences between Niagara Falls and other places, he knows that we care tremendously about our players and how we treat and develop them.”
“As far as hockey goes, Wolf is an elite player. His size, strength and skating are in the top percentile of the OJHL, and we expect him to be one of the top players in the league again this season. He has many eyes on him from the NCAA, and we believe a tremendous season will see him rewarded with a great home for next year and beyond.”
Wolf comes from a hockey family: “My dad is from Uxbridge and my mom from Nova Scotia and along with my brothers we have always been involved in sports, mostly hockey but also lacrosse. My brother Jamie went to Salisbury Prep and got a lacrosse scholarship at Hobart. I spent my minor hockey days in the GTA having grown up in the Rosedale area and played in Leaside and then AAA for the Toronto Red Wings, Mississauga Reps and Toronto Titans. But all that time I never got to wear the ‘C’ so I’m really looking forward to it. Having said that, it’s really just a letter and as well as myself we have a ton of leaders on the team for this season.”
“His size, strength and skating are in the top percentile of the OJHL, and we expect him to be one of the top players in the league again this season”
“Wearing the A’s will be Ben Theron, who was with the (Oakville) Blades, Ronan Campbell, who has played with Burlington, St. Mike’s and Lindsay, and Brandon Gauthier who was with us last season. (His twin brother, Jesse, is also on the team). The four of us and Frank plus assistant coach Greg Wilson are all looking for the same thing- improvement from our recent finishes of 10th and out of the playoffs in our first year in the OJHL to eighth last season and getting into the postseason, we think the sky’s the limit for us with the players we have this year.”
“It’s great to be back in Niagara Falls for my last junior hockey season. When I decided to go to play out in the BCHL I thought that it was the best thing to do at the time and I cannot say anything bad about Blackfalds but things you do in life are a learning process. I have set myself a couple of goals for this season and I still need to work on certain aspects of my game but my main aim is to help the Canucks get as far as we can.”
“To get the “C” and lead this team is a big thing for me. It’s all about respect you have to have it and give it. I can be very loud when the times arise but you always have to show respect at the same time. I’m naturally a friendly, talkative guy who loves to be in a leadership role so I really enjoy my time in the rink but when it comes to puck drop it gets really serious for me.”
“Having the Governors’ Showcase on our home ice is going to be really big for us. I missed it when it was here last year for the first time as I was in BC. I’m not sure where hockey will take me next season, be it NCAA Div 1 or 3 or U SPORTS, but my goal is to go as far as I can doing the things I love to do, that’s my motivation.”
The Governors’ Showcase runs from Sept. 15-17 at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls.
The Canucks (0-2-0) host the Milton Menace this Friday.
Follow Ron Valentine on X @ronandlynda
