Sudbury Wolves Sign Top NHL Draft-Eligible Prospect Adam Nemec; Scores In OHL Debut

In the midst of all the trades, the Sudbury Wolves made a rather significant acquisition on Wednesday. 

The organization announced that they have signed top NHL draft-eligible prospect Adam Nemec, who is the younger brother of New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec. 

“We are thrilled to add Adam to our hockey club. He was a player we highly valued in the 2024 CHL Import Draft, and have had a great relationship with him and his advisor since our meeting that summer. Adam brings size and speed to our team and is a talented player who has played with men and has a solid international resume. He comes from a strong hockey family, and we welcome Adam and his family to the Sudbury Wolves and the OHL,” said Wolves GM Rob Papineau. 

Nemec, 18, has spent the first half of the season playing in Slovakia’s top men’s league for HK Nitra. In 28 games, he has recorded three goals and 12 assists for 15 points, which are the second-most points amongst U19 skaters in the league, trailing his teammate Tomas Chrenko. Sudbury selected him 96th overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft. 

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward recently represented Slovakia at the World Junior Championship. The Slovaks had an impressive tournament despite a lopsided loss in the quarterfinals to the Canadians. They kept games close with Sweden and USA in the preliminary round, and Nemec had a major part in the team’s offense. He finished tied for second in points on Team Slovakia with five (1 goal, 4 assists). 

Sudbury may have had some insider recruitment help in bringing him overseas. LA Kings prospect Jan Chovan joined the Wolves this season and played with Nemec on Slovakia at the World Juniors. I’m sure both had several conversations on how life is in the OHL. 

Nemec wasted no time getting into Sudbury’s lineup. He made his OHL debut Wednesday night in the Soo, playing on the team’s second line with Vladimir Provorov and Chase Coughlan. It was a somber celebration, as the Greyhounds had a 5-1 lead, but Nemec received a tap-in at the top of the crease on the power play early in the third period to register his first OHL goal. 

NHL Central Scouting gave him a “B” grade in their preliminary rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. The Hockey News’ scouting expert, Tony Ferrari, ranked him 23rd in his most recent draft rankings list.

“There are games when Nemec is all over the ice, using his speed on the forecheck and engaging in puck battles. His speed is a factor, pressuring puck carriers when he doesn't have the puck and looking to turn defenders when he does. His puckhandling is a bit unrefined, but when he keeps things straightforward, he can burst up ice and get the puck to the middle of the ice with his passing ability. Nemec is a bit on the raw side, but he has the potential to be a really solid middle-six transitional scorer,” Ferrari wrote.  

Nemec fulfills the third and final import roster spot on Sudbury, joining Chovan and defenseman Artem Gonchar. 

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