Wildcats Sign Former OHL Forward Ethan Dean

It's been a tough go of late for the Moncton Wildcats, but they've now added some reinforcements in the form of former Sudbury Wolves forward Ethan Dean.

Dean, 18, passed through OHL waivers in recent weeks, unable to find a home on a deep Sudbury squad. He went pointless in five games with the Wolves this season, but scored 10 (6+4) points in eight games with the Pickering Panthers of the OJHL.

Last season, the London, Ont., native put up six goals and nine assists in 67 games as a depth forward in his second full junior season after being made a second-round pick in the 2024 OHL draft.

Now, Dean will get a fresh start in the QMJHL, on a Wildcats team in need of an offensive boost. Taylor MacDougall praised the 5-foot-10 centre's pace and versatility as he looks to give his team a spark to get them back on track.

Moncton began the season 5-0, off the heels of two straight trips to the QMJHL final, and one run to the Memorial Cup in 2025. But, since then, things haven't been as smooth. They've now lost five games in a row, and have scored just six goals in that stretch.

There are still some very solid veteran players on this team, including Liam Kilfoil, Rian Chudzinski, Niko Tournas and Adam Fortier-Gendron, but they're certainly in a rut of late.

The team will hope the speed and energy boost Dean brings can help them get back to winning ways in the near future. 

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