I know the claim by some is that there aren't. But I've seen one - further north, and rather large. Coyotes and wolves have structural differences.

There have been other sightings too. There is no evidence of breeding packs here that I am aware of, but I believe they are making their way back.

There is a documented breeding pack in Canada, about 100 miles from the Canadian/US border. I suspect they are closer than that now. One hundred miles isn't really all that far away. They can travel up to 30 miles within one day. Territories tend to shift based on availability of food and water sources.

From NY State Department of Environmental Conservation:

"In 2001, a hunter shot a large (99-pound) male canine in Saratoga County, near the Adirondack Park boundary. Genetic testing proved that this animal was a gray wolf, and the animal's remains were confiscated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Further research conducted by scientists at the New York State Museum found that this wolf was apparently eating a wild diet."

"In 2021, a deer hunter in Otsego County shot and killed what he believed to be a coyote during the coyote hunting season. Closer inspection concluded that the animal was unusually large for a coyote, and the hunter contacted DEC. The male canine weighed 84 pounds, and samples were taken for DNA analysis. An initial DNA analysis concluded that the animal was an Eastern coyote with significant wolf ancestry; however, two follow-up analyses concluded that the animal was a wolf. The DNA tests likely provided different results because of the complicated nature of eastern canine DNA and the fact that a significant amount of interbreeding has occurred between coyotes and wolves throughout their ranges. However, based on the physical characteristics of the canine and the DNA results, DEC has concluded that this animal was a wolf."

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/gray-wolf