CANTLON’S CORNER:
Training Camp Around the Corner
By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – We are a just a few days away from the 21st Hartford Wolf Pack training camp which will begin at the XL Center on a brand new ice surface.
Pack general manager, Chris Drury, announced the schedule for the team’s 2017 training camp.
The training camp begins with on-ice testing on Sunday, September 24 at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT, Practice sessions begin the next day (September 25) at the XL Center. The team will follow that same schedule daily through Wednesday when they will have their first preseason action.
That lone home game is closed to the general public. It will take place at noon next Thursday against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a game that was originally set to be played at Trinity College.
The Rangers reassigned five players, three to the Wolf Pack in Robin Kovacs, Adam Chapie, Brendan Kotyk. Ty Ronning and Tim Gettinger were sent back to their junior teams.
Kovacs spent all last season with the Wolf Pack. In 72 games, Kovacs tallied just two goals and 21 points and a minus-27. Chapie spent 24 games with Hartford and put only four assists in his ledger before heading back to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 24 games. While in the ECHL, Chapie registered four goals and 12 points. Ronning played 12 strong games with two goals and five points at the end of last season.
Gettinger (62-21-23-54) and Ronning (68-25-28-53) each have a year of junior eligibility left, Gettinger with Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) and Ronning with Vancouver Giants (WHL). Ronning had a hat-trick in a pre-season game already with the Giants to his credit and will be one of the assistant captains. Kotyk at 6’6 was signed to a deal in the offseason out of the University Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA) where he had in 97 college games seven goals and 16 assists for one of the Frozen Four semi-finalists.
To his credit, Ronning already has a hat-trick in a pre-season game with the Giants and will be one of the team’s assistant captains.
Kotyk at 6’6 was signed to a deal in the offseason out of the University Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA) where he had in 97 college games seven goals and 16 assists for one of the Frozen Four semi-finalists.
PLAYER MOVEMENT
Training camp rosters are starting to get announced and of course, a few ex-Wolf Pack and CT based players are sprinkled throughout the AHL.
In Hershey, Matt Carey, 21 goals and a minus-25 with the Wolf Pack last season, and former Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) player, Jeremy Langlois, have signed training camp PTO’s with the Bears. While at QU in Hamden, Langlois had current Bears assistant coach Reid Cashman behind him on the bench.
Carey was a target of fan abuse in Hershey last season as a video of a missed Carey hit last year eating a lot of glass was played on the Giant Center scoreboard. It angered Wolf Pack players and fueled some late-in-the-game fisticuffs.
In Providence, former Gunnery Prep player Nick Lukko is in camp with the Bruins. His brother, Max, skates with the Sacred Heart University Pioneers (AHA). Their father is Peter Lukko, the CEO of the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
In Lehigh Valley camp, skating with the Phantoms are Ryan Segalla (Salisbury Prep/UCONN) and Mark Naclerio (Milford/AOF).
Former Sound Tiger goalie Stephon Williams was assigned by the San Jose Sharks across the hallway to the San Jose Barracuda.
Ex-Pack Brodie Dupont signs an ECHL deal with Norfolk coached by an ex-Nighthawk player and coach, Robbie Ftorek. Their GM also a former Nighthawk in Assistant GM, Miker Santos. He started the season there last year and was signed to a PTO deal with Bakersfield. He had his ECHL rights traded at the trade deadline to Greenville, the Wolf Pack’s Double AA affiliate.
Three more collegians have signed pro deals. Steven Iacobellis from UMASS-Amherst (HE), signs with Wichita (ECHL). Eric Frsschi from Cornell (ECACHL) hooks up with Kansas City (ECHL) while Alexander Dahl of St. Lawrence (ECACHL) goes with Idaho (ECHL).
Two more AHL players singing in Europe just before camp opens. Chris Rumble of the former Binghamton Senators heads to Fischtown (Germany-DEL). Rumble is the son of former New Haven Senator, Darren Rumble. Peter Mueller of Providence signs with EC Salzburg (Austria-AEHL).
Martin Vitolins, the son of former New Haven Senator, Harijs Vtolins, after setting a national US Tier II junior scoring record with 110 assists and 163 points signs with the Long Beach Sharks (WSHL). The Latvian 21-year-old heads back to Europe and signed with Hokki (Finland Division-2).
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