CANTLON’S CORNER: Wolf Pack Off Season Volume 15
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – You would think there might be a slow down for the dog days of summer, but hockey, like any other business, is at work around the world 365 days a year. Here’s what’s happening.
LORD STANLEY VISITS CONNECTICUT TWICE
On Sunday at Avon Old Farms at Jennings Fairchild Arena from 10:30 am to 12:30 am hockey’s chalice will be on display a donation of $10 as a charitable donation for the Connecticut Children’s medical Center this will be for Nick Bonino’s turn.
Then the prized silverware on Monday goes to the Bolton Ice Center for Ron Hainsey who played there and is more os a semi-private as they want all the youth groups who play out of the arena for a chance to get their picture taken.
Getting there early for parking is important at both venues.
PLAYER AND COACHING MOVEMENT
-Former CT Whale defenseman Jyri Niemi starts on his third club in Finland going from Ilves Tampere (Finland-FEL) to Kookoo (Finland-FEL).
Former teammate with the Whale Mike Vernace goes from Alba Valon (Hungary-AEHL) to Rungstad IK (Denmark-DHL) next season.
Ex-CT Whale Erik Christiansen played the last four years with HV71 (Sweden-SHL) has retired from pro hockey.
-Former Wolf Pack Colby Genoway still kicking around Europe who started last year with financially troubled Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia-KHL) moved to EHC Kloten (Switzerland-LNA) will skate next year with HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia-KHL).
-Another ex-Wolf Pack Josh Gratton leaves HC Kladno (Czech Republic Division-2) and joins his brother Brad, the head coach at HC Epinal (France-FREL).They are both cousins to former New Haven Nighthawk Dan Gratton.
-Ex-Wolf Pack Marcel Hossa signs a one year deal with HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia-SLEL).
-Ex-Pack Alex Krushelnyski signs a one year AHL deal with Lehigh Valley.
-Ex-Sound Tiger Greg Mauldin moves from HC Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland-LNA) to ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL).
The oft troubled and injured ex-Sound Tiger Kirill Kabanov who split last year with Neftekhimik (Russia-KHL) and Skelleftea AIK (Sweden-SHL) goes to IK Oskarshamn (Sweden-Allsvenskan) this year.
-Andy Illes, who played at Salisbury Prep after seven ECHL teams heads overseas to play for the Fife Flyers (Scotland-EIHL).
–Quinton Howden of Manitoba signs with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus-KHL) and Marek Mazanec leaves Milwaukee to play next season for HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia-KHL).
The third Utica Comet to sign overseas in the past week in Pascal Pelletier has signed with GS Kusnacht (Switzerland-LNB).
Now the AHL to Euro list stands at 74 and now 27 of 30 teams in the AHL have had at least one player sign for Europe.
-Nephew of ex-Whaler Bryan Marchment Jake signs with San Antonio (AHL) for a one year AHL deal. Last year he was with San Jose (AHL) and Allen (ECHL) and Indy (ECHL).Another Whaler relation Matt Cullen nephew of John Cullen who played on the Stanly Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins signed a free agent deal for one year with Minnesota.
-Mathieu Olivier, son of former New Haven Knight Simon Olivier was traded from Shawinigan (QMJHL) to Sherbrooke (QMJHL) for a 2nd round QMJHL draft pick.
-The NCAA off season signings continue as Connor Clifton of Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) signs an AHL deal with Providence. Clifton was a 5th round draft pick of Arizona Coyotes in 2009 was not offered a deal after the conclusion of his four years as a Bobcat, His older brother Tim signed an AHL deal at the end of season with San Jose Barracuda. The youngest Clifton brother Corey is a QU commit for 2018-19.
Dominic Toninato of the University Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) signs with San Antonio becoming the eighth member of the team to signs pro deal.Dennis Cholowski, a Red Wing draft pick left St. Cloud St. (NCHC) early signed an ectry level deal witthhe the Red Wings has signed a junior deal with the Prince George Cougars (WHL) and their GM is former Whaler Todd Harkins.
Danny Smith goes from R.I.T. (AHA) to Rapid City (ECHL), Cam Brown of Maine (HE) who played a few games with Adirondack (ECHL) in the spring signs with Wheeling (ECHL).Blake Thompson with Division III St. Norbert College (NCHA) who played some games with Orlando (ECHL) at the end of last season signs with Ft. Wayne (ECHL).
Two more head to Europe as Patrick Lee UMASS-Amherst (HE) will play for Dundee (England-EIHL) and Sean Federow from Division III SUNY-Oswego (SUNYAC) heads to Osby IK (Sweden Division-2).
The NCAA Division I signings (AHL-ECHL) stand at 175 and then throw in 21 Division III for a total of 196. Then add 44 you have signed in Europe for a total of 240.
-Former Sound Tiger assistant coach Pat Bingham was named the new head coach for the Colorado Rampage of the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League (RMJHL).
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HOCKEY
As we head in the late stages of summer and pro hockey in North America gets ready to crank up after Labor Day in the US and Canada. Pro hockey in Australia and New Zealand is winding down.
Cheshire native Rob Malloy, a dual citizen, and his teammates the defending Goodall Cup champion Newcastle North Stars won’t be defending their title, in fact, will sit out the playoffs this season as they won’t be among the four teams to be in Victoria for the semi-finals and finals in September.
Two weeks ago against the league’s best team this year, the Melbourne Ice Malloy scored the games first goal on a sweet play on his off side (the left) in atop the left wing faceoff circle. He took a pass and had his backhand shot go off a defenseman right back to him and he scored on a forehand wrist shot for his sixth of the season.
Malloy closed out the games scoring late with a nice low wrist shot from the right point with a screen in front redirected perfectly on the powerplay by Matt Lindsay. However, Melbourne popped in seven goals on the evening for a 7-4 win and with five games left in the regular season, the team is tied with 30 points with the Sydney Ice Dogs with a record of 7-12-3-3-a full 10 points behind fourth place.
Malloy has been playing a shoulder injury for part of the season says this has been the toughest season personally for him.
“I separated my shoulder a few weeks back. It’s been a bit of a struggle but I’ve managed to play through it. To be honest, it’s actually better than I thought it would be. At this stage, I don’t think I’ll need surgery,” remarked Malloy via an e-mail interview.
The team also lost two of its import players leading scorer Felix-Antoine Poulin (40 points in 21 games) signed with MsHK of Slovakia for the winter season so had to leave as per his contract and former Wolf Pack Kale Kerbashian (25 points in 10 games) who with three weeks remaining in the regular season and the team out of postseason contention chose to head back home to prepare for the 2017-18 season with an unnamed team.
“It’s been a tough season from the get-go. Our schedule definitely wasn’t in our favor and we lost a few games we should have won. all in all, it hasn’t been the ideal year. After winning the Goodall Cup the past two years, the target on our back was pretty evident all season.
Both guys are examples of imports getting better each year. Felix signed a contract in Slovakia which was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Kerbs was out for a period of time while another import nursed a shoulder injury. “
The first two teams in for the Goodall Cup tourney is the aforementioned Melbourne Ice and now the Perth Thunder. The other team in Melbourne, the Mustangs and the CBR (Canberra) Brave are battling for the last two spots.
The single-elimination semifinals and final are on September 2nd and 3rd at the O’Brien Group Arena in Victoria home of the both the Melbourne Ice and Mustangs.
“Melbourne has probably the deepest team in the history of the league. They have set the bar this year and I would say they are favored to win the (Goodall) Cup.”
Malloy has also part of Australian National Team the past few seasons and they have another important international competition upcoming,
“The World championships next year are in Tilburg, Holland. From what I hear it is a pretty awesome hockey town. Hopefully, I have solidified a spot on the team, but there are a lot of guys in consideration. It would be great to part of it again though.” Malloy commented.
Now that he has completed his seventh AIHL season and has a dozen years of junior, college and pro hockey miles for the first time he has had to think about putting the stick, gloves, and skates away professionally.
“I think at least one more year, I don’t feel like its time yet to “hang em up” yet. I guess a lot depends on work/family which are priorities and how long my body holds up.”
One other player of interest ex-Wolf Pack Rory Rawlyk plays with the Sydney Ice Dogs has 19 points in 14 games this summer.
In New Zealand, Berlin’s Adam Blanchette the head coach for the defending Birgel Cup Southern (Queenstown) Stampede who sit atop the short season five-team league at 10-2- heading into the last two weeks of the regular season. The championship weekend is September 6 and 7th.
Leave a Reply