CANTLON’S CORNER: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON VOLUME 19 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT –  This is the final look at hockey news until The Hartford Wolf Pack opens training camp.

TRAVERSE CITY TOURNAMENT

The roster for the New York Rangers that will compete in the 2018 Traverse City tournament is set.

The annual prospects tournament that’s held in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or the “UPEE,” as its known, will feature prospects from eight NHL teams. The Detroit Red Wings hosted tourney runs from September 7th until the 11th. For the Rangers, this is their 12^th straight appearance in the tournament, which was almost postponed this year because of renovations being done on the arena.

There are two divisions in the tournament named after legendary Red Wings players. The Rangers will play in the Ted Lindsay division which features Detroit, the Dallas Stars, and, the Minnesota Wild. The other division is named after Gordie Howe and prospects from the St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Columbus Blue Jackets will battle it out.

This is the 20^th year of the tournament. The games are played in the Centre Ice Arena.

When the Rangers unveiled their roster, it had ten players on it who spent either all of last season or part of it in Hartford.

Leading the charge on the ice will be forwards Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, and wearing the “C” for the second prospects tournament in a row will be, Ty Ronning.

There are other familiar forward names.

Gilbert Fontaine is expected to take a stronger role in the offense this fall. Dawson Leedahl is on the roster and then there are two collegians who signed with the team in the offseason and had late-season auditions in Hartford last spring. They are Drew Melanson from Boston University, where he played under new Rangers head coach, David Quinn, and Justin Salvaggio from the UNH Wildcats (HE).

On the backline will be the Rangers’ highly-regarded prospect, Ryan Lindgren. He played ten games at the end of the season after leaving Minnesota (Big 10). Lastly, there’s defensive-minded defenseman Brandon Crawley.

The rest of the newcomers include some highly thought of talent acquired in trades or were drafted.

Up front, is Brett Howden who was acquired from Tampa Bay in the trade for ex-Wolf Pack duo Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. Two European free agent signees include Sweden’s Mikael Lindqvist, and Finnish native, Ville Meskanen. Tim Gettinger from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) starts his first pro camp.

Two draft picks from June include the Swiss-born, Nico Gross (Oshawa OHL), who was just one of two 17-year-olds who played in last year’s WJC (World Junior Championship). The other was the first overall draft pick by Buffalo, Sweden’s Rasmus Dahlin. The other draftee is defenseman Joey Keane (Barrie Colts OHL).

On defense, Sean Day, a Ranger #1 pick two years ago, arrives for his first camp. Libor Hajak was acquired in the Tampa Bay trade. He went to the Memorial Cup final with Regina (WHL) where he was coached by ex-Wolf Pack championship coach, John Paddock, plus former UCONN defenseman and captain Derek Pratt. He signed in the offseason with the Rangers new Double AA affiliate, the Maine (Portland) Mariners. Tyson Helgeson, who played four games at the end of the year, will be there but is heading to Royal Military College in Calgary (CWUAA) after the tourney.

In goal, Chris Nell returns for his second tournament after playing for three teams last year. His battery mate has a familiar last name. He’s Jeremy Brodeur, the son of the NHL’s recently named Hall-Of-Famer, Marty Brodeur. Brodeur the younger, played for the Allen (TX) Americans last year. His father recently left St. Louis where he was an Assistant GM. He’s returned to the New Jersey Devils where he will head the team’s business development department.

PLAYERS & COACHES MOVEMENT PLUS HOCKEY NEWS

Dan DeSalvo becomes the 17th member of last season’s Hartford Wolf Pack roster to sign elsewhere. DeSalvo inks an AHL deal with the Cleveland Monsters.

Another ex-Sound Tiger defenseman, Jesse Graham, signs with the Utica Comets.

Ex-Pack, Tanner Glass, who split last year between Stockton and Calgary, signs with GHC Bordeaux (France-FREL) for next season. He is the 74th AHL’er to sign for Europe this season.

Ex-Pack, and New York Ranger, Ryan “Hollywood” Hollweg has been forced to retire due to a knee injury incurred while playing for HC Plzen (Pilsener) of the Czech Republic Elite League (CEL). It was announced the by the team’s GM/Head coach and former Ranger and HC Plzen teammate, Martin Straka.

Hollweg played six seasons in the Czech Republic and returned last season after a year off from the knee injury, but despite a contract renewal for this season, the injury’s effects stayed with him. In Hollweg’s last pro season, he played 41 games with two goals, amassing just four points, and 87 PIM.

Ex-Pack, Josef Balej, leaves Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia-AEHL) to MaHK Zlina (Slovakia-SLEL)

Brandon DeFazio, the ex-Sound Tiger, and son of former Nighthawk, Dean DeFazio, goes from Kunlun (China-KHL) to Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL)

Another ex-Sound Tiger defenseman, Chris Lee, officially retires from Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia-KHL) and saw his number 4 retired.

Adrian Gajor, from Plainville, CT, and last played for the Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack, signs with Cracovia Krakow (Poland-PZIHL).

Nick Lukko, a Salisbury Prep grad, signs a one-year AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Jarrid Priviters (Gunnery Prep) departs the University of Vermont (HE) and who played a few games with Manchester (ECHL) after his college season ended, has signed with Greenville (ECHL).

Ex-Pack, Desmond Bergin, who played in two games on emergency recalls with the Wolf Pack last year, re-signs with Adirondack (ECHL).

Former UCONN Husky, Brian Morgan, re-signs with Reading (ECHL). He split last year between Pensacola (ECHL) and Reading,

Ryan Obuchowski, the former Yale Bulldog, signs again with Toledo (ECHL).

Devin Buffalo goes from Dartmouth College (ECACHL) to Greenville (ECHL). Trey Phillips goes from the University of Vermont (HE) to Jacksonville (ECHL) while Demico Hannoun of Northern Michigan (NCHC), leaves early and signs with Indy (ECHL). A Division III player heads to Europe in Tim Santopaolo. He goes from Aurora University (NCHA) to Svegs IK (Sweden Division-2).

That makes 197 Division I players who have signed North American pro deals and a grand total of 261 collegiate players have signed North American and European deals.

UMASS-Amherst (HE) gets a grad school transfer in Jake Pritchard from St. Lawrence (ECACHL).

Julian Pacliero becomes the new assistant coach with UMASS-Lowell (HE). Joe Howe leaves Denver University (NCHC) and takes an assistant coach’s position with the University of Alaska (WCHA).

Another former Husky, Joona Kunnas, was released in training camp from HC Mulhouse Scorpions (France-FREL) and signed with HC Anglet.

Ex-Sound Tiger, Tobias Stephan, has gone from EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA) to HC Lausanne (Switzerland-LNA)  where he signed a three-year deal.

Adam Jakopin, the cousin of former Wolf Pack and Beast of New Haven, John Jakopin, goes from Lindenwood University (NAIA), a college club hockey program, to HK Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia-AEHL).

Nick Hale, of Salisbury Prep, is a Yale University (ECACHL) commit in 2019-20. He will play this season for the Brooks (AB) Bandits (AJHL)

DJ King, the son of ex-Whaler Derek King, leaves the US National Development Team playing in the USHL, to play Canadian major junior with the London Knights (OHL). He has dual citizenship and is eligible to play for either of the two country’s WJC team in December.

Two more sons of Whalers have entered the organized hockey ranks. Geoff Sanderson’s two boys will be playing US College hockey in the near future.

Ben Sanderson from the Okotoks Oilers (AJHL) has committed to Colorado College (NCHC) in 2019-20. His youngest son, Jake, goes from the Canadian prep program at The Edge School (CSSHL) to the US National Development U-17 Team this year. That team plays out of Plymouth, MI. He has given a commitment to North Dakota (Big 10) for 2020-21.

A very well-written piece from Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times concerning Jerry Bruckheimer, who along with David Bonderman, is on course to bring the NHL to Seattle.

The article stated that it looks like a November presentation to the NHL Board Of Governors (BOG) and likely a December BOG vote on their expansion franchise application. If approved, they will become the 32^nd NHL team. That should jibe well with the fact that by that time that vote comes, renovations on the Seattle Key Arena will have begun.

Bruckheimer also discussed placing a USHL American Junior A franchise in the new building. The USHL is primarily situated in the American Midwest with no Western state teams at all.

While building your brand and the sport in the American Northwest is good, he failed to acknowledge the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, who have been in the city and the greater Seattle area (now in Kent, WA south of Seattle) for 33 years. The Thunderbirds have built a very strong brand name of their own and have helped grow the sport of hockey at the grassroots level in a city that used to have just an old semi-pro league team in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. There are also three other WHL teams in the state of Washington.

One of those three is within an easy driving distance of Seattle. The Everett Silvertips has been in business for 18 years and is North of the city. The Spokane Chiefs have operated for 33 years and are in eastern WA near the Idaho border and a fourth team is in Kennewick, WA near the Oregon border. That team, the Tri-City Americans, have been there for 30 years along with the Portland (OR) Winter Hawks, who make up the US Division of the WHL.

The real growth of hockey is currently happening in the American Southwest where Texas, Arizona, and West California, lead the way. Oregon and Washington will try to build upon what has been done over the past 30 plus years in those areas.

The NHL has a very important relationship with Canadian major junior hockey and with the governing body, the CHL (Canadian Hockey League). Perhaps some of the BOG will educate Bruckheimer’s Seattle Hockey Partners LLC, of that relationship during the courting period. The group needs to be aware and not trample on it during the stampede of euphoria when Seattle gets its NHL team.

Read the article HERE.

GERLING SCORES CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER AND NAMED MVP

The AIHL (Australian Ice Hockey League) Goodall Cup has a new owner, and a former UConn Husky was the hero.

The Canberra (CBR) Brave captured their first-ever title winning in overtime after falling short in the final two consecutive years. They have Trevor Gerling to thank for it.

At 11:38 of overtime, Gerling was coming as the trailer on the left wing on a three-on-two break.

Gerling, in his royal blue uni sporting number 78, was billowing in the back. He took a left-wing drop pass from Wehebe Darge (three assists) and roofed a shot over the right shoulder of Sydney Bears goalie, Anthony Kimlin for their 4-3 title win. The celebration from the packed house was wild at the O’Brien Sports Arena in Melbourne, the yearly hosts of the Grand Final.

Ryan Louth had a strong game for Sydney with a goal and two assists. They all came in the second period which allowed the Bears to take a 3-2 lead into the third.

Gerling was named the tournament MVP and Canberra, Australia’s capital city was celebrating a major title.

The semifinal saw the Canberra (CBR) Brave with Gerling, the league’s co-leading scorer with 67 points in 24 regular games played, against the Melbourne Mustangs. The Brave won decisively 5-1 with Gerling scoring two goals and had an assist. Then the Perth Thunder where shut down by the Sydney Bears 3-0 in the other semifinal.

CBR set a new AIHL regular season points record in their short season league with 72 points. Gerling was tied for the league’s scoring lead with Perth’s Pier-Oliver Grandmaison with 67 points. However, Grandmaison led the league with 43 assists to go along with 34 goals including a hat-trick in the last game of the regular season against the Melbourne Ice in a 6-2 victory.

Cheshire’s Rob Malloy and his Newcastle Northstars were knocked out of their chance to capture the fourth and final playoff spot after a 5-4 shootout loss in the second to last game of the season.

The game saw Newcastle tally the first two goals in the game and a 3-1 lead in the second period after converting on a five-minute major penalty for a hit to the head. The penalty set off numerous skirmishes for the rest of the period. Newcastle held their lead through the third when Perth mounted a rally to tie the game.

Perth won the last game of the year 5-3 to break the tie with 39 seconds in regulation.

Malloy finished his sixth AIHL season with 18 assists and 24 points in 25 games.

“Not going to lie,” said Malloy via e-mail, “I’m pretty happy the season is over. Nothing really worked and it was a pretty frustrating season.”

He will be involved in international competition when he heads to Queenstown, New Zealand. There he will play in a three-game series next week against the Kiwis where he will catch up with his old pal, Berlin’s Adam Blanchette. He will play next year in Serbia for Australia at the IIHF World Championship tournament.

Nearby in New Zealand, there is a new Birgel Cup champion.

The Southern (Queenstown) Stampede, seeking their fourth straight championship loss to the West Auckland Admirals in a 2-1 championship game win on the road.

It was West Auckland’s first ever NZIHL title with Berlin’s Adam Blanchette the team’s assistant coaches dream.