CANTLON: WOLF PACK CAMP IN SESSION 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

CROMWELL, CT – The time has come for a preview of the 22^nd Hartford Wolf Pack training camp for the 2018-19 edition of the team is a major work in progress.

The New York Rangers, under a new coaching regime headed by David Quinn, are conducting their first training camp. The team has taken a departure from practices of the past, but as of Wednesday, the Blueshirts still have 40 players in camp heading into their last two exhibition games including Wednesday night at MSG against the New York Islanders, and then the finale Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Rangers are required to get down to 23 players as per the CBA Agreement by their regular season home opener against Nashville next Wednesday.  That means that 17 players need to be dispatched in likely various forms and directions. One area where there’s a major glut is on defense. There are 16 total defensemen in the organization. Six will be up top and six in Hartford, so five players will either be released, traded, or assigned to other teams and leagues both in North America and around the world.

“The numbers are lower for on-ice sessions, but it has given us a chance to see these players we brought in a little more closely that may potentially start the season with us or be part of our depth coming from the ECHL point of view (in Portland, ME with the new Maine Mariners team). The closer look helps us in our evaluation process, and once we have more bodies we’ll have the flexibility to work on systems and structures,” remarked Pack head coach Keith McCambridge.

The normal model of hockey training camp has clearly been changed for McCambridge as all coaches are detail and task orientated.

“Certainly, (having the limited players in camp) takes away from your usual focus of putting together structures and see where players are, so it has been an adjustment to make,“ remarked McCambridge. “So you do lose a few days, but since we’re running the same systems it shouldn’t be a big change once we get players here. It’s organizing them. It’s good right now that they are getting good games and practice time in New York. Once we get people here, we can start to look at lines and combinations.”

A pair of exhibition games that were scheduled at Trinity College’s Koeppel Community Center for Friday and Saturday at 1 pm was reduced by one when Friday’s game was canceled because the team won’t have a full complement of players. So, for now, it will allow for McCambridge and his staff only one game to do some depth evaluation for the upcoming season.

The excess of defensemen in New York means that when the rest are finally sent to Hartford, decisions on playing time and contract status will be factored in just as much as padding in a transition play or net-front play.

“No question the backline has quite a few players as we do up front, but we have a good variety of players on defense and lots of competition for those last two spots in New York and the same can be said for us here.”

The team did sign one player with a familiar face for fans. Shawn O’Donnell was signed to an official AHL one-way deal. At age 30, he is on the other side of the AHL mountain but brings intangibles – particularly in leading the young guys in the organization – which they simply didn’t get from Joe Whitney last year.

O’Donnell’s work ethic has been his calling card and early results are all positive.

“He has been our best player in camp, energetic and he ranked number one in our on-ice, and off-ice testing, getting off on a good footing and that catches your eye right away. His skating is very solid and you look at him and you can slot him on a second or third line because of his skating and energy.

“He has experience which is a plus, and he is the perfect off-ice player we want. A real quality person that will benefit us,” McCambridge said of the fifth-year minor pro who was a walk-on and made the Wolf Pack.

A few other players have impressed McCambridge.

“(Scott) Savage as a defenseman has had a few good days with us here as has (Ouelette) St. Amant who has some experience with good size and puck movement. He’s done well. Vince Pedrie is back and has experience and Sean Day is a young man who had a strong OHL career and has had some nice days here.”

The Wolf Pack 2018-19 are clearly a work in progress.

NOTES:

Goalie Brandon Halverson is in camp and skating. “Brandon skated in New York and has done so the last two days, so yes, he is ahead of schedule where we expected him to be after his procedure,” McCambridge said of the 6’4 goalie entering the last year of his entry-level contract.

Cuts look like they will be coming in the next 48-72 hours.

The Sound Tigers got another slew of players from the Islanders. Five played last year in Bridgeport. Travis St. Denis, the ex-QU Bobcat, Parker Wotherspoon, Josh Ho-Sang, Michael Del Colle, Jeremy Smith, Tanner Fritz, Christopher Gibson, Sebastian Aho. One major prospect in Kieffer Bellows a highly skilled scoring forward and Las Vegas Golden Knights opted to send defenseman Chris Casto to Bridgeport.

There have been several transactions with CT connections.

Ex-Pack, Eric Selleck, is in the Toronto Marlies camp on a try out basis.

Ex-Pack, Chris Summers, is assigned to Wilkes Barre/Scranton. Another defenseman joining him in PA is Joseph Masonius UCONN (HE).

Ex-Pack, Ryan Haggerty, has signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Penguins ($600K/$700K-NHL/$100K-AHL).

Ex-CT Whale Tim Erixon signs a PTO contract for the Penguins training camp.

Ex-Sound Tiger, Brett Gallant, was assigned to Cleveland and signed a contract extension.

The expansion Colorado Eagles first AHL training camp has ex-Pack Ryan Graves, Caleb Hebert and ex-Sound Tigers, Josh Winquist, and Ryan Walters.

Jarred Tinordi, son of ex-New Haven Nighthawk Mark Tinordi, was sent to Milwaukee.

Former Ranger, Paul Carey (Salisbury Prep), was assigned to Belleville.

Tommy Cross (Simsbury/Westminster Prep) heads to Cleveland.

Brad Malone, son of the former Hartford Whaler, Greg Malone, heads to Bakersfield.

Nolan Stevens, the son of ex-Whaler John Stevens, and the brother to the Sound Tigers’ John Jr., and Adam Musil, the nephew of former Ranger and Whaler player Bobby Holik, were both assigned to San Antonio.

Brady Shaw, son of ex-Whaler Dave Shaw, is in Syracuse’s camp.

-Maxim Letunov (UCONN-HE) was sent to the San Jose Barracuda.

Connor Clifton (Quinnipiac University) was sent to Providence by Boston.

Callum Boothy (Salisbury Prep) was sent to Charlotte.

Ex-Pack, Joey Leach, is Manitoba’s camp and Ryan Sproul to Stockton (AHL). Ex-Sound Tiger Alan Quine was also sent to Stockton.

Ex-Sound Tigers J.F. Berube was sent to Cleveland. Griffin Reinhart to the Chicago Wolves and Steve Olesky to San Diego.

Ex-Pack, Daniel Walcott, now of Syracuse, is going to miss six to eight months with shoulder surgery.

Jordan Sims (UCONN HE), the son of former Whaler and Nighthawk, Al Sims, has signed with Cincinnati (ECHL).

Ex-Sound Tiger, Adam Huxley, re-signs with The Lacombe Generals (ACHW) for another season of Canadian senior league hockey and will be an assistant coach with Wainwright (NEAJBHL).

Ex-Pack, Evgeny Grachev, moves from Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (Russia-KHL).

Luke Krys of Salisbury Prep, the younger brother of BU’s Chad Krys, announces a commit to Brown University (ECACHL) in 2020-21.

Matt Barnaby, Jr. (Avon Old Farms) will play with the Chicago Steel (USHL) this year under its new coach, former Wolf Pack captain, and Sound Tiger, Greg Moore, announces he is Penn State (Big 10) commit for next season 2019-20. Barnaby’s, USHL rights were traded from Bloomington to Chicago played with the Pembroke Lumber Kings (CCHL) the last two years had been an initial commit to Lake Superior St. (NCHC).

Ex-Sound Tiger, and Wolf Pack, Jeff Hamilton, who played his high school hockey at Avon Old Fames and collegiately at Yale University, is the Program Director and skills coach for the CT Jr. Rangers (NCDC).

Jack Christian (Wilton/Taft Prep) is the new assistant coach for the CT Jr. Rangers.

Ex-Pack, Thomas Poeck, is the new head coach for the Northern (MA) Cyclones (USPHL-Elite)

Former New Haven Knight, Bob Thornton, is the new head coach of the P.A.L. Islanders (NCDC).

Alex Drulia, nephew of former Nighthawk, Stan Drulia is the new head coach for Cape Cod (NA3HL).

Logan Mick of Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) becomes the sixth US collegian to head back to Canada as he will be with the University  Lethbridge Pronghorns (CWUAA) this year.

The NHL Alumni Association has a few familiar names on its Executive committee this year.

Ex-Nighthawk, Wayne McBean, is the Chairman. The Vice-Chairman is ex-Whaler, Kelly Chase, the Secretary/Treasurer ex-Whaler and Ranger Mark Janssens and former Whaler Terry Yake is a board member.