VERSUS 
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – During the first six weeks of the regular season, the Hartford Wolf Pack are rarely in the confines of the XL Center. On Friday night, they will have one of their rare home games over the span against a familiar opponent, the Providence Bruins, who return to the XL Center as part of a weekend home-and-home between the two teams.
On opening night, the Pack knocked off the Bruins 4-2 and are coming off a tough road loss, the first of this young season, on Wednesday night, 5-3, against the Binghamton Devils.
“We were happy with our early results, but it’s still early for us. It’s still just two games,“ remarked head coach Keith McCambridge last Sunday. Tuesday saw the Devils score in the first and last minute of the first period.
Defenseman John Gilmour said that he has to get on the puck and want it more than the other guy on Sunday after the Laval game.
The goaltending of Dustin Tokarski immediately caught the team’s eye.
“He clearly impressed us the way he stopped shot. We are very confident having him and (Marek) Mazanec back there,” said Gilmour.
Scoring in the first period has been good so far through the early part of the new season, a 180 degree turn from last season.
“It’s so critical to get off to quick starts. These two games, we have to keep it going to have success,” Gilmour, who saw the Pack outscored by a wide margin in the first period last season and got caught in that pattern on Wednesday night, said.
The team’s ability to respond quickly to their opponents is something else that he likes in this group. “It shows character and resiliency, and to see it in a young group like that, it’s very good to see.”
Tokarski is a seasoned AHL vet having had stops in Norfolk, St. John’s, Syracuse, Hamilton, San Diego, and last year in Lehigh Valley.
Tokarski is as competitive as the next player, but clearly becoming a mentor is as valuable a tool he could bring to the rink along with his pads, stick, and glove.
“You take it as a responsibility. Everybody is young once. As you get older, as I am, you try to do a bit extra to help the young guys to improve, get better and get to the NHL. That’s part of the job.”
The Pack then will embark on a four-game road trip Saturday over seven days starting in Providence Saturday night. They then have their Canadian road trip to play Laval next Wednesday followed by Belleville on Friday and then finishing with Toronto.
The Pack then return with a mid-week game against Lehigh Valley and their first meeting of the season with their intra-state and franchise rivals, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before taking off on a five-game road trip.
NEWS & NOTES:
Former Yale Bulldog goalie Alex Lyon was sent to Lehigh Valley on Wednesday by the Flyers.
Joel Bouchard clearly exudes the sense that the new Laval coach is looking to buy into the new pro game model and working it to convey that to a thoroughly revamped Laval Rocket. “We worked very hard, but it’s a major learning curve for results. This was a good learning experience for this team and our guys. You have to learn to play back-to-back games quickly, and that is an adjustment at this level. We have to learn to stick with it. It’s gonna take time, but I will say they work hard, no complaints there. We got to learn better puck management, and that will take time. We went with a little more veteran lineup up front because we really have little experience on the backline right now. We got one unit. We have a Czech, Michael Moravcik, and on another, Cale Fleury, they will grow with time.”
Bouchard seemed to wear all the hats in Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL), about 40 minutes North of Laval. He was the owner/GM, and the head coach. Things are a little more streamlined in the AHL.
“It’s an adjustment for me too. I played in the American League, so I know what it’s all about, too. I still do a lot here. My number one job is to help make these guys good pro’s, and it’s a new challenge and I’m ready to help them get to Montreal.”
Hartford holds very strong memories for Bouchard who played here for half a season in 2005-06. His head coach at the time was Ryan McGill, now the assistant coach in Las Vegas. At the time, Bouchard was coming off a frightening medical situation having survived meningitis.
“It was a good experience for me, and a real turning point in my playing career. It got me back to the NHL. Ryan McGill, Nicky Fotiu, and Al Coates believed in me. It wasn’t long, but I was able to get my confidence back playing here. As we were driving here from Providence, I really thought about it that it was some of the best hockey I ever played and I was focused and dialed in and got back to the Rangers. It’s fun to be back here.”
Bouchard is going to be quite interesting to watch this season. He may set a new coaching fashion statement too. He’s the first coach to carry all his gear in a backpack. Could a Roots commercial be in Bouchard’s future (Roots is a major Canadian clothing store)?
PLAYERS ON THE MOVE
The Sound Tigers lost out on a top talent as Jan Kovar, a free agent signee from the KHL, failed to accept an assignment to Bridgeport. He was waived and brought out of his $2 million dollar deal and is returning to Russia. The Islanders also sent back Tanner Fritz.
Four more AHLer’s have signed in Europe. Brendan Kichton goes from Charlotte to SaiPa (Finland-FEL). Former Ranger draft pick, Ethan Werek, goes from Belleville to HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech Republic-CEL). Henrik Happala leaves Springfield to go to Tappara (Finland-FEL). Ex-Pack, Eric Selleck, goes from Belleville to HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia-SLEL) making 83 AHL players who are heading over to Europe to Asia.
Ex-CT Whale, TJ Hensick, signs with Toledo (ECHL) and a former Whale teammate, Kris Newbury, was claimed off waivers from Brampton (ECHL) by the Jacksonville (FL) IceMen on Thursday.
ECHL camps are winding down as they start their regular season this week. Cut from Maine Jesse Schwartz (UCONN-HE), Enfield’s Robbie Baillargeon is traded from Orlando Solar Bears to the Tulsa Oilers, and Brady Vail, who was in Pack camp, is traded from Maine to Cincinnati.
Other cuts include ex-QU goalie star, Eric Hartzell, who was let go by Tulsa, and Charlie Millen, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler, Greg Millen, was cut by Worcester.
Former Sound Tiger and Rangers draft pick, Daniel Maggio, is sent to Norfolk (ECHL) by Tucson.
Another son of an ex-Whaler, Carter Sandlak, whose father is Jim Sandlak, retires from Greenville to become a referee (AHL) and linesman (ECHL) this season.
Ex-Pack, Henrik Tallinder, whose four games didn’t earn him a Rangers contract, went back home and after two seasons with TPS Turku, retires from the game.
John Jaworski of the Northeast Generals (NAHL) makes a commit to Sacred Heart University (AHC) in 2020-21.
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