CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON – VOLUME 12 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The life of a hockey executive never ends… Oh sure it slows down, but all the coaches and management in professional hockey are all working to construct and hopefully improve their rosters for the 2019-20 season.

PLAYERS AND COACHING MOVEMENT

The New York Rangers inked their first-round (Second overall) draft pick, Kaapo Kakko, to the standard max Entry-Level Contract of three years at $925K-NHL/$70K-AHL.

Last Wednesday, the Rangers signed two more players destined for Hartford.

Philippe Di Guiseppe played with four teams last year, two of them in the NHL (Carolina, Nashville) and two of them in the AHL (Charlotte, Milwaukee). He was signed to a one-year/one-way $700K contract. He was originally drafted by Carolina in 2012 in the second round, 38th overall.

Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme/Gunnery Prep) was given a one-year, AHL deal. He played ten games and earned a goal and four points at the end of last season with the Wolf Pack after completing his four-year collegiate career at UMASS-Lowell (HE). While playing in college, he registered 67 points in 132 games with the River Hawks.

The Detroit Red Wings have released the details of the annual Traverse City Prospects Tournament.

The tourney will be held September 6th -10th. The Rangers will play in the Ted Lindsay Division with the prospects for Columbus, Dallas, and Minnesota.

The Gordie Howe Division will feature Chicago, St. Louis, Toronto, and host Detroit. The round-robin tournament will be the first look at team prospects playing in actual game action.

Ex-Pack/Ranger, Artem Anisimov, was traded on Tuesday to Ottawa for forward, Zack Smith.

Former CT Whale / Ranger, Michael Del Zotto signs with one of his three teams from last season, the Anaheim Ducks. His deal is for one-year very cap friendly $750K one Sway deal. He ended last season the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues but played no games in the Finals.

Ryan Donato, the son of ex-Pack and Sound Tiger, Ted Donato, signs a two-year, one-way deal paying him $1.9 million per year with Minnesota.

Ex-Pack, Michael Joly, signed a one-year AHL deal with the Colorado Eagles.

Ex-Pack goalie, Charles Williams signs with Indy (ECHL).

One-time New Haven Nighthawk, Willie O’Ree, will likely add his last major award of the last few years as he is expected to receive a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of his being the first black player in NHL history. O’Ree, a long-time San Diego resident was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Former CT Whale VP of Marketing, Bob Ohrablo, remains as team President of the Jacksonville IceMen (ECHL) who were sold to a new management team last week.

Hartford Whaler legend, Ron Francis, was hired to be the first GM for the brand spanky new Seattle NHL franchise. He was interviewed by his one-time teammate, and now former Seattle Hockey Advisor, Dave Tippett, who took the head coaching job in Edmonton.

Francis drafted a large portion of the AHL Calder Cup championship Charlotte Checkers squad and constructed the Carolina Hurricanes team that went to the NHL Eastern Conference Final. He was unceremoniously demoted and eventually relieved of his duties in Carolina which ended Francis’ long association with the franchise.

The first thing he will do is hire a small pro scouting staff to observe the NHL and AHL over the next two years to prepare for the expansion draft. Expect former Hartford Whalers teammate, Sean Burke, to be among that select group. Burke is presently a scout for Montreal and works for Team Canada where the duo designed the Canadian Spengler Cup championship team last December.

Read the Seattle Times piece HERE

The Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins continue their strong off-season reloading campaign. They signed Myles Powell, who had a strong rookie year in Rochester, to an AHL contract. Goalie, Cam Johnson, switches teams. He leaves Binghamton to Milwaukee on an AHL contract. Forward, Chris Connor departs Lehigh Valley to Binghamton.

Ryan Obuchowski (Yale University), who played for Kelly Cup finalist Toledo (ECHL), signs with SV Ritten/Renon (Italy-AlpsHL) for next season.

Six more AHL’ers sign Euro deals in their native countries. The latest pair is Mitch Callahan of Bakersfield who goes to Augsburger (Germany-DEL) and Chase Balisy leaves Belleville for EHC Straubing (Germany-DEL).

Adam Musil, the nephew of former Whaler and New York Ranger, Robert (Bobby) Holik, exits San Antonio to sign with HK Dukla Jihlava (Czech Republic-CEL). Juho Lammikko departs Springfield and signs back home with Karpat Oulu (Finland-FEL).

Colton Hargrove from Texas signs with HC Bolzano (Italy-EBEL) while Brady Brassart of Syracuse inks a deal with Stavanger (Norway-NEL).

59 AHL players have signed overseas. 25 of the 31 AHL teams have lost at least one player so far to a European signing.

Ex-Sound Tiger, John Persson, leaves Mora IK (Sweden-SHL) for SaiPa (Finland-FEL).

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have signed seven players for next season. The signings start with veteran forward and powerplay net-front pest, Steve Bernier, and defenseman Mike Cornell, in his third AHL season, and John Stevens Jr., who’s coming off an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, is the son of ex-Whaler, John Stevens Sr.

Nick Schillkey from the Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers, Nic Pierog (Canterbury Prep) from now-defunct Manchester Monarchs (ECHL), goalie Ryan MacKinnon, and Kyle MacLean from Oshawa (OHL), who just completed his junior career with 110 points in 227 games and is the son of former NHL’er John MacLean, are the rest of the signings.

Former UCONN Husky, Maxim Letunov, had his AHL contract with the San Jose Barracuda extended by one-year by the San Jose Sharks.

Ex-Sound Tiger, Cole Markison, goes from Texas to Charlotte. Joining him on the reigning Calder Cup champion is Hunter Shinkarul from Laval.

Tariq Hammond leaves Binghamton for Hershey. Michael Kapla, who split last season between Iowa and Binghamton, signs with the Toronto Marlies. Goalie Hunter Miska leaves the Tucson Roadrunners and signs with the Colorado Eagles for next year

Ex-Sound Tiger, Lukas Sutter, is hired as an amateur scout by Columbus.

Nine more college players sign North American pro deals. They include Luke Shiplo of Quinnipiac University and Michael Ederer of St Lawrence University from the ECACHL. Both of them sign with Wichita (ECHL). A player with another great hockey name, Tanner Jago, goes from Bentley University (AHA) to sign with the Texas Stars.

Vincent Desharnais of Providence College (HE) signs with Bakersfield. Eric Israel of Robert Morris University (AHA) goes to Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL) while Brett Boeing of UMASS-Amherst (HE), hooks up with Toledo (ECHL) and Dakota Joshua of Ohio State (Big 10) was traded by Toronto to St. Louis. The Blues signed him to a two-year, two-way deal and will likely start next year in San Antonio.

Austin Plevy of Northeastern (HE) and Scott Davidson of Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) both sign with Adirondack (ECHL).

Three have signed In Europe. Dylan Malmquist of Notre Dame (Big 10) signs with Nottingham (England-EIHL). Jeremiah Luedtke goes from University Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) to Krefelder EV 1981 (Germany Division-3), and Jalen Schulz of University Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC) to EV Fussen (Germany Division-3).

185 Division I players have signed North American pro deals. 49 go to Europe while 233 players overall have signed deals.

Paul Selleck of Cowichan Valley (BCHL) commits to Trinity College (NESCAC).

Jared DeMichiel (Harwinton) gets a promotion to associate head coach with UMASS-Amherst (HE).

Another school takes the first steps toward becoming an NCAA Division I varsity hockey team from a club program in Penn after 42 years of being a club program. Read it HERE.

Luke Curadi (Cheshire/ND-WH/Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack) was named the USHL Director of Player Development. He had been the Eastern USA Scout for the USHL Green Bay Gamblers the last three years.

IN MEMORIAM

The Wolf Pack family lost another of its original pieces and a man who served pro hockey in Hartford for 45 years as the Chief of Off-Ice Officials, Robert (Bob) Henry Guarente, 77, lost a second battle with throat cancer.

Only Frank Camera of Bridgeport (who started in New Haven) has served longer in an off-ice role in Connecticut minor-league hockey history. Guarente started in 1975 with the New England Whalers for the first four years, then all 21 years of the Hartford Whalers and all 22 seasons with the Wolf Pack before stepped aside in February because he could no longer speak.

Sadly, he is the third off-ice official to pass in the past 18 months and fourth in the 22-year history of the franchise.

He would always greet me in a poor impression of an Irish accent, “What’s up with the leprechaun today?”

After the pre-game meal and before we left one of us, he had a tell an off-color joke,

One of his favorite oft-repeated jokes was this one;

Mary and Tom O’ Brien were walking in the town center and run into Father O’Malley.

Father O’Malley chats with them and inquires why they have no children.

Mrs. O’Brien replied, “We’ve tried and tried Father with no success.”

Father O’Malley says, “I’m going to the Vatican next week and I will light a candle for you.”

Five years go by and he runs into Mrs. O’Brien and she has four kids in tow and she is pregnant with number five.

Father O’Malley with a big smile says, “Oh, I’m so happy for you. Your prayers were answered, but where is Tom?”

Mrs. O’Brien replied, “He’s at the Vatican Father trying to blow out that candle you lit!”

It would always bring a smile to his face and he would let loose with his trademark cackle laugh.

There should be a new AHL Award created with his name. It should be started for the best off-ice crew in the AHL every year.

He will be greatly missed at the XL Center come September, a dedicated loyal husband, friend, soldier and Off-Ice Director. RIP you have earned your wings.