CANTLON’S CORNER: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON – VOLUME 18 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT –  Next week the New York Rangers will get their first look at their highly touted group of prospects in in-game action when they take the ice at the 2019 Traverse City prospects tournament.

The Rangers are making their 13th consecutive appearance in the eight-team tournament, that’s set to begin on Friday, September 6th in Traverse City, Michigan. The Rangers have, quite possibly, their best prospects team they’ve ever assembled.

New York’s roster for the tournament features 24 prospects (14 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders). Included on the team’s roster is Kaapo Kakko, the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and Vitali Kravtsov, the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In addition, the team features prospects goaltender Igor Shesterkin, defenseman Adam Fox, who was acquired in a trade with Carolina, and defenseman Yegor Rykov, who will represent the Rangers at the Traverse City Tournament for the first time.

Ten prospects on the Rangers’ roster for the 2019 Traverse City Tournament were selected by the team in the NHL Entry Draft, including four of their selections from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft: Kakko, Matthew Robertson, Karl Henriksson, and Hunter Skinner. Nico Gross and Joey Keane were both selected by the Rangers in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and will represent the Blueshirts for the second consecutive year.

The Rangers have offered seven free-agent invites to attend and try to impress the new Hartford Wolf Pack coaching staff that has Kris Knoblauch at the helm with Gord Murphy and David Cunniff assisting. They will do the coaching of the team.

The Rangers are one of four teams that comprise the Ted Lindsay Division. They will join the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild. The Rangers begin the tournament with a contest against Columbus on Friday, September 6 at 3:30 p.m. New York will face Dallas on Saturday, September 7, at 7:00 p.m. and then Minnesota on Monday, September 9 at 2:30 p.m. Following their three round-robin games, the Rangers will have a placement game against a team from the Gordie Howe Division on Tuesday, September 10.

Over the 12 years that the Rangers have participated in the Traverse City Tournament, they have reached the Championship Game twice and won the Tournament in 2007. Current Rangers Marc Staal, Jesper Fast, Brady Skjei, Pavel Buchnevich, Alexandar Georgiev, Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, and Brett Howden have all represented the team at the tournament.

In every year since the team began participating in the Traverse City Tournament in 2006, at least one Rangers prospect who played went on to join the parent club during the same NHL season. Five players who represented the Rangers in the 2018 Traverse City Tournament also played in a Rangers game during the 2018-19 season.

*The Traverse City Tournament did not take place in 2012

2019 Traverse City Tournament – Rangers Schedule

ARENA NEWS

The soon-to-be-developed and currently named, “Arena at Belmont,” the future home for the New York Islanders, that will have its formal groundbreaking ceremony in September. There is also another arena project in the works on Long Island. The Ronkonkoma Vision Project in Ronkonkoma (Suffolk County) is taking shape. That arena could have a direct impact on Connecticut’s minor league hockey future.

The Wolf Pack reside at the XL Center, which is desperately in need of a refit, is currently stalled or more realistically classified, in a state of limbo.  Meanwhile, downstate in Bridgeport, the original 20-year lease at the Webster Bank Arena negotiated by the late Roy Boe with the former management company, Centerplate, is set to expire in two years for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The new arena proposed for Ronkonkoma has been scaled down to a 7,500 seat hockey arena from the original proposal of 17,500 when it was presented as a possible site for the Islanders on a 40-acre plot of land. The proposal also calls for a 6,000 seat outdoor soccer and lacrosse stadium alongside that building as part of a $1 billion dollar development project.

This very well could be a new home for the Sound Tigers, the Islanders AHL farm team. Moving the Sound Tigers to the Nassau Coliseum has been discussed after Forest City Ratner won a bid initially in 2013 to renovate the building. A move such as that could leave Bridgeport wide open for the Rangers to relocate their Hartford franchise to a building more suited to their needs especially with no new building or a renovated XL Center on the horizon. Bridgeport’s Webster Bank Arena is now operated by OVG (Oak View Group) whose primary financier is…wait for it… MSG. OVG is also involved in two other NHL arenas, Seattle, and the aforementioned Belmont Park project.

The only way the Islanders can leave Bridgeport before the lease expires in two years is for the Rangers (or another hockey entity) to assume the Webster Bank Arena’s lease as-is for the next two years.

The Wolf Pack enter the second year of their five-year lease renewal being paid $1.6 million for 2019-20 season. After the season ends, the Rangers have three one-year options, but must tell the CRDA contractually by December 31st whether they will renew or not.

The AHL requires that the league be notified no later than their All-Star Game’s BOG meeting if there are any changes to a franchise’s operating status.

NHL vet of 15 years, Pat LaFontaine, who resides in Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island, and who is also a former Islander great and a former Ranger, is actively involved with the Ronkonkoma developer, Jones, Lang, and LaSalle, a Chicago based company.

LaFontaine is charged with getting tenants for the proposed arena, including a minor league hockey team, a women’s team, and potentially a college team, and developing a youth hockey program, as the tenants to be at a proposed arena.

The initial time period of eight months was just extended an extra three months to have a fully viable proposal with letters of commitment from potential tenants to be included as the developer seeks to be granted master developer status. Then they’ll develop a contract to be presented to the Suffolk County legislature potentially within six months to be approved to begin the proposed project.

The project will be near the MacArthur Airport and the nearby LIRR Ronkonkoma station with a sizable population within a 25-mile radius. Recalling a player(s) to just take the LIRR is a mighty serious financial inducement under the present and likely future NHL CBA.

Read two pieces from New York Newsday that fills in all the blanks. HERE and HERE

MORE LEAGUE NEWS

Very late Friday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement stating the NHL would not seek to re-open the CBA and allow the CBA to proceed to it’s originally negotiated end after the 20211-22 season.

No word yet from NHPLA Director Donald Fehr if the NHLPA will do the same.

According to Pat Williams, of EP Rinkside, the AHL CBA has expired, but a new one is expected to be ready for the opening of the 2019-20 season.

PLAYER NEWS

Cantlon’s Corner exclusively reports that forward Shawn O’Donnell will not be returning to Hartford. He has signed a one-year deal with the Allen Americans (ECHL). Odie, as he is known by his teammates, was one of the hardest-working players on the roster, as well as a strong locker room presence. He just did not produce enough points. Here’s hoping that he has a solid season in Allen and gets to hoist a Kelly Cup title in 2020.

The Wolf Pack announced they have signed center Shawn McBride to an AHL contract.

McBride played five games after completing his collegiate career just up I-91 in Springfield with American International College (AIC), who play in the AHA conference at the Mass Mutual Center.

McBride, a 6-2, 200-pound rookie, registered just one assist in the five games.  As a senior at AIC, the 24-year-old Victoria, B.C. native captained AIC to their first-ever AHA championship and earned their first NCAA Tournament berth. The program, in their first game, created college hockey history by knocking off the #1 overall seed in the nation, St. Cloud St. 2-1, in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history.

McBride scored four goals and added 19 assists (23 points), and served ten minutes in penalties, in 41 games.  His 19 assists were third-most on the Yellow Jacket team.

In a 151-game career over four seasons with AIC, McBride registered 19 goals, 42 assists (61 points), with 32 penalty minutes.

PACK PLAYER NEWS

Ex-Pack, Mike Paliotta, goes from the AHL’s Stockton Heat to the Binghamton Devils.

Ex-Pack, Drew Melanson, who played 15 games over two years and spent last year in Maine with the team’s ECHL affiliate Mariners, has signed with the Reading Royals (ECHL).

Ex-Pack, Dan DeSalvo, signs with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) after playing for the Cleveland Monsters, the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) and the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) last season.

Ex-Pack, Oscar Lindberg, who split last season with the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Ottawa Senators signs with EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA).

Ex-Pack, and former Sacred Heart University Pioneer (AHA), Evan Jasper leaves Frederikshavn IK (Denmark-DHL) to sign with KRS-Beijing (China-VHL).

SOUND TIGERS PLAYER NEWS

The Sound Tigers signed AHL veteran Colin McDonald (Wethersfield) for a second tour of duty with Bridgeport. Joining him will be JJ Dudek who will be reunited with BC teammate Oliver Wahlstrom.

Ex-Sound Tiger, Ben Holmstrom, their captain for the last four years, signs with the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL).

After 732 AHL games, ex-Sound Tiger, Bracken Kearns, announced his retirement after playing with EHC Linz (Austria-EBEL) last year.

After a long career with EC Salzburg (Austria-EBEL), another ex-Sound Tiger and AHL’er, Ryan Duncan, also announced his retirement.

UCONN PLAYER NEWS

Former UCONN Husky, Spencer Naas, signs a one-year deal with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL). He split last season with Idaho and the Texas Stars.

Another ex-UCONN player, Jordan Sims, from their last AHA team signs with the Wichita Thunder (ECHL) after playing with three teams last year. He saw time with the Cincinnati Cyclones, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and the Ft. Wayne Komets, all in the ECHL. His father is former Hartford Whaler and New Haven Nighthawk, Al Sims.

OTHER CONNECTICUT CONNECTION PLAYER NEWS

Charles Curti, out of Yale University (ECACHL), signs with the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL).

AHL’ers to Europe grew when Philip Samuelsson, the eldest son of ex-Whaler, Ranger, and Wolf Pack/Avon Old Farm assistant coach, Ulf Samuelsson, left the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for HK Hradec Králové (Czech Republic-CEL) making 26 of 31 AHL teams that have lost at least one player to have signed in Europe or Asia for the upcoming season. 68 have left in total.

Goaltender, Mike McKenna, after last season playing for five teams, three in the NHL (Ottawa, Vancouver, and Philadelphia) and two in the AHL (Belleville and Lehigh Valley), after having had a strong minor league career, announced his retirement. McKenna is the owner of a rare Springfield hat trick. He played junior hockey for the Springfield (MO) Jr. Blues (NAHL), and with two AHL teams in the same city but with different team names – the Springfield Falcons, and Springfield Thunderbirds.

IN OTHER NEWS

Tyrone Bronte will become the first Australian to play for an NCAA Division I school. The forward who played for the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Knights (NAHL) commits to Bemidji State (WCHA). Goalie Braden Holt has signed with Everett (WHL) and becomes the first Montana-born player to sign in either the junior or collegiate level.

Three more NCAA pro signings as Bryan Lemos of Providence College (HE) signs with the Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL). Ryan Blair, of UMASS-Lowell (HE), signs with South Carolina (ECHL) and Connor Yau, of Dartmouth College (ECACHL), signs with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). Those three now make it 205 Division I players, and 275 college players overall, to sign pro deals in North America and Europe.

Then two more NCAA collegiate transfers, one Division I and one to Division III.

Gavin Gould 23, goes from Michigan Tech (WCHA) to Bowling Green (WCHA).

Carson Vance of Western Michigan (Big 10) heads to Division III SUNY-Oswego (SUNYAC).

The Division III UCHC conference announced the newest men’s and women’s programs to be admitted to the conference in 2021-22 will be Arcadia (PA) University. It will be the fifth Pennsylvania team in the conference. The others are King’s College (Wilkes Barre/Scranton), Lebanon Valley (Annville), Neumann College (Aston) and Wilks University (Wilkes Barre/Scranton).

Two more NCAA transfers to Canadian college hockey and both are going to the University of Ottawa Gees-Gees (OUAA) and both are sophomores. Connor-Brown Maloski from Bemidji State (WCHA) and Martin Frechette from the University of Vermont (HE).

Ilya Usov (Salisbury Prep) heads to Canadian major junior hockey and signs with the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL).

Tye McSorley, the nephew of ex-Ranger and all-time NHL great tough guy, Marty McSorley, and older brother, ex-Nighthawk, Chris McSorely, signs with the Oshawa Generals (OHL) for next year.

Best wishes go out to Stelio Matheos of the Charlotte Checkers. Two days after being on the Calder Cup winner, Matheos found he had testicular cancer. He has had one testicle surgically removed and is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. He will miss the Hurricanes 2019 training camp. No timetable for a return was announced.

Matyas Hamrlik played for the Czech U-20 national team and is eligible for the WJC team. The tournament will be played in the Czech Republic starting December 26th. He will be playing in the regular season for HC Zlin (Czech Republic–CEL) and for HC Prerov (Czech Division-2). He is the nephew of one-time Ranger, Roman Hamrlik, who was a former #1 overall pick in 1992 NHL Draft by Tampa Bay. He played the last 12 games of his 1,395 game NHL career with the Rangers and had a strong four-season run in Montreal.

The younger Hamrlik’s father, Martin Hamrlik, was a d-man who played in the old IHL for 265 games with Peoria, Long Beach, and Orlando. He played nine AHL games with the Springfield Indians. He returned to the Czech Republic to play for the same team his son is going to play for HC Zlin in his hometown.

His father is also the assistant coach with HC Zlin.

Logan Stephenson, the son of ex-Whaler, Bob Stephenson, after having played for five years with Tohoku (Japan-ALIH) signs with ASC Corona Brasov (Romania-ELH).

After having played 544 NHL games, Ben Lovejoy, who played prep school hockey at Deerfield Academy on the CT/MA border, announced his retirement, He split last season with Dallas and New Jersey and won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2016.

This is the last of our offseason columns charting all things Wolf Pack and Connecticut hockey. Reports will resume when the Wolf Pack open training camp in three weeks in late September. Enjoy your Labor Day holiday weekend and we’ll see you rinkside shortly.