BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – All the preparations have been completed and the 23rd Hartford Wolf Pack season is ready to go against a revamped, but defending AHL Calder Cup champs Charlotte Checkers.
“Everybody is eager to play that first game. There is so much that is done in getting ready the planning, the practices, The players with conditioning, drills, pre-season games and its all about the playing the games and now we get a chance to play,” Kris Knoblauch, the Wolf Pack’s new head coach said on the eve of the weekend of the team’s first two games.
The team identity comes with Knoblauch’s past coaching assignments albeit in major junior.
“We’re not gonna be a team that just sits back. We’re going to be on the attack. Possess the puck as much as possible and make solid percentage plays with the puck. Goals are scored on quick transitions in either the offensive zone on turnovers because of forechecking, or good passing starting in the defensive zone.
You can stickhandle and skate with the puck, but there are other avenues to move the puck, be patient with the puck. We have the skills, just don’t force plays which can lead to turnovers,” said Knoblauch whose drills on Friday focused on that movement of the puck to be able to win one on one battles.
The Wolf Pack will have a plethora of forwards to start the 2019-20 season with an increased level offensive power not seen here five years whereas they had about line and a half last season they have three solid scoring lines. Divvying up ice time is one of the toughest tasks he has had to do in preparation.
“Everything is different when you’re starting with a new organization. I have been used to in the past you have two or three top players, that’s it. They’re the best and then there is a drop off from there. That isn’t the case for us to start the year. We have a guy like Steven Fogarty who was doing 20-plus minutes last year. Now we have Boo (Nieves), Vinni (Lettieri), Filip (Chytil) and Vitali (Kravtsov) who could easily pull down 20 minutes, but we only play a 60-minute game! It’s going to be a big adjustment for everybody, to do it’s one of the biggest things you have to do to prepare right now,” remarked Knoblauch.
Special teams Knoblauch has an array of choices as he does on the PK as well.
“We have almost 10 penalty killers within the lineup when you usually might have four and the powerplay you usually two units, we could make four out of the skill level we have. It’s a nice problem to have.”
One of the many bright new faces is goalie Igor Shesterkin who comes in with a very extensive resume and experience for a rookie and will get the nod in net for the much-heralded Russian rookie.
“He very poised in net, very quick and he does have more experience than the average rookie. He has a very high compete level.”
The number two guy, Adam Huska (UCONN), has clearly made his presence felt between the 4×6 net space.
“Adam, right from Traverse City, really got the organization’s attention and right through Rangers camp and our camp here. He’s been solid with play and made everybody notice him. He is a big, athletic goalie who works very hard, but different than Igor and he will be somebody to watch.”
Goalie Tom McCollum and AHL vet was sent to Maine simply to receive playing time and that is critical in the operational machinery of goaltending this season.
“In the summer we weren’t really sure how our goaltending as going to look. It important to have goaltending depth as in any position, but injuries and call-ups are just a phone call away, whether it’s the Rangers or here in Hartford. We didn’t want to callup somebody wee guessing on, we wanted a picture of that guy and it’s him right now.”
Playing in front of him will be defense with the mixture of young players and veterans led by second-year pro, Ryan Lindgren, who got the A we thought he might get and then a revived Brandon Crawley, newcomer Joey Keane
“Ryan certainly had a very strong camp and we have a really strong group of veterans and younger players I think the right mixture with Jeff and Mason.”
It’s time lace them up, put the tape on the sticks, put the straps on tight and give rise to the new team slogan “The Wolf Pack, A New Tradition” for opening night.
NOTES:
With Boo Nieves clearing waivers, the Wolf Pack sent Lewis Zerter-Gossgae (Kent Prep) to Maine. Much like Ryan Dmowski, and Tom McCollum, they deserve to be in Hartford, but contracts and numbers are not in their favor at this time.
Defenseman Sean Day is 100% medically cleared from his offseason hip surgery and will be in the lineup tonight.
Because of the roster size, two forwards and two defensemen will be sitting. “It’s one of the hardest things to do is to tell someone today they won’t play because everyone has played well in camp (because of numbers) not poor play or practice, which would be easier. That’s not a fun part of the job,” said Knoblauch.
Former Wolf Pack, Adam Tambellini, was the last cut from Stockton and is now an unrestricted free agent.
Ex-Pack goalie, Brandon Halverson, signs with Norfolk (ECHL). Chris Nell signs an ECHL deal with Greenville. Forward John Albert was among the last cuts with Manitoba and signs with the Jacksonville Icemen. Cole Cassels, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler Andrew Cassels, signs with the Utah Grizzlies.
New York Rangers Director of Player Development, Jed Ortmeyer, participated in practice. Any chance of a PTO deal? “If I lose 20 pounds, Dru (GM Chris Drury) and I, we’re gonna talk.” quipped Ortmeyer.
Nice team bonding by the end of practice after Chytil scored a goal, all the players for his combo came over patting him on the head and then Nieves came over to bump them on the “excessive celebration,” Huska came over and Chytil backed up and playfully challenged him as he dangled his gloves, in the motion to drop the mitts.
Ohhh, if both of the Czech and Slovak natives actually started chucking them.
Nothing will ever match Dale Purinton’s destruction of former minor league heavyweight Marty Melnychuk one camp and or the slugfest with Martin Grenier that led then Hartford GM Don Maloney at the time to scream at them to stop.
