CANTLON’S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES OFF SEASON VOLUME 18 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – News in the hockey world is coming in expedited fashion as the NHL has returned to the ice in their respective training camps as they get ready for the upcoming 24-team tournament to determine a 2019-2020 Stanley Cup Champions. As many as 19 wins is what it will take for teams to get there. The tournament starts soon. Expect more and more news coming as the NHL ramps up again.

RANGERS TRAINING CAMP 

As expected, an interim tag has been added to Gord Murphy’s name as the Hartford Wolf Pack Assistant Coach was elevated to the same position for the New York Rangers as they begin to train for their first-round, best-of-five playoff series-opener against the Carolina Hurricanes at High Noon on August 1st in Toronto.

The Rangers recalled ten players from the Wolf Pack as part of the team’s expanded post-season roster of 30.

The ten players making their respective ways to the MSG Training Center include forwards, Steven Fogarty, Vinni Lettieri, Tim Gettinger, Vitali Kravtsov, and surprisingly Danny O’Regan. The defensemen are Libor Hajek, Darren Raddysh, and two big surprises in Brandon Crawley, who enters the last year of his Entry-Level Contract (ELC), and K’Andre Miller, who signed his three year ELC just days before games were stopped but who is ineligible to play because his contract starts in the 2020-21 season.

Former UCONN goalie, Adam Huska, who had been playing in the ECHL with the Maine Mariners, was added to the mix of four goalies the Rangers already have.

One of the AHL call-up forwards is likely to play, but that will depend upon the expected NHL expected suspension of Brendan Lemieux. The Rangers forward put a high head-shot in the final game in Colorado against the Avalanche before the season was suspended. The suspension length hasn’t been announced yet.

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Former Quinnipiac University Bobcat and last year’s AHL leading scorer, Sam Anas, of the Iowa Wild (AHL) for the last three years and an impending RFA, was recalled along with nine others by the Minnesota Wild. Like the rest of the AHL callups, he’ll have a chance to sell himself in the post-season for a potential new team for 2020-21.

Other Connecticut connections who’ve been recalled include Ken Agostino (Yale) Toronto, Chase Priskie (Quinnipiac) Florida, Alex Lyon (Yale) Philadelphia, Chad Krys (Ridgefield) Chicago, Alan Quine (ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger) Calgary, Jon Gillies (Salisbury Prep) Calgary, Brogan Rafferty (Quinnipiac) Vancouver, and Paul Carey (Salisbury Prep) and Connor Clifton (Quinnipiac) Boston.

The Sound Tigers had six players recalled to the Islanders. They are Jakub Sharek, Christopher Gibson, Carter Hutton, Sebastian Aho, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Kieffer Bellows.

The Islanders also announced the signing of highly-touted goaltending prospect, Ilya Sorokin, who last played for CSKA Moscow (Russia-KHL) and who will likely see a lot of the 2020-21 season in Bridgeport developing his game for the NHL.

The Islanders just signed him just to an initial deal for the remainder of the 2019-20 season which can just be burned off, however, he is still ineligible for the playoffs. He also signed a one-year, one-way $2M deal for 2020-21.

He and the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin, were considered the two best Russian goalie prospects the last few years. Sorokin and Shesterkin are friends.

A few AHL free agents have signed

Ex-Pack defenseman, Sean Day, has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning for $700K in the NHL and $95K in the AHL. He will likely start the year in Syracuse with the Crunch.

Jimmy Oligny has been re-signed by the Manitoba Moose. Goalie, Logan Thompson, becomes the first signee for the Henderson Silver Knights with a two-year ELC deal. He was with the Hershey Bears but played all of last year with South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL).

Mark Freidman (Lehigh Valley) signs an extension, a two-year, one-way deal with the Philadelphia Flyers at $700K first year/$750K second year.

The Laval Rocket signs Nathanael Halbert to a one-year, AHL deal. He played four years at McGill University (OUAA) in Montreal and played for Laval head coach Joel Bouchard in Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) for his entire four-year QMJHL career.

The Binghamton Devils re-sign Ryan Schmeltzer to a one-year AHL deal. Sean Malone does likewise with the Milwaukee Admirals moving over from the Rochester Americans.

Five other NHL’ers have joined Travis Harmonic in opting out in the NHL postseason. They include ex-Pack, Steven Kampfer (Boston), Mike Green (Edmonton), Roman Polak (Dallas), Karl Alzner (Montreal), and Sven Baertschi (Vancouver).

Ex-Sound Tiger, Aaron Ness, was one of nine recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners by the Arizona Coyotes.

Two AHL players were loaned to Russian-based teams for the 2020-21 season. Dmitri Samorukov was loaned from the Bakersfield Condors to CSKA Moscow (Russia-KHL) while Binghampton’s Yegor Sharangovich hooked up with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus-KHL). He will be seeing Dmitri Susko (Lehigh Valley Phantoms) who’ll be in the Minsk locker room.

Andy Miele was put on unconditional waivers by Arizona to terminate the final year of his contract. He formally signed a deal with the Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL). He played all of last season in Tucson.

Pontus Ahberg of the Toronto Marlies had his deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL) officially announced as did Bakersfield’s Markus Grandlund with Salavat Yulyaev (Russia-KHL) making 39 AHL’ers from last season heading off to Europe. 20 of 31 teams have lost at least one player.

Ex-CT Whale, Kelsey Tessier, moves from Vasteras IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) to EC Bad Nauheim (Germany DEL-2).

One of his former CT Whale teammates announced his retirement. Scott Pitt played just one game for the CT Whale in 2012-13 after doing everything in training camp as an invitee to make the team. He played opening night against Bridgeport and was then sent to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL), then the Wolf Pack farm team. He was reassigned to the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL) and the Peoria Rivermen (ECHL) that season. He never saw Hartford again. He ends a six-year run in Glasgow (Scotland-EIHL) after eight years in Europe playing in Germany, Australia, Slovakia, and England over that time.

Ex-Pack, Alex Krushelnyski, has also retired after a six-year minor pro career. He played 118 AHL games and just three in Hartford. He is, however, in the AHL Calder Cup playoff record books with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He was the player who scored the game-winning goal to end the longest playoff game in the AHL’s 84-year-history scoring the goal at 6:48 of the 5th overtime in a 2-1 win over the Charlotte  Checkers, ending the marathon 146-minute playoff game. The game lasted six hours and six minutes.

The fourth-longest AHL playoff overtime game was played on April 10, 1982, at the New Haven Coliseum. The New Haven Nighthawks’ Warren Holmes scored the game-winner in a 3-2 win over the Rochester Americans who were coached by Mike Keenan at 14:08 of the fourth overtime on Easter Sunday. It was then the longest game in league history until 2003. Both teams have since relocated. Hamilton and Houston had their four-overtime affair.

Michael Ryder beat ex-Pack goalie, Johan Holmquist, for the game-winner. It ended Game 2 of the Calder Cup finals. The lone Houston goal was scored by former Whaler, Hnat Dominchelli.

Krushelnyski played his last season with the Indy Fuel (ECHL) where he tallied 211 points in 217 career ECHL games. He is the son of former NHL’er, Mike Krushelnyski.

Ex-Pack, Nigel Dawes, signs a deal with AK Bars Kazan (Russia-KHL).

The first college player has moved following the cancelation of the fall sports calendar by the ECACHL. Harvard Crimson winger and sophomore, Jack Rathbone, who was a fourth-round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2017.

Jack Dugan of Providence College (HE) is forgoing his final two years of college eligibility after signing a contract with the Las Vegas Knights (NHL) announced.

Wyatt Kalynuk, of the University of Wisconsin Badgers (Big 10) also departs two-years early. He signs a two-year ELC deal announced by the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Boston College Eagles (HE) see Zach Walker leave after four years at Chestnut Hill. The Boise, Idaho-native stays home to sign a deal with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL).

Alex Berardinelli of Colorado College (NCHC) and Austin Albrecht of American International College-AIC (AHA) both sign deals with the Wichita Thunder (ECHL).

Chris McKay of R.I.T (AHA) signs with the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) while Matt Hoover, of Canisius College (AHA), formally signs with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL).

Alaska-native, Ken Hausinger, of UMASS-Lowell (HE), signs with the Worcester Railers (ECHL), as did his younger brother, Cam, who just finished his junior career with Red Deer (WHL).

Jeremy Davidson, a freshman at UMASS-Amherst (HE) becomes just the third player to return to the juniors ranks, first in the United States and will skate with the Fargo Force (USHL) next season making 111 Division-I players to have signed pro deals in North America. 197 college players have signed pro deals in North America and Europe and 27 underclassmen have left school early.

By conference: Hockey East is tops at 26, NCHC 22, Big 10 has 20, ECACHL has 16, the WCHA 15 and AHA has 12 plus Arizona State, a Division-I independent has two.

Sutter Muzzatti, the son of former Whaler and Wolf Pack, Jason Muzzatti, is a 6’5 winger. He signs a tender contract with the Austin (MN) Bruins (NAHL) for next season.

The BCHL Junior A league announces a December 1st start date. The AJHL announces a modified 58-game schedule last month, but no start date.

Former Ranger, Sandy McCarthy, is the new head coach for the Campbellton (NB) Tigers of the Junior A Maritime Junior Hockey League.

Defenseman Adrian Gajor (Plainville, Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack) switches teams. He goes from Cracow (Poland-PZIHL) to Podhale Nowy Targ (Poland-PZIHL).

CT COLLEGE HOCKEY

Paul Kirtland (Vernon/Sacred Heart University) was named as the new assistant coach at Yale University (ECACHL) leaving the Pioneers (AHA). Kirtland spent the last two years at SHU where he helped the Pioneers produce two of the best seasons in the program’s history while earning their first listing in the national polls.

The 2019-20 squad reached third in offense and second in shorthanded goals in the nation before finishing second in the Atlantic Hockey Association conference standings. The year before, they had reached their highest (fourth) conference finish in eight years.

“We are excited to add Paul Kirtland to our coaching staff. He has been extremely successful wherever he has coached and is one of the brightest young minds in college hockey,” said Keith Allain, Yale’s ‘80 head coach. “Paul will spend lots of time developing our defensemen and working on the penalty kill, but his contributions won’t stop there. He is an excellent skills coach and has experience working in all facets of the game. Each one of our players will benefit from his presence on our staff.  His hiring represents our deep commitment to the development of our people as we relentlessly pursue championships.”

Kirtland was an Assistant Coach with Trinity College (Hartford) Bantams, in Division-III  (NESCAC) for two seasons.

The UCONN Huskies incoming talent (listed Below) has one player not listed. He remains outstanding pending his admission being granted.

Nick Capone                 Fr.     F       6-2/205    East Haven, Conn. / Tri-City (USHL)

Gavin Puskar                 Fr.     F       6-2/185    Farmington, Conn. / Hotchkiss School (Prep)

Hudson Schandor         Fr.     F       5-9/165    North Vancouver, British Columbia / Surrey (BCHL)

Artem Shlaine               Fr.     F       6-1/175    Moscow, Russia / Shattuck St. Mary’s (Prep)

John Spetz                    Fr.     D       5-10/190  Oak Ridge, N.J. / Chicago (USHL)

Artem Shlaine, who has dual US/Russian citizenship comes out of the highly-respected Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres program in Faribault, MN. He was originally a BU commit as of last May. He was scheduled to go to Boston for the 2021-22 season with the Terriers, but has selected the Huskies and will be on campus in the fall. He also had offers from Boston College and Ohio State.

Shlaine is a 6’1, 175-lb, left-handed shooting center. He resides in Florida after his family moved to the US from Moscow. He scored 60 points in 44 games last season and in 46 games this past season had 26 goals, 52 assists (78 points).

The prior season Shlaine posted 34 goals and 56 assists (90 points) in 56 games for SSM while wearing the number 13 jersey.

In six games with Muskegon (USHL) this year, he had two goals and three points.

In the spring, Shlaine was drafted in the third round (56th overall) in the OHL Priority Draft by the Owen Sound Attack.

Originally, he was a sixth-round (93rd overall) draft pick in 2018  USHL Draft by Sioux Falls. He suited up for the Stampede in two playoff games last season

In the Central Scouting Bureau (CSB) final list, he joins three other Huskies who are eligible to be drafted. Shlaine was in the 94th spot, along with a pair of sophomore defenseman, Yan Kuznetsov, who was rated the highest of the four at 36th. Jacob Flynn was 112th and fellow incoming freshmen East Haven’s Nick Capone is at 126th.

The NHL Virtual Entry Draft is slated for October 9-10.

IN MEMORIAM

Sadly, one of the brightest lights in CT hockey has passed away.

Bob Serenson, 54, of West Haven, passed away on Wednesday. He could always be found rinkside with a big smile and ready to get on the ice. He was an important part of New Haven County hockey since the early 1980s, first as a player, later as a coach, and instructor.

He is a member of Quinnipiac University Sports Hall-Of-Fame Class of 1993.

Then known as the Quinnipiac College Braves (nee Quinnipiac University Bobcats), then in Division II, he had a spectacular four-year playing career. In his junior season (1986 – 1987) he had 876 saves and he holds three-of-the-top-five saves records prior to the program moving first into Division II independent, and then spent two years in Division-I in the old MAAC conference before heading to the ECACHL.

Serenson, a rare left-handed goalie, was fourth in save percentage (.910), and seventh in save percentage in his senior year. He had a .904 mark in the ECAC South Division of the conference.

In 1988, his senior year, he was voted ECAC Conference MVP. He was voted Team MVP by his teammates twice and was a team tri-captain in his senior season and helped Quinnipiac College advance to the ECAC North/South Final in 1987 against Trinity College.

He played on the 1984 Division-I state championship as the #13th ranked West Haven Blue Devils team edged the #3 ranked Darien Blue Wave, 4-3. He was voted to the All-District League team and selected as an All-State player.

“We lost a true Westie,” remarked West Haven AD and former hockey coach, Joe Morrell Jr. He was passionate about everything he did and teaching kids. He was a father, brother, a teacher, a player, and a friend. We’ve lost too many good ones lately,”

He, along with Hamden’s Billy Verneris, were two CT HS coaches and Quinnipiac College grads who were both interviewed for the Quinnipiac job to replace former New Haven Blades goalie, the late Jim Armstrong in 1994.

Both men were totally unaware the program was going Division-I and Rand Pecknold had the job and still does to this day.