CANTLON’S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES VOLUME 23 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Player Movement, industry news and a tragic loss made the headlines for the past week in professional hockey.

Plenty of news surrounding the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Chris McCarthy, who played for the Pack and last was rostered with the Hershey Bears last season has retired from hockey.

Another former Pack player, Darin Olver, who played just six games with Hartford, and his only American Hockey League (AHL) time in 2006-07, moves on from ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL) to Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany-DEL). He has played his whole pro career in Germany.

Two weeks ago, Spectra, the building manager of the XL Center, changed the designation for 21 employees from “furlough” to “permanent laid-off.” Among those people named was the only voice the Hartford Wolf Pack have ever known, Bob Crawford.

Crawford has built a 30 year career of AHL experience behind the mike. In addition to being with the Pack from its inception in 1997, Crawford has also had gigs in both Adirondack and Providence. In Hartford, he was also the Public Relations Director.

The team dropped its radio deal last year and has been broadcasting solely on the internet. For Crawford’s sake, and the rest of the staff, hopefully this lay-off becomes temporary until next season is solidified and as a schedule and sponsorship return to the Wolf Pack.

AHL NEWS

Hershey signs Ed Wittchow to a one-year, AHL deal and added goalie, Zach Furcale, who at one-time was a “can’t-miss” prospect, to a one-year, two-way deal.

The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a contract with John Wroblewski as the head coach for the Ontario Reign (AHL).

Wroblewski, 39, joins the Reign following four seasons with US Hockey National Team Development Program, (USNTDP) where he coached the U-17’s (2017-18 and 2019-20) and the U-18’s (2016-17 and 2018-19). Competing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) as well as against collegiate and international opponents.

Wroblewski guided the U-17 club to the USHL conference finals in 2018 and finished among the top three in all 12 international tournaments they entered. His teams earned gold at the IIHF U-18 World Championship in 2017, and bronze at the 2019 event.

When Wroblewski served as the Head Coach of the USHL Youngstown Phantoms in 2015-16. He was an Assistant Coach for the AHL Rochester Americans from 2013-15. Prior, he spent two seasons behind the bench as Head Coach of the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL) who have since relocated to Atlanta. Wroblewski was the co-recipient of the league’s Coach of the Year award in 2011-12. He was an assistant with the Wheeling Nailers in 2010-11.

Wroblewski was a full-time assistant coach with the USNTDP from 2008 to 2010. He was also a member of the program as a player from 1997-99, and played four seasons at the University of Notre Dame (Big 10) and four seasons professionally in the ECHL.

Wroblewski replaces Mike Stothers, who had coached the Kings’ AHL affiliates in Manchester and Ontario since 2014.

The Buffalo Sabres announced they have appointed Seth Appert as the new head coach of the Rochester Americans.

Appert has spent the last three years as a head coach within the USNTDP, two with the Under-18 and one with the Under-17 team.

In 2017-18, Appert guided the U-18 team to a gold medal at the Five Nations Tournament and finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference of the United States Hockey League. He also coached the U.S. entry to a silver medal at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship.

Appert, 46, was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping them to a gold medal, and also served as an assistant at the 2017 World Championship with the men’s national team. Appert was also head coach for the U-18 select team that competed in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2008 and 2011.

Prior to joining USA Hockey, Appert spent 11 seasons as head coach of the men’s program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), guiding the team to an appearance in the 2011 NCAA tournament. He was also an assistant coach at the University of Denver, helping the Pioneers to two national championships.

Appert played collegiately at Ferris State University, where he was a four-year letter winner as a goaltender.

Appert replaces Chris Taylor, who was the Amerks’ head coach from 2017-20.

NASSAU COLISEUM NEWS

Local Long Island officials have found and completed a deal with a developer to take over the lease of the Nassau Coliseum allowing the building to reopen. It’s a very complex and serious high-end financial arrangement.

Read and excellent explanation of the details HERE.

COLLEGE

On Thursday, Clarkson University (ECACHL) issued a public release explaining their season ticket policy. The University offered supporters the option of rolling over their season tickets to next season forgoing receiving money back indicating there likely would not be a season.

Ironically, they still have their originally planned 2020-21 schedule still up on their website. One of the first three games is an exhibition game against the University of Ottawa. But they cannot be held anyway because the border is still closed.

In the official release issued by the University, they stated that, “As of today, we will not have any fans attend sporting events through December 31, 2020. A decision to allow fans to be in attendance after December 31, 2020 will be made at a later date and in accordance with university, local, state and federal regulations.”

That line could be repeated by every other US college in the next month.

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The University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves has announced the ending of their hockey program (and certain other sports) after the 2020-21 season.  Read about the decision in the Anchorage Daily News;

Talk for years has been of their merging their program with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks team and to have them both compete as one program in the WCHA. The conference is losing seven schools who are forming a newly-revived CCHA conference in the 2021-22 season and recently added an eighth member, the University of St. Thomas (MN).

The WCHA will be down to two schools and is in the position to become the first true Western states hockey conference by adding programs like current Division-I independent, Arizona State, who come complete with a brand new building that will start construction in November and has an initial completion date of August 2022.

The conference could potentially invite ACHA Division-I level college club programs like UNLV, Utah, and/or USC. The University of Washington, which is currently an ACHA Division-II program, and UCLA presently does not have hockey.

A shortage of players is not the problem out West. There are plenty of born-and-bred players from Southern California, Arizona, and Texas, the three highest growth states for hockey on an amateur level, but having a conference was an issue and this is the perfect opportunity.

Capital formation is the big key at this point to how these programs can be properly capitalized.

However, like everything else the current pandemic is most likely affecting those plans.

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Ryan Shea of Northeastern University signs a two-year, two-way contract with the Dallas Stars. Shea was originally a 2015 fourth-round draft pick for the Chicago Blackhawks. He  was not signed by the required August 15th deadline.

The same scenario applies to Luke Stevens of Yale University. He was originally a 2015 fifth-round draft pick by the Carolina Hurricanes. Stevens signs a two-way (AHL-ECHL) contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Stevens is the eldest son of former Penguins star of the 1990s, Kevin Stevens of the Stanley Cup champion Penguins. Stevens, the elder, is presently a special assignment scout for the team. Stevens also played 199 games for the New York Rangers. The youngest Stevens son, Ryan, is an incoming freshmen at Yale University.

6’7, 200lb Nikita Pavlychev was originally a 2015 Penguins 7th-round draft pick. He graduated from Penn State (Big 10) and signed an AHL free agent deal with the Syracuse Crunch.

Matt Filipe of Northeastern (HE) signed a standard two-year, two-way Entry Level Contract (ELC) with the Boston Bruins and will likely be in Providence to start the season.

Frederic Letourneau (Hotchkiss Prep Bearcats) of the Bowling Green Falcons (WCHA) graduates and signs a pro deal with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL). Letourneau is the son of former University of New Haven Chargers (ECAC North Division II) player Daniel Letourneau.

Joel Kocur of AIC (AHA) has a short-ride as he signs with the Worcester Railers (ECHL) for next year. His father, Kory Kocur, played for the Adirondack Red Wings (AHL) and the Fort Wayne Komets (IHL) in the 1990s. His older cousins are former NHL players, Joe Kocur, Wendel Clark, and Barry Melrose.

Cam Morrison of Notre Dame (Big 10) signed with the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) / Rockford Ice Hogs.

Kylar Hope of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (WCHA) signs with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL).

Josh Maniscalco of Arizona State (NCAA Division-I, Independent) leaves two seasons early and signs a standard three-year, two-way ELC deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins making 35 underclassmen that have left early and signed pro deals in the US and Europe.

Hockey East has had 31 players that have signed North American pro deals tops in collegiate hockey. The other conferences totals are NCHC-27, Big 10-22, ECACHL and the WCHA each have 21, AHA, 16 and Division I independent Arizona State has four.

141 players Division-I and Division-III have signed North American professional deals and 247 to sign pro deals in the US and in Europe.

Daniel Fritz (Canterbury School) graduates from the Division-III Utica College Pioneers (UCHC) and signs with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) making 53 Division III players to sign pro deals.

The University of Vermont Catamounts released their incoming 2020-21 players list with a few CT connections.

Jordan Kaplan (Salisbury Prep Crimson Knights) of Sacred Heart University Pioneers (AHA) has transferred to the Green Mountain state.

Connor Hutchison of the Selects Academy at South Kent Prep will also skate for Vermont.

Max Kaufman (Kent School) has finished up at the University of Vermont (HE) and makes a grad transfer to the inter-conference Boston University (HE) making for 19 grad school transfers.

Defenseman Emil Ohrwall leaves the Michigan Wolverines (Big 10) and will sit out this year to play for Sacred Heart University (AHA) next year. Sacred Heart will be his third school and third different conference. He started out at RPI (ECACHL) and went back to play for the Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL) after his freshmen year. He was still junior eligible and maintained his NCAA eligibility and moved on to Michigan. There are five conferences and four years and a grad transfer year, he could wind up playing college hockey when he is 30.

AHL TO EUROPE DEALS

Matt Mangene departs the Springfield Thunderbirds and signs with Villacher SV (Austria-EBEL).

Maxim Lamarche of the Laval Rocket signs with HC Rouen (France-FREL) in the Elite Magnus League.

Eetu Luostarinen, who spent most of the year in Charlotte with the Checkers, and then Springfield after a trade at the trade deadline, is loaned to KalPa Kuopio (Finland-FEL).

The Providence Bruins’ Peter Cehlárik signs with Leksands IF (Sweden-SHL) and not in Switzerland. Also in Bruins’ news, Jakub Lauko was loaned out to HC Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic-CEL).

Gustav Lindstrom of Grands Rapids is loaned by the Detroit Red Wigs to Almtuna IS (Sweden-SHL). His cousin is an unsigned Rangers 2018 Rangers third-round draft choice. Jacob Ragnarsson, who plays for Timra IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan). His uncle is Magnus Ragnarsson who played in the NHL mostly with San Jose and some time with Philadelphia.

Goalie, Uko-Pekka Luukkonen, of the Rochester Americans is loaned by the Buffalo Sabres to TPS Turku (Finland-FEL).

Reese Scarlett, of the Texas Stars, signs with Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL).

Aleksi Saarela of Springfield/Rockford is loaned to Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL) by the Florida Panthers. Saarela was originally drafted by the Rangers in the third round in 2015. He was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2016 trade deadline for Eric Staal and two second picks in 2016 and 2017,

Milan Chalupa is loaned by the Chicago Blackhawks to HK Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic-CEL) for next season.

Lassi Thomson, an Ottawa draft pick, for the second straight year is loaned to Ilves Tampere (Finland-FEL) rather coming to  play for the Belleville Senators this year.

Philip Broberg, an Edmonton Oilers signee, is loaned to Skelleftea AIK (Sweden-SHL) for another season rather than heading to the Bakersfield Condors this year.

The Anaheim Ducks send prized-prospect, Axel Andersson, on a loan to Sodertalje SK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) after he completed his junior career in Moncton (QMJHL).

75 AHL players have signed to play in Europe with 25 of 31 AHL teams having lost at least one player.

Colin Sullivan (Milford/Fairfield Prep/Avon Old Farms) re-signs with HC Chamonix (France-FREL) for a third season.

Ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Mark Flood, departs Villacher SV (Austria-EBEL) for HC Rouen (France-FREL).

TROUBLE IN THE KHL

HC Vladivostok, who are in the Far East of the country, actually closer to China and North Korea, and it isn’t an issue with team finances. According to the South China Morning Post, based in Hong Kong, there are problems. The online edition said the Russian embassy in China has been pilloried on social media by Chinese diplomats, journalists, and internet users after it held a celebration of the founding of Vladivostok – because it is on land that used to be part of China.

The modern-day territory of Primorsky Krai, whose capital is Vladivostok, was formerly part of the Qing’s Manchurian homeland but was annexed by the Czarist empire in 1860 (Czar Alexander II) following China’s defeat at the hands of Britain and France in the second opium war. It was handed over under one of three “unequal” treaties China was forced to sign with Russia, France and Britain that year, in an agreement that also saw the Kowloon peninsula being added to the colony of Hong Kong.

When the Russian embassy posted a video on Weibo of a party held on Thursday to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the founding of the city, whose name means “ruler of the east” in Russian, it prompted an online backlash. Chinese diplomats have used its ancient name Haishenwai, referencing its historical Chinese name for the area before it was annexed.

HC Vladivostok may have some serious issues to contend with going forward.

IN MEMORIAM

One of the NHL’s greatest players, and perhaps the greatest in Winnipeg Jets history, the first time around, Hockey Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, has passed away at the age of 57, from stomach cancer it was announced last week.

Sadly, Hawerchuk, who was a Toronto-area native, had experienced a recurrence of cancer in recent weeks.

Hawerchuk appeared in 1,188 games over 16 seasons with the Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. He was a five-time NHL All-Star selection. In seven seasons, Hawerchuk posted 40 or more goals, including 53 in 1984-85, Hawerchuk, a center, finished his career with 518 goals and 891 assists. His 1,409 points rank him 20th all-time in NHL history.

He was taken with the first-overall pick of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft by the Jets from the Cornwall Royals then Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They switched to the OHL a year later, and are still there today. He amassed 286 points in just his two seasons with the Royals, Hawerchuk led the team to back-to-back Memorial Cup titles in 1980 and 1981.

Hawerchuk was named the QMJHL Rookie of the Year and playoff MVP in 1980 before being announced as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League Player of the Year and Memorial Cup MVP awards in 1981.

Hawerchuk became an instant sensation in the NHL as he helped immediately revive a Jets team, that two years after the NHL-WHA merger, earned a mere nine wins in 1981. Hawerchuk helped lift the Jets to earn 22 wins and 48 more points in his first season and the team made the NHL postseason for the first time.

Hawerchuk scored 45 goals and had 58 assists to become the youngest player in NHL history to hit the 100-point plateau at the age of 19. That record has since been broken by Sidney Crosby. Hawerchuk won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.

He would go on to spend eight more seasons with the Jets, reaching the 100-point mark on five occasions and was resilient and durable, missing only nine games over that time span. In his first 13 years as a pro, Hawerchuk, remarkably, missed only 14 games.

Hawerchuk was moved in a massive trade at the 1990 NHL draft. The Jets sent Hawerchuk and the 14th-overall selection in the draft (Brad May) to the Sabres in exchange for three players that would include fellow future Hall of Famer, Phil Housley, and former New Haven Nighthawk, Scott Arniel, former Whaler, the late Jeff Parker as well as the 19th-overall pick (Keith Tkachuk).

Hawerchuk would star with the Sabres in four full seasons in Buffalo. The Sabres reached the playoffs in every season that Hawerchuk played with them, including a major playoff upset sweeping the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 1993 playoffs. The upset was spectacular because the Bruins were expected to be a Stanley Cup finalist that year.

Hawerchuk signed with the St. Blues as a free agent in 1995, but his run of good health started to run out. He was moved at the trade deadline to the Flyers that season for former Ranger, Craig MacTavish.

In 1996-97, Hawerchuk appeared in only 51 games, dealing with a degenerative hip condition that eventually forced Hawerchuk to retire from hockey.

Hawerchuk also was big part in the 1987 Canada Cup. While he tallied just four goals in the tournament, it was his faceoff win in the deciding game of the finals against the Soviet Union in the last two minutes of one of the greatest games ever played.

With 1:30 left in the third period, there was a faceoff in the Canadian zone. Head coach Mike Keenan put out perhaps the most formidable line in hockey history with Hawerchuk between Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. Hawerchuk won the draw from Soviet center, Slava Bykov, and in the ensuing battle he also took out two Soviet forwards in the process.

Lemieux poked the puck past a USSR defenseman to exit the Canadian end of the ice and then sent the puck to Gretzky, who broke down the left wing with Gord Murphy on a two-on-one.

Lemieux trailed the play and Gretzky dropped a pass back to him. Lemieux beat Sergei Mylnikov to the glove-side with 1:26 remaining to give Canada a 6-5 win and capture the Canada Cup, a play that started off a huge Hawerchuk faceoff win.

Hawerchuk would also play in the 1991 Canada Cup as well with Canada winning another gold medal.

After Hawerchuk’s illustrious career ended, he was honored with induction into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2001.

In 2010, Hawerchuk became a head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts. He spent nine seasons behind the bench and his teams won four division titles and was an OHL finalist in 2013.