CANTLON: HOCKEY OFF-SEASON NEWS & NOTES – VOL 32 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – There will be a new captain for the Hartford Wolf Pack next season.

Last year’s captain, the 13th in Wolf Pack history, Steven Fogarty, has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Buffalo Sabres paying him $750K for his play in the NHL and $250K if he plays in the AHL.

Fogarty’s numbers while playing in 252 games in Hartford show 50 goals and 80 assists (130 points). Last season, he played in 54 games through injuries and illness potting 13 goals and 37 points. In addition to his five-on-five play, he was also on the first PK unit. Fogarty was seen as a strong captain, and the best since the recently retired, Ryan Bourque, was with the team. He was also the first one not to be traded in five years.

He improved his plus/minus from a garish minus-21 to a plus-two.

He was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in 2011 in the third round (72nd overall) out of Edina (MN) H.S. where he played under the tutelage of former Ranger defenseman, Curt Giles.

Fogarty had a spectacular junior year with the BCHL Penticton Vees (BCHL) where he was part of the team’s winning of the league regular season title, playoff title, and won the Page Cup, the top prize in Canadian junior A hockey.

The team was selected to be part of the 2020 BC Hall of Fame Class, but the ceremony over the summer was canceled.

He had a solid four-year NCAA Division-I career at the University of Notre Dame with 65 points in 150 games. He was the Irish captain in his junior and senior years.

With Fogarty’s signing, Boo Nieves (Group 6 FA), Matt Beleskey (UFA), and J.F. Berube (UFA) are the last three members of last year’s team who have not signed pro deals yet. None of them received a qualifying offer from the Rangers.

Ex-CT Whale, Mike Pelech, after his initial deal with Atlanta (ECHL) was dissolved when the team suspended operations for a year, signs with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL).

Former Bridgeport Sound Tiger goalie, C.J. Motte, returns from Coventry (England-EIHL) and signs with the Allen Americans (ECHL). Motte has re-signed with the English team, but the EIHL has elected not to play this season. Joining Motte is another ex-Sound Tiger, Dyson Stevenson, who signed a one-year deal.

Yet another former Sound Tiger, Greg Mauldin, has retired from the game he played with Stavanger (Norway-NEL) last year. He accepts an assistant coaching position with the US National Development Team program (USNDTP U-18) that competes in the USHL and also plays an independent schedule. Another AHL’er, Kevin Porter, also retires. He took the voluntary assistant coaching position with the team that will have one-time Yale and Sacred Heart University assistant coach, Dan Muse, as its head coach.

Luke Shiplo, a former QU Bobcat, re-signs with the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL).

PLAYER MOVEMENT

The AHL to Europe loan train continues.

Phil Varone, who spent time with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Laval Rocket, has signed with Barys Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan-KHL).

Cam Lee, the nephew of former Hartford Whaler and NHL goalie, Jean-Sébastien Giguèrem was scheduled to start his first pro season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) but was loaned by the Pittsburgh Penguins to HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia-SLEL). Giguère’s other nephew, Alexander Fortin, is already playing for the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL). His 13-year-old son, Maxime, is still at the Bantam level playing for École Lucille-Teasdale (QBAAA).

The Penguins assigned goalie, Emil Larmi, who split last season between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)/Wheeling (ECHL) to HPK Hameenlina (Finland-FEL).

Kristian Vesalainen of the Manitoba Moose is loaned by the Winnipeg Jets to HPK Hameenlina (Finland-FEL).

Ivan Chekhovich of the San Jose Barracuda goes to Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) while Artem Zagidulin heads from the Stockton Heat to Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia-KHL).

Rudolf Balcers leaves the Belleville Senators for a deal with the Stavanger Oilers (Norway-NEL) was officially announced. He had been talking with Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL) making 162 AHL players who have been loaned or signed to European teams from last year’s AHL rosters. 30 of the league’s 31 teams have lost at least one player. Only the Chicago Wolves have gone without a player being lost. The Wolves were the Vegas Golden Knights affiliate last season, but are now affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Shane Starrett (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep) heads from the Bakersfield Condors to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for next season.

Another available free agent, AHL goalie, Antoine Bibeau, goes from the Colorado Eagles to the Chicago Wolves.

After three seasons at the Hershey Bears, Connor Hobbs goes back to a Canadian university and will skate for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (CWUAA).

Carson Meyer, of Ohio State (Big 10), signs with the Cleveland Barons (AHL) while his collegiate teammate, Matt Miller, has signed with Wheeling (ECHL).

Mitchel Slattery from Northern Michigan University (WCHA) has signed with Knoxville (SPHL) making 180 players from Division I colleges who have signed North American pro deals. 313 players Division-I, and Division-III combined have signed pro deals in North America and Europe.

The conference breakdown is; Hockey East 35, NCHC 33, Big 10 has 30, WCHA and ECACHL has 29, AHA has 22, and Division-I independent Arizona State has four.

Eight more collegiate transfers as Matt Cairns (no relation to ex-Pack, Eric Cairns) leaves Cornell University (ECACHL) to head to the University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC).

Two players are heading to Lake Superior State (WCHA). Freshmen Brandon Puricelli, from the University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC), and sophomore, Jack Jeffers, from the University of Alabama-Huntsville (WCHA).

Cale List of UMASS-Lowell (HE) heads to Division-III Norwich (VT) University (NEHC). Norwich also receives Drennan Atherton from Sacred Heart University (AHA) and an inter-conference transfer in Michael Green from the University of Southern Maine (NEHC).

Andrew Froese goes from Finlandia (OH) University (NCHA) to Saint Mary’s University (MIAC), and Andrew Frojelin departs from Nazareth (PA) College (UCHC) to go to Marian (OH) University (NCHA) making for 43 transfers of Division-I and Division-III players for the college season.

Stephen John of Saint Mary’s (MIAC) signed with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) making 60 Division-III players signing North American pro deals.

Connor Hannon departs Finlandia University (NCHA) and signs with Leipzig (Germany Division-3) making 80 college players who put their names on deals in Europe from Division-I and Division-III.

Former New Haven Senator, Kevin Patrick, goes from the University of Vermont (HE) as an assistant coach to sign As Head Coach with Culver Military Academy, an Indiana prep school. His assistant coach is former New Haven Nighthawk, Rene Chapdelaine.

HOCKEY NEWS

The World Junior Championship (WJC) released the tournament schedule that will be played in Edmonton, and like the NHL Playoffs, also held in Edmonton, will be in a “Bubble-City” format. The City of Red Deer was to be the second site for hosting games this year. All the games will be shown on the NHL Network starting Christmas Day as the NHL Network will pick up the feed from Canada’s TSN Network. The US kicks off the tournament against the Russians at 9:30 pm Christmas night.

The following day in Canada is Boxing Day, the usual traditional starting day for the tournament. The US plays Austria at 6:30 pm.

On December 29th, the US will play the Czech Republic at 2:00 pm and then conclude the preliminary round on New Year’s Eve against Sweden at 9:30 pm.

The US and Canada, who always have great games and ratings, and who have often played on New Year’s Eve, won’t this time around. They might not meet until the medal round should both get there.

The NCHC conference announced late last week that it has finalized its plans for the 2020-21 season. The 26-game conference schedule and two-part format, which includes utilizing a centralized location. All NCHC games are to start their seasons on December 1st in Omaha, NE. It was unanimously approved by the NCHC’s Board of Directors on October 15.

The NCHC elected to have the teams divided into two divisions based on geography for 2020-21 scheduling purposes with an East and West division.

The East Division consists of Miami of Ohio, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State, and Western Michigan. The West Division will have Colorado College, Denver University, North Dakota, and Omaha.

Teams will play each of their divisional opponents six times (18 games total) and each cross-division opponent twice (eight games total), with all cross-division games taking place in the central location to alleviate travel.

The second portion of the season will then take place between January and March, with all divisional teams playing each other at home and on the road.

On December 1, Omaha’s Baxter Arena will host all eight NCHC teams. Competition in Omaha will include ten games per team (40 games total) and run through the first three weeks of December with games held throughout each week. In addition, to the cross-division games at Baxter Arena, each team will also play two games against one divisional team in the central location.

These games will all occur with schools not being in session. There seems to be one national rule collegiately that has been agreed upon, that after Thanksgiving breaks, schools will not be in session until mid-to-late January or until February 1st.

The second portion of the conference schedule will begin in the New Year and take place in all home NCHC home venues and will follow their state protocols for indoor capacity.

Following a break after the central location, all eight teams will resume playing the first weekend in January with weekend series through the conclusion of the scheduled regular season on March 5-6.

NCHC teams will play 16 games during the second part of the season, all against their divisional opponents, with eight games at home and eight games on the road. In addition, teams will have multiple and consistent bye weekends during the travel portion of the season to allow for flexibility in the schedule depending on COVID conditions.

The complete NCHC conference schedules, including matchups, game dates, and bye weekends for each of the teams, along with the NCHC’s return to play protocol, and overall COVID-19 testing plans, will be released in the coming weeks.

At this time, no changes are planned for the 2021 NCHC tournament. Any decision on possible non-conference games will be made at a later date.

The North American Hockey League season is now underway.

The Tier-II junior-level, NAHL, started its 2020-21 season this week with 23 teams aligned in a five-team Midwest Divisions and three six-team Central, East, and South divisions. The league had 26 teams last season, but like everywhere else they lost some. The Jamestown (NY) Rebels, Springfield (IL) Junior Blues, Corpus Christi (TX) IceRays, and Topeka (KS) Pilots did not return.

Next season the teams will be back and will add the Wichita Falls (TX), Warriors.

The NAHL has had other changes including the St. Cloud (MN) Blizzard being renamed the St. Cloud Norsemen and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PA) Knights were relocated and become the Danbury (CT) Junior Hat Tricks.

Due to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in Alaska, the league’s two Alaska-based teams have been forced to play their early-season home games in Minnesota with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and will be based in Marshall, MN and the Kenai River (Soldotna, AK) Brown Bears will skate in Breezy Point, MN until at least mid-January 2021.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has gotten off to the wrong skate for their 2020-21 season.

Due to restrictions from the coronavirus (COVID-19), the 18-team QMJHL has suspended play until October 28th for teams in the six-team East and six-team West divisions that have teams based in the province of Quebec.

In the six-team Maritimes Division, all teams will continue playing except the Moncton Wildcats.

The Western Hockey League has changed the opening date for the start of the season. The 22-team major-junior WHL will commence on January 8th, 2021 with all regular season games to be played within each team’s division.

The five-team British Columbia Division and the five-team U.S. Division, which has teams in Washington (Everett, Seattle, Spokane, Tri-City) and Portland (OR), will remain the same. However, the US-Canada border, being still closed, issues regarding the scheduling inclusion or matrix still need to be resolved.

The six-team Central Division will now consist of the five Alberta-based teams, the Swift Current Broncos (Saskatchewan) move to the East Division, which will now have five teams from Saskatchewan and two teams from Manitoba.

The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), an independent Tier-II junior-level, recently started its 2020-21 season earlier this month.

The Premier Division has grown from 52 to 62 teams in nine regional divisions with the addition of ten teams from the Western States Hockey League who opted to go to the USPHL. Included are the Utah Outliers, who have Dawson Armstrong on their roster. He is the son of Hartford Wolf Pack great, Derek Armstrong.

The WSHL has suspended operations for 2020-21.

The USPHL has added new teams called the Elmira (NY) Junior Enforcers, Boston Advantage, Metro Jets (Fraser, MI), and the Wooster (OH) Oilers, which sat out last season.

Not returning are the Rochester (NY) Monarchs, Connecticut (Simsbury) Nighthawks, Lansing (MI) Wolves, and Jersey Shore (Middletown) Whalers, which dropped early last season.

The Boston Bandits relocated under new ownership to become the Bridgewater (NJ) Bandits. The USPHL Elite Division also has started play with 19 affiliates of Premier League teams and they have been aligned in four regional divisions for the 2020-21 season.