CANTLON: THOMPSON PLAYS 600TH GAME 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – For Paul Thompson, Saturday’s loss was tough to swallow, but there was still had plenty for him to smile about having reached the 600-AHL game plateau. In an era where youth rules the day, for Thompson, it was a fantastic accomplishment.

“It’s definitely a cool personal milestone to reach. I’ve found a really good role for myself in helping the younger players. It’s kind of my passion to help the younger guys in a leadership role, and I’ve tried to keep to that standard as I have played.

“I try to get the younger guys to get where they’re going, so maybe they’ll have 600 games in that other league (NHL),” Thompson said with some self-deprecating humor.

ADAPTING TO CHANGES

The changes in play during his ten years in the AHL are noticeable and palpable.

“The skill level today is so much greater. These guys will do things with the puck that very few guys would try when I first started, and now, they do it and succeed doing it. They’re working on the fine details of playing and becoming 200-foot players so they can get where they want to be (on the NHL).

“It’s even down to the youth level, the things they’re doing, from just watching (the pro’s) it’s amazing.”

Thompson was a serious thorn in the side of the Hartford Wolf Pack over the past two years where he was with the Springfield Thunderbirds. His dominance against the Pack stretches back to his days with the Albany Devils.

”My game is a simple game, not flashy. When I don’t do it, you don’t have much success. I got to get to the dirty areas; that’s where my success comes from.”

COACHING RESPECT

Thompson respects the coaches in the division, including Brent Thompson (no relation) of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers that they with tangle with on Saturday at the XL Center.

“He has a great net-front presence, arguably one of the best in the AHL. We saw it when he was in Springfield and all the way back to his (early) days in Albany. He has that shot and knows how to play that position.”

Kris Knoblauch, Thompson’s current coach, appreciates what Thompson has done this year.

“He got off to a slow start, but he is a big reason why our power play has had such a turnaround. Inserting him with Ty (Ronning) on that second unit along with (Austin) Ruesschhoff, (Darren) Raddysh, and a mixture of others on the left-wing has been excellent.

“The value of being a mentor with the younger players has been very good. Most nights, he is playing with younger players. He gives us physical play, which we need. That play has so much more value than what you see on the scoresheet.

“Veterans like Thompson, Raddysh, Geersten, and LoVerde have made a major impact on this team.”

KNOBLAUCH REACTS TO THOMPSON

Knoblauch is enthused with having Thompson patrolling the wings and working with the two youngsters on his line, last week being Will Cullye and Patrick Khordorenko.

“Those are two very young guys and fun to work with. They’re both doing very well, as all of your guys throughout this year have been a really good job.

“Both of them have a lot of skill, much more than I do. Sometimes your skill can take over a game, but they’re doing all the small things, like learning how to play night-in and night-out. We had some good success recently. They’re learning how to play up to that standard. I really think they’re gonna have bright futures,” Thompson said of his two new linemates.

RONNING’S THOUGHTS

Ronning, his power play partner, raves about being with Thompson whether passing the puck or his net-front play.

“When you have Thompson out there, he’s got like 590 plus games in the AHL; I really respect his game. We’ve been working on those plays in practice. He’s so good at it, and we’re benefitting from (his) play, ” Ronning said of Thomson some weeks ago.

For this season, getting a deal in Hartford fit perfectly with his family plans. They put down some roots in the greater Springfield area as Thompson and his wife purchased a home for their family, including their two school-age children.

“To be right down the street is pretty rare. My wife (Cathy) has gotten established in her field (real estate). This was a great opportunity for my entire family.

My son is in kindergarten now, and our daughter is going to kindergarten next year. Playing up here (in the area) has worked out tremendously for me, I’m extremely grateful for it.”

BEING REALISTIC

Thompson is a realist about the hockey business.

“It’s a young person’s game now, but I would love to keep playing here as long as I can. I’ve learned to adapt in the AHL, and I really like the role I’m in now. I really to keep playing as long as I can.”

It was a rocky start to the season for Thompson but has picked up the pace over the last half-dozen games.

“Those first five or six games I wasn’t playing how I needed to play to have success. Things start to bounce your way; go back to your foundation, and I have had better success as of late.“

Despite a season with such a short schedule, the three-days-in-five games last week and the two-games-in-four-days have given the players some fresh hockey air to breathe.

“This is the first time we have had any kind of normal schedule; it’s felt a little like a pro hockey schedule and how it normally feels.

“It’s really good for the guys to see. We’re craving to play games. It’s nice to have some time to work on things at the end of day however players want to go out and compete.

“I’m really grateful to be playing because, for a while, we didn’t know if we would have a season. I think our team and all the teams in the league have done a tremendous job in playing hard and competing. At the end of the day, despite everything, when there is a team to play against you, you want to compete.”

NOTES

The Wolf Pack travels to Marlborough, MA, to play the Providence Bruins on Thursday and then host Bridgeport at the XL Center on Saturday.

The Sound Tigers beat Providence 4-1 on Monday.

On Tuesday, forward, Jonny Brodzinski signed a one-year, two-way deal for next season. Brodzinski will get paid $700K in the NHL and $200K in the AHL.

Youngster Will Cullye was “called up“ for the purposes of the 19-year-old signing the Entry-Level Contract. It’s a three-year, two-way deal paying $925K in the NHL and $80K in the AHL. It starts for the 2021-22 season.

Cullye’s chances of playing in the OHL were ended yesterday as the league formally canceled the 2020-21 season because of the Ontario province’s COVID restriction. They are presently in lockdown until mid-May.

The WHL canceled its post-season with two weeks to go in its abbreviated regular season on Monday.

These cancelations will have a profound impact on the summer’s NHL Amateur Draft.

RADDYSH

Congrats to Darren Raddysh’s brother, Taylor Raddysh of the Syracuse Crunch, for being named CCM/AHL Player of the Week with three goals, six points in three games.

Tyce Thompson (Milford/Salisbury School) was reassigned to Binghamton (nee Newark Devils future Utica Devils) by New Jersey.

The radio color voice for the Belleville Senators is the Wolf Pack’s all-time leading scorer and an AHL Hall of Famer, Brad “Shooter” Smyth, on TSN 1200.

Goalie Spencer Knight (Darien/Avon Old Farms) made his NHL debut on Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets and registered a 5-1 victory with 30 saves in earning his first win and earned the game’s Second Star.

PACK CAMP

The Wolf Pack’s training camp for the 2021-22 season shapes up to be the biggest prospect-laden camp in team history. They will likely be adding another goalie and center to the mix.

Goalie Olof Lindbom, 20, was drafted in the 2018 draft in the second round (39th overall). He split this season playing 24 games with an 8-14-0 record and a 3.46 GAA and .875 save percentage with Mora IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan). He will likely be with the Wolf Pack’s Double AA team, the Maine Mariners, who will return to play after taking this season off due to Covid,

Center Karl Henriksson signed his NHL Entry Level Contract to start next season. He will be on a package of $925K for play in the NHL and $80K in the AHL for the next three years.

Henriksson was a 2019 second-round pick (39th overall). He played 47 games for Frolunda HC (Sweden-SHL) with one goal and eight points as a 19-year, 20-year-old playing in a men’s league.

GERNANDER UPDATE

The Rochester (MN) Grizzlies (NA3HL), who feature Micah Gernander (Newington, CT), came up a little short in losing the Fraser Cup Final to the North Iowa (Mason City, IA) Bulls 5-1 on Monday.

The team advanced, winning the semifinal on Sunday with a 7-1 win over the Sheridan (WY) Hawks 7-1, with Gernander got a primary assist on the game’s first goal.

Griffin Martin of the Kent School commits to the Northern (MA) Cyclones (NCDC) next fall.

Forward Eric Linell (Choate/CT Wolf Pack) departs UCONN (HE) for Bentley University (AHA) after one goal in 28 games over two years.

38 Division I players have transferred and another 41 grad transfers nationally so far.

72 overall Division I and II college players have signed pro contracts. In Division I, it’s a total of 67 have signed pro deals.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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