CANTLON: CT HOCKEY OFF-SEASON VOLUME 5 

BY:  Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT –  New York Rangers President and General Manager has decided and hired veteran coach Gerard Gallant to replace David Quinn.

Oddly, the introduction of Gallant in a press conference via Zoom is scheduled for early next week?

Gallant is known to be just as fiery of a coach as he was as a player. He led the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season and led Canada to a Gold Medal at the recent World Championships in Riga, Latvia.

Gallant will be part of the process of developing an entirely new coaching staff. Perhaps delays are resulting in getting the staff under contract and assembled for Gallant’s unveiling?

Jerry Dineen, the last vestige of the Quinn/Jeff Gorton/ Glen Sather regime, was let go as the team’s video coach after 17 years.

Dineen and his four brothers, Gord, Kevin, Shawn, and Peter, have played, coached, or scouted in pro hockey at various levels for the last 35 years. They follow in the footsteps of theIr late father, one-time New England Whalers coach, Bill Dineen.

Rangers goalie coach, Benoit Allaire, was the only coach spared in the off-season total team makeover.

It looks like Kris Knoblauch and Gord Murphy will be retained in Hartford next season.

No word yet on who the new General Manager in Hartford will be.

PLAYER AND COACHING MOVEMENT

Ex-Pack Jayson Megna signs a one-year, two-way deal with the Colorado Avalanche/Colorado Eagles, paying $700K in the NHL and $360K in the AHL.

Ring the bell for Hershey Bears winger Michael Sgarbossa. He hit a magic milestone in the AHL. He signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Washington Capitals paying him $750K for play in the NHL next season. He will receive $425K for play in the AHL, and if he plays in 2022-23, he will become the first AHL player to earn $500K for a season.

Ex-Pack defenseman Petr Zamorsky will attempt to leave for a second time out of the Czech Republic. Zamorsky signs a one-year deal with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia-KHL). He split last season in the Czech Elite League with HK Hradec Kralove and ended with a loan to HC Brno. His first time outside the CR was a disastrous ten-game stint with the Wolf Pack in 2015-16.

Ex-Pack goalie Magnus Hellberg switches Russian teams from SKA St. Petersburg to HK Sochi (Russia-KHL).

Ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, John Persson, is prematurely retiring because of a concussion he suffered in November playing for Brynas IF (Sweden-SHL).

MORE ODDS AND ENDS

Seven more AHL’ers from Finland are heading back home to play for Jokerit Helsinki (Finland-KHL), including Oscar Leskinen (Laval) and Kalle Kossila (Toronto).

David Warsofsky leaves the Chicago Wolves to ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL). An interesting and strange side note to his story is that his coach last year, his brother, Ryan (Sacred Heart University), was let go and is presently listed as a head coach for a Rhode Island U-16 travel team.

Derek Barach (Salisbury School) leaves Texas for Ässät Pori (Finland-FEL).

Magnus Högberg of Belleville/Ottawa signs with Linköping HC (Sweden-SHL).

Martin Marincin of the Toronto Marlies also heads home to skate for HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech Republic-CEL).

Ex-Sound Tiger, Jordan Schmaltz, departs from the Tucson Roadrunners for HIFK Helsinki (Finland-FEL), making 30 players who have signed overseas. 17 of the league’s 31 teams have lost at least one player thus far.

BELANGER A NEW COACH

Eric Belanger, a former Springfield Falcons player, was named the first head coach of the Trois-Rivieres Lions (ECHL). He played 14 years, 820 games in the NHL for seven teams.

Since retiring in the Quebec QMAAA (major midget) level for the Lévis Chevaliers, he has been coaching the last five seasons, just outside Quebec City.

Ex-Sound Tiger Daniel Tetrault is let go by the Rapid City Rush (ECHL) after four seasons as their head coach.

One of his former players, Peter Quenneville (Quinnipiac University), heads to Lausitzer (Germany DEL-2).

Another former Sound Tiger, Alan Letang, steps down as the Owen Sound Attack (OHL) head coach for other professional opportunities.

Ex-Pack Josh Gratton leaves the Collingwood Blues (OJHL). He never got the chance to coach there because of COVID last year. He has taken the head coaching gig with the Potomac (MD) Patriots (USPHL-Premier).

Former New Haven Knights player Arpad Mihaly was named an assistant coach with the Romanian National Team.

Demid Yeremeyev, the son of ex-Wolf Pack goalie Vitali Yeremeyev, switches teams in the Kazakhstan League from HK Termirtau to Saryarka Karaganda.

Coming back from Europe is center Jonathan Dahlén. He is the son of former Ranger and NHL player Ulf Dahlén, who heads to San Jose to play for either the Sharks or Barracuda with a one-year, one-way deal at $750K.

PLAYERS MOVING

Jake Bolton (Ellington/Loomis Chaffe School/Westminster Prep) leaves Boden HF (Sweden HockeyEttan Division-1) and signs with the Guildford Flames (England-EIHL).

Two more collegians have signed in Europe, both from Division III schools.

Michael Thamert of Chatham University (UCHC) heads to Naprzod (Poland Division-2) and Oscar Svensson from the University of Wisconsin-Superior (WIAC) graduates and signs with Köping HC (Sweden-Hockey Ettan Division-1), making 16 college players sign in Europe and 93 players total Division-I and Division-III to sign pro deals in North America and Europe.

The Yale University Bulldogs (ECACHL) will play a Christmas tournament at Wisconsin on December 28-29, along with Providence College Friars (HE) and the Bowling Green Falcons (CCHA). They will play along with the host of the tourney, the Wisconsin Badgers (Big 10).

COACHES MOVEMENT

Hockey East sees one of the better coaches promoted.

Jim Madigan was promoted to AD, replacing Jeff Konya, who left for the same position at San Jose State University. Now his long-time assistant and associate head coach, Jerry Keefe, is upgraded to head coach.

To nobody’s surprise, the Hockey East conference announced that in 2022 they would institute a single-elimination tournament format for the Lamoriello Trophy (men’s) and the Bertagna Trophy (women’s).

Next season will be the last year of the weekend series format at the higher seed, and all schools will be playoff eligible.

MOVIN’ ON UP

ACHA Division-II club hockey, the Augustana University (SD) Vikings (Sioux Falls, SD), are upgrading to Division-I hockey in 2023 in the NSIC (National Sun Intercollegiate Conference). The school is strongly considering building a new on-campus rink and becoming the first Division-I team in South Dakota history.

It will be a complete program make-over and upgrade from coaches, players, facilities from a D2 college club program.

This could be a part of the reinvention of the WCHA conference over the next two years to make a true Western-based US college hockey conference.

No surprise, University Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves head coach Matt Curley tendered his resignation effective the end of the month after a disastrous 7-53-10 record.

The Seawolves program was eliminated by the state last year, but a “Save the Seawolves” initiative has been underway to raise $800K by August 30th to save the program and hopefully ice a team in 2033-23. The total price tag will be $3 million, and hopefully, the WCHA conference will be reborn and have the aforementioned Western US flavor and travel to maintain the program.

The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks is still operating though the conference is losing seven schools to the new CCHA conference that will start play this fall.

CONTRACTS AND EXTENSIONS

St. Cloud St. Huskies (NCHC) head coach Brett Larson, fresh off a Frozen Four appearance, was given a seven-year extension until 2026-27.

Alex Ambrosio becomes the 50th Division-I grad school transfer moving from Lake Superior St, (WCHA) to Canisius College (AHA).

Mike Trimboli is named the new president of USA Hockey for the next three years.

The NAHL Robertson Cup championship Final Four is set to meet in Blaine, MN, June 18-22 at the Fogerty Ice Arena.

The Minnesota Magicians are coached by ex-Pack/Ranger Stu Bickel, and his squad won the Central Division playoff title.

The East Division winner the Maine (Lewiston) Nordiques coach by Nolan Howe, the son of former Whalers (New England and Hartford) Mark, his uncle is Marty, and his grandfather is “Mr. Hockey,” Gordie Howe.

EVEN MORE MOVEMENT

Several CT players include Cooper Swift (West Hartford/Choate Rosemary Hall-Wallingford) and Tristan Fasig (Sherman/Taft School-Watertown).

The Aberdeen (SD) Wings are another, and the Shreveport (LA) Mudbugs round out the championship finals quartet.

The NAHL is also handing out some post-season awards.

Fasig was named the All-East Community Service Award winner.

The Central Division Academic Achievement Award recipient is Sutter Muzzatti of the Austin Bruins, the son of ex-Pack/Whaler Jason Muzzatti.

Victor Hadfield, the grandson of Ranger great Vic Hadfield, who played juniors with the Barrie Colts (OHL) and played four games with the Manitoba Moose last season, is heading to the University of Toronto Blues (OUAA) next year.

Kyle Nelson (Haddam), who played for the Springfield Pics (USPHL-Premier), commits to Division-III Western New England College (CCC) for the fall.

Future college commits include Owen Simpson of the Pickering Panthers (OJHL), who played last season for the Boston Jr. Bruins (NCDC), makes a UCONN (HE) commit for 2022-23.

Aaron Brown of the Wellington Dukes (OJHL), who didn’t play last year, commits to Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) for 2023-24.

Rich Boysen commits to Trinty College (NESCAC) in the fall. He played for Northeast Generals (NAHL) last season.

CANADA CUP IS DRY

Canada has gone 27 years without a Stanley Cup win. Over that time span, only five times have Canadian teams made it to the finals since the 1993-94 Montreal Canadiens brought Lord Stanley to Atwater and Ste. Catherine Street.

The Canadiens would like to have the Cup on Avenue-des-Canadiens bordering de la Gauchetière Street and Rue de la Cathédrale, but they have to go through Vegas first.

A total of ten times, Canadian teams have been within breathing distance.

STANLEY CUP FINALS

1993-’94 Rangers beat Vancouver 4 games to 3

2003-2004 Tampa Bay beats Calgary 4 games to 3

2005-06 Carolina beats Edmonton 4 games to 3

2006-07 Anaheim beats Ottawa 4 games to 1

2010-11 Boston beats Vancouver 4 games to 3

SEMI-FINALS

2003-04  New Jersey beats Ottawa 4 games to 3

2009-10  Philadelphia beats Montreal 4 games to 1

2013-14  Rangers beats Montreal 4 games to 2

2016-17 Pittsburgh beats Ottawa 4 games to 3

2017-18 Vegas beats Winnipeg 4 games to 1

QUEBEC

On Tuesday, the Quebec provincial health authorities said 1,000 more fans were in the Bell Centre for Game 3 and a dramatic 3-2 overtime win for the Canadiens as former Springfield Falcon, Josh Anderson, scored the late game-tying goal and the overtime winner.

The Canadiens lost head coach Dominick Ducharme, who tested positive for COVID-19, and the team had to pull a Rangers scrambling the coaching deck as they did for former coach David Quinn.

That saw former Whaler Sean Burle, their goalie coach, on the bench watching the spectacular performance of goalie Carey Price.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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