BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The New York Rangers announced the signing of Steve Smith as the Hartford Wolf Pack’s new assistant coach to Kris Knoblauch.
Smith, 58, is the ninth assistant coach in the team’s 25-year history. Smith won three Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers while playing 804 NHL games. In his career, he tallied 72 goals (375 points) and 2,195 PIMs. Smith was an assistant coach for four NHL teams since retiring as a player. He spent 2001 in Calgary with the Flames for one year. He was with the Chicago Blackhawks for two years and with the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes for four years each, and then with the Buffalo Sabres for the past three years.
Before leaving for vacation in Canada on his first trip back home, Knoblauch spoke of the process.
Knoblauch spoke to six candidates, each with NHL, AHL, ECHL, experience. One had college experience. He said he and the Rangers were fortunate, ”Our luck to get (Steve) with so much experience and will be a big asset for us. Steve will be a great addition to the coaching staff. His experience in the NHL as a player and coach will benefit not just the defensemen on the team, but everyone, myself included.”
Smith played 138 AHL games with Moncton and Nova Scotia and 177 OHL games with Brantford and London.
PLAYER MOVEMENT
Ryan Dmowksi (Old Lyme/Gunnery/Wolf Pack) signed with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL). He played just five games last season, including on his birthday.
Mark D’Agostino (North Branford/Gunnery Prep) will play for Powell River (BCHL), not Langley and his UCONN commit year now is 2022-23.
Former Bridgeport Sound Tiger Robert “Bobo” Carpenter leaves to join the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL), Nashville’s top farm team.
Former Wolf Pack Brandon Alderson played last year for three teams, HK Malada Boleslav in the Czech Republic, and two teams on loan, one in Slovakia, HK Dukla Trencin, and one Czech Republic Motor Ceske Budejovice, signed with EV Landshut (Germany DEL-2).
Jacob Weatherby heads from North Dakota (NCHC) to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).
Eugene Fedyeyev Ohio State (Big 10) signs with Fayetteville (SPHL).
17 players from the NCHC conference and 88 total D-1 players have signed in North America. The Hockey East has 28, and Big 10 has 23, ECACHL and AHA have seven, the CCHA, formerly the WCHA, has four. Independent Arizona State has two and D-1 players to sign in North America and North America and Europe is 161.
36 players have signed in Europe, including most recently Nicklas Trencianskly from the College of Scholastica (NCHA) to HK 32 Skallica (Slovakia-SLEL) and Ace Cowans of Vermont to HC Kallix (Sweden Division-1).
MORE SIGNINGS
Ex-Sound Tiger Josh Winquist goes from the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)/VEU Feldkirch (Austria-AlpsHL) to the Reading Royals (ECHL).
Three more AHL’ers head overseas. First, Ex-Sound Tiger Nick Schillkey heads from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) to Iserlohn (Germany-DEL). Colton Beck from the Stockton Heat goes to Dornbirner EC (Austria-IceHL) and Jakob Strukel, of the Bakersfield Condors, heads to HC Val Pusteria (Italy-IceHL). That makes 78 AHL transfers to head overseas.
Ex-Sound Tiger Griffin Reinhart leaves Iserlohn (Germany-DEL) for a non-hockey job.
Chase Dafoe, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk Byron Dafoe, goes from the Trail Eaters (BCHL) to the expansion Blackfalds (AB) Bulldogs (AJHL).
Joe Howe is named the new Yale University (ECACHL) assistant/goalie coach and former Sacred Heart University (AHA), Trinity College (NESCAC), and Yale assistant, Paul Kirtland, is named the new assistant coach at Minnesota-Mankato (CCHA).
Tyler Shetland of the EHL’s CT Chiefs commits to Trine University (NCHA).
