BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack off-season is expected to be another roster transformation project that will make the 2022-23 edition of the New York Rangers AHL affiliate into a very different team.
Six Wolf Pack players, Maxim Letunov, Kris Merkley, Anthony Greco, all forwards, and goaltenders Adam Húska, and Keith Kinkaid are all Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA).
Three of those players, led by Húska, Letunov, and Merkley as per the CBA, are Group 6 free agents by way of not having played enough NHL games by age 25.
Húska’s pending departure seems to be clear after Swedish goaltending prospect, Olof Lindbom, was signed to a two-year ELC deal for $925K-NHL/$70K-AHL. He played last year with Kristianstads IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) where he posted underwhelming numbers. In 27 games, Lindblom registered a 3.27 GAA an under .500 record at 10-15-0, and a .900 save percentage.
HARTFORD WOLF PACK RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Restricted Free Agents (RFA) have to be made legitimate offers. Those Wolf Pack players include Tim Gettinger, Ty Ronning, Vitali Kravtsov, Justin Richards, and Austin Rueschoff. Goaltender, Tyler Wall, is very likely to be allowed to leave as a free agent. As is Jake Elmer and still in junior with Seattle (WHL) still in the playoffs, Matt Rempe.
In the NHL the Rangers have their own share of UFA’s. Greg McKegg, Kevin Rooney, Ryan Strome, Andrew Copp, Ryan Reaves, and trade deadline acquisitions who have played well, Frank Vatrano, Tyler Motte, and Justin Braun.
The Rangers also have Kaapo Kakko, Julien Gauthier, and Libor Hájek who played five games in Hartford on a conditioning stint, and enigmatic ex-Pack goaltender, Alexander Georgiev.
Hartford GM Ryan Martin and Rangers GM/President Chris Drury are, no doubt, getting ready for an important entry draft and are also likely discussing what other moves the franchise could make including possible trade deals.
COACHING, PLAYER MANAGEMENT MOVES
Four ex-Springfield Falcons are playing in Dysin Mayo (Canada). Those players are Marek Langhamer (Czech Republic (Czechia), Matthias Plachta (Germany), and Denis Malgin (Switzerland (LNA).
There will be no Russian squad to play after the IIHF took away the sites of Novosibirsk and Omsk for both this and the WJC tourney.
New Canaan resident, Pierre McGuire, the former Hartford Whaler head coach plus long-time NBC and TSN hockey analyst, was relieved of his duties less than a year on the job in Ottawa as Senior VP of Player Development.
The Bridgeport Islanders knocked off the Providence Bruins to advance against the Charlotte in the Atlantic Division semifinals before falling to the Checkers. Meanwhile, the Springfield Thunderbirds eliminated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the other Semi-final.
Joe Snively, the former Yale Bulldog with the Hershey Bears was recalled by Washington, Then Mathieu Olivier, son of ex-Knights Simon is sent to Milwaukee by Nashville.
The Jacksonville Icemen, the ECHL affiliate of both the Wolf Pack and the Rangers, advanced to the ECHL South Division Final to play in-state rival the Florida Everblades (Nashville) in the Kelly Cup playoffs. They were swept by the Everblades, who shut them out twice in the series.
EX-UCONN GOALIE SENT TO FLORIDA
Florida did receive former UCONN goalie Tomáš Vomáčka, after he was reassigned for the series by Nashville from Milwaukee (AHL), but didn’t play or dress.
Connor Jones, a former Quinnipiac University (QU) Bobcat, and ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger announced his retirement from hockey while with Ft. Wayne (ECHL). Twin brother Kellen will continue to play on with the legendary Komets.
Former QU Bobcat Latvian Kārlis Čukste leaven Pelicans Lahti (Finland) for HC Oceláři Třinec (Czech Republic (Czechia)-CEL) for next season. He played for Latvia in the Olympics and is slated to be on their World Championship team.
David Musil exits HC Oceláři Třinec (Czech Republic (Czechia)-CEL) to HC Dynamo Pardubice.
After three years as an assistant captain for Tölzer Löwen (Germany DEL-2), former Sound Tiger Tyler McNeeley signed with Rosenheim (Germany Division-3).
CANADIAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER
The Canadian World championship roster was released with a few familiar names on it.
On defense will be ex-Pack and current New Jersey Devil, Ryan Graves. At forward, will be Cole Sillinger as will Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Húska is suiting up for Slovakian Team and Hartford GM Ryan Martin will guide the US squad.
There will be no Russian squad to play and the IIHF took away the sites of Novosibirsk and Omsk from them for this and the WJC tourney.
Some familiar names are on other WC teams to play in Tampere and Helsinki, Finland.
The US squad features ex-Pack, Vinni Lettieri, ex-Sound Tiger Kieffer Bellows, and goalies Jon Gillies (Salisbury Prep) and Strauss Mann (Greenwich/Brunswick Prep/CT Jr. Rangers-USPHL ) who was signed this off-season by San Jose after playing this year in Sweden and represented the US in the Olympics.
MORE NAMES INVOLVED WITH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The US team’s Equipment Manager is Hamden’s Chris Scoppetto (AHL Beast of New Haven) now with New Jersey.
Italy’s assistant coach is Larry Huras (Nighthawks).
The Czech Republic (Czechia) team has ex-Pack Tomáš Kundrátek, Michael Spacek and ex-UCONN recruit, Matej Blümel.
Latvia’s head coach is ex-New Haven Senator, Harijs Vitolins.
Denmark has the soon-to-be-retiring ex-Sound Tiger, Franz Nielsen.
Sweden, has ex-Pack goalie, Magnus Hellberg and forward Carl Klingberg.
Germany, assistant coach is former Hartford Whaler, Tom Rowe.
Switzerland has another ex-Pack who is nearing the end of his career, Andres Ambühl.
MOVES APLENTY CONTINUE
Lastly, Great Britain has goalie Jackson Whistle and Ben Lake, the former Pioneer from Sacred Heart University-AHA.
UCONN recruit Brayden Smith has elected to go to the Penticton Knights (BCHL) next year to preserve his NCAA rights likely for two years. He was taken by the Vancouver Giants (WHL) under former Wolf Pack head coach and Giants associate coach, Keith McCambridge. They selected him in the 2020 bantam draft in the sixth round, 122nd overall.
He was also drafted by the Weyburn (SK) Red Wings (SJHL) in 2020 in the third round 25th overall in their draft.
If he plays one second of major junior pre-season, regular season, or post-season his NCAA eligibility is lost. That’s how the rules are now, but that could change in the future.
Players eligible for the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft on May 19th next week are 2007-born players who reside in; Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon.
The US States that are eligible are; Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
OHL DRAFT
In the OHL Priority Draft, Birk Cassels was taken from the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets U-15 AAA team (T1EHL) by the Ottawa 67’s at 290th overall in the 14th round.
Cole Cassels played with nearby Cleveland and his nephews are ex-Pack Morgan Barron (Manitoba) and Justin (Laval).
The prospects for the Q that can be drafted are currently playing in the territories served by the QMJHL: the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador, as well as the northeastern portion of the United States. The QMJHL Draft will take place a few days before the NHL Draft July 4-5 instead of June 17-18.
Tyler Wood of the Selects Academy at South Kent Prep is in the top-tier of the Q draft prospects general list, not just the US portion of the draft that will take place after the main draft.
AHL’ERS HEADING TO EUROPE
After eight years in North America, Sven Bärtschi, of the Henderson Silver Knights returns to his hometown and signs a three-year deal with SC Bern (Switzerland-LNA). He is the third player, thus far from the AHL to head to Europe.
Krystof Hrabik heads from San Jose signs with HC Plzeň (Pilsner) (the Czech Republic-(Czechia)-CEL) and heading back to Russia is goalie Alexei Melnichuk, a Russian native and so far, only Russians will likely do so, heads from the San Jose Barracuda, who finished dead last in the AHL to HC Sochi (Russia-KHL).
NCAA NEWS
Two players are heading to nearby AIC (AHA) in Springfield, MA. Hunter McCurdy of the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (NAHL) commits to the school for the fall.
The 57th and 58th NCAA grad transfers are Brennan Boynton after playing just one game with NCAA semi-finalist at the Frozen Four Minnesota (Big 10) will skate for the Yellow Jackets next season.
Ryan Sidorski goes from Union College (ECACHL) to North Dakota (NCHC).
A seventh college player heads to Europe as Taylor Brierley goes from D-3 Wilkes University (UCHC) to HC Chambéry (France-Division-2).
Then a 59th grad transfer of the college offseason Dylan St. Cyr heads to the Michigan St. Spartans (Big 10) heading back to his native Michigan to complete his collegiate career. He is from Northville, a Detroit suburb.
St. Cyr did a regular transfer last year to QU from Notre Dame. He is the son of former New Haven Senator, Gerry St, Cyr. His mother is Manon Rheaume, the first female to play goal in an NHL game albeit exhibition who has a statue of herself in Quebec City on Jean Béliveau Way, near the Videotrom Centre home of the QMJHL Quebec Remparts.
