CANTLON: HARTFORD WOLF PACK OPEN TRAINING CAMP
HARTFORD WOLF PACK OPEN TRAINING CAMP
By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack opened training camp as the cool brisk feel of a cold rink filled the air as the 26th edition of the New York Rangers AHL affiliate kicked off at the XL Center on Monday.
The organization thoroughly revamped the roster to cleanse the hockey palate after leaving such a sour taste at the end of last season. Therefore there will be a new generation of Pack players with a new style. Despite the complete overhaul, roster positions will be hard to come by. A surprising number of those at training camp will head to Jacksonville to play for the team’s ECHL affiliate, the IceMen.
The few tryouts at each position are varied. The smattering includes a former Arizona State defenseman who transferred from Bowling Green (CCHA) in Tim Theocharidaris. He played a few games at the end of last season with the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL) and Utica Comets. In addition, the team granted ex-UCONN Husky Joe Masonius a tryout. He hooked up with another Adirondack/Utica connection who spent some time in Ft. Wayne with the Komets last year and is signed with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) for this season.
Up front, the former BC Eagle Sam Sternschein, who is already signed with Jacksonville, where he had already played eleven games and got the third tryout. Next, Brendan Harris, who played collegiately with Bemidji St. (NCHC), was granted one. After that, he played for the Icemen (ECHL), the Double AA team of Hartford, and Wheeling. Finally, Jake Ryczek, a Springfield, MA native, is already signed by Adirondack (ECHL).
Big goalie Talyn Boyko is here under an ATO (amateur) tryout and will be going back to Kelowna (WHL) when camp ends.
The lineup is as follows;
Forwards (19): Easton Brodzinski, Will Cuylle, Cristiano DiGiacinto, Turner Elson, Tanner Fritz, Tim Gettinger, Brendan Harris, Karl Henriksson, Zach Jordan, Patrick Khodorenko, Ryder Korczak, Ryan Lohin, Lauri Pajuniemi, Matt Rempe, Austin Rueschhoff, C.J. Smith, Sam Sternschein, Bobby Trivigno, and Alex Whelan.
Defensemen (12): Ty Emberson, Zach Giuttari, Louka Henault, Blake Hillman, Luke Martin, Joe Masonius, Matthew Robertson, Jake Ryczek, Brandon Scanlin, Hunter Skinner, Tim Theocharidis,
Goaltenders (5): Talyn Boyko, Louis Domingue, Parker Gahagen, Dylan Garand, and Olof Lindbom.
The Wolf Pack open the 2022-23 season on Friday, October 14th, when they visit the Charlotte Checkers at 7:00 PM with ex-Pack Anthony Bitetto just sent down by the parent club, the Florida Panthers. Then, the Wolf Pack hosts its home opener on Saturday, October 22nd, at 7 PM when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and their goaltender, the recently sent down ex-Pack, Dustin Tokarski, provide the opposition.
NOTES:
Patrick Sieloff was a Pack defenseman two years ago. Then, he signed a tryout deal with the all-new San Jose Barracuda and their brand-new arena, The Tech CU Center.
Ex-Pack Magnus Hellberg has gotten himself back to the NHL. He was picked off waivers from the Seattle Krakken from Ottawa after the Senators lost ex-CT Whale/Wolf Pack Cam Talbot for five to seven weeks to a broken rib, according to the Ottawa Sun, in a freak pre-game injury.
Hellberg has had an incredible hockey journey over the past year. First, he was in the KHL in the Olympic city of HC Sochi in his fifth year (one in China, four in Russia). Then, with the outbreak of the Ukrainian War, he left after representing Sweden in last year’s Olympics and again at the World Championships.
Hellberg signed with the Detroit Red Wings and played a late-season game. He is likely ticketed for the Grands Rapids Griffins this year. He wound up with the Seattle Krakken in mid-July with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Palm Springs), his likely new residence, and here he winds up in Ottawa, the Canadian capital city.
Ex-Pack Greg McKegg was sent to the Bakersfield Condors.
UCONN traveled and swept their first Hockey East series of the season. They won 3-1 over the Vermont Catamounts as Matt Wood posted another goal and two points. Vermont post-grad Andrew Lucas added another two points. Arsenii Sergeev got his first win, and Chase Bradley got his first goal. Former Husky Jonny Evans is in camp with the Hershey Bears.
Fellow former teammates were assigned to their AHL teams.
Jáchym Kondelík and goalie Tomáš Vomáčka, both from Czechia (Czech Republic), were sent to the Milwaukee Admirals. Luke Evangelista is the second cousin of former Hartford Whaler and now Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan.
The Arizona Coyotes have some ties to Connecticut.
Former New Haven Senator John Ferguson, Jr. is the Assistant GM of the Coyotes and the GM of the Tucson RoadRunners (AHL).
Former New England Whaler, as well as a great player and Hartford Whaler Coach/GM, Larry Pleau, is a special advisor to the GM.
West Haven’s Eric Boguniecki, who played at Westminster Prep and the Gunn School, formerly known as The Gunnery School, and who was an assistant coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, is now an Arizona Pro Scout.
Luke Curadi of Cheshire, who played public school hockey at Notre Dame-West Haven and junior hockey with the Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack and a training camp invitee for the AHL Wolf Pack, is in his second year as a Coyotes amateur scout.
