PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK DROP THE PUCK ON NEW SEASON IN CHARLOTTE
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack are on the road to kick off a season for the first time in eight years. Tonight, the Wolf Pack begin their 26th season of American Hockey League plays in Charlotte against the division rival Checkers. It’s the first time since the 2014-15 season that the Wolf Pack have opened on the road, and their first time opening a season in Charlotte.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of eight meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Checkers during the 2022-23 season. It is the first of two games between the teams at the Bojangles Coliseum this weekend and the first of four in North Carolina this season. The Wolf Pack will be back in Charlotte for games on January 10th and 11th.
The Checkers will make four visits to Hartford this season, with the first coming on Saturday, October 29th.
The Wolf Pack are 1-15-0-1 all-time against the Checkers in Charlotte. Hartford’s lone victory at the Coliseum came on their last visit on April 10th, 2022. The Wolf Pack won that game 4-3 in overtime thanks to a goal from Maxim Letunov.
The Checkers won the most recent meeting, 2-1, at the XL Center on April 22nd, 2022. Tanner Fritz opened the scoring for Hartford at 18:15 of the first, but Chase Priskie would even the game 9:30 into the middle stanza. Finally, Scott Wilson fired home his 24th goal of the season at 9:32 of the third frame, clinching the victory for the Checkers and eliminating the Wolf Pack from the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Checkers went 5-0-1-0 in the series last season. Hartford, on the other hand, posted a record of 1-4-1-0.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack open their season after a busy summer of transactions. The club features three new goaltenders on the roster, Louis Domingue, Dylan Garand, and Olof Lindbom. Up front, veteran forwards C.J. Smith and Turner Elson join the club, while captain Jonny Brodzinski returns from a stint with the New York Rangers. Also joining the Pack from New York are forwards Gustav Rydahl and Julien Gauthier.
Defensively, veteran Andy Welinski signed with the Rangers as a free agent and joined the Wolf Pack after spending last season with the Stockton Heat. In addition, Blake Hillman signed an AHL contract with the club after a successful stint with the Providence Bruins, while Ty Emberson is in the mix after the Rangers acquired him via trade from the Arizona Coyotes.
Behind the bench, Jamie Tardif joined the coaching staff as an Assistant Coach.
Checkers Outlook:
The Checkers finished the 2021-22 season with a 42-24-5-1 record, good for 90 points and a .625 points percentage that clinched them the Atlantic Division title. The Checkers eliminated the Bridgeport Islanders in four games in the Atlantic Division Semifinals before falling to the Springfield Thunderbirds in three games in the Atlantic Division Finals.
After having a split affiliation a season ago with the Seattle Kraken and Florida Panthers, the Checkers will only be affiliated with the Panthers this season. The Kraken is now affiliated with the new Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The Checkers added veteran firepower this offseason, signing veteran forward Riley Nash. The Panthers, meanwhile, added forwards Gerry Mayhew and Chris Tierney for the Checkers. Defensively, former Hartford rearguards Anthony Bitetto and Michael Del Zotto are among the newest Checkers.
Game Information:
Be sure to tune in to AHLTV for a ‘Freeview’ all weekend long! You can watch every AHL game live and free from October 14th – 16th. Unable to watch it? Listen to the audio call for free on Mixlr! Hartford Wolf Pack home and away games are free all season long only on Mixlr.
The Wolf Pack return to Hartford following tomorrow night’s game to prepare for their home opener. Join us next Saturday, October 22nd, at the XL Center when the Wolf Pack hosts the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The first 1,500 fans through the door on opening night will also receive a magnetic schedule courtesy of Pepsi Zero Sugar! Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
