HARTFORD WOLF PACK REPORTER’S NOTES 

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and every professional team everywhere, for that matter, are all busy at work getting their roster ready for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

The Wolf Pack added roster depth by inking forward Cristiano DiGiacinto, to a one-year AHL deal.

DiGiacinto, 27, appeared in 36 games with the Wolf Pack in the 2022-23 season, his second with the team. He registered 12 points on three goals and nine assists and collected 44 PIMs.

DiGiacinto, a walk-on from Canadian college hockey (Acadia University), also appeared in 47 games with the Wolf Pack during the 2021-22 season scoring 13 points and scoring six goals.

In addition to his time in Hartford last year, DiGiacinto skated in 19 games with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen, who were then the Wolf Pack’s Double AA affiliate. While in Jacksonville, he tallied 15 points, including ten assists. He added three points and two assists in 12 Kelly Cup playoff games.

DiGiacinto hails from Hamilton, Ontario. He has scored 25 points with nine goals in 83 AHL games, all with the Wolf Pack. He has also dressed in 31 ECHL games, all with the Icemen, scoring 21 points on six goals.

The 5’11, 192-pound forward was selected originally in the sixth round, 170th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He was never offered a deal and signed with the Rangers.

After three seasons, newly ex-Pack Patrick Khordorenko, who played in just four games last year after season-ending shoulder surgery, signs with the Charlotte Checkers for ’23-’24.

Another ex-Pack who suited up for just two games over two years, Easton Brodzinski, the brother of Pack captain Jonny is now a minor league free agent. He heads to familiar territory signing with the Jacksonville Iceman (ECHL), currently affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres.

Ex-Pack Malte Strömwall leaves the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and heads home. He signs with Frölunda HC (Sweden-SHL) for the 2023-24 season.

After a year with HC Litvinov in Czechia, ex-Pack Josh Wesley, the son of former Hartford Whaler Glen Wesley, signs with the Colorado Eagles (AHL).

Former Pack Jacob Hayhurst signs an AHL two-way deal with Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) /Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL).

Ex-Pack Blake Parlett departs Nuremberg (Germany-DEL) and signs with HC Bolzano (Italy-IceHL) for 2023-24. He joins another exp ex-Pack Christian Thomas and ex-Sound Tiger Mike Halmo.

Former CT Whale Mike Pelech departs the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL) for Glasgow (Scotland-EIHL).

Parker Gahagan, the Wolf Pack emergency goalie last year, spent most of the season with Jacksonville (ECHL). He suited up for just two games with Hartford. He signs a one-way, one-year deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)/Reading Royals (ECHL).

Adam Samuelsson, the youngest son of Whaler great, former Ranger, former Wolf Pack, and Avon Old Farms assistant coach, Ulf Samuelsson, leaves the Newfoundland Growlers (St. John’s) (ECHL) and signs with the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL).

Three new junior coaching adds ex-Pack Chris Nell, who returns to his hometown of Green Bay for a second consecutive season. Nell leaves Marian University (NCHA), where he was an assistant coach, and his high school alma mater, Notre Dame Academy, where he was the goalie coach last season. He now becomes the assistant coach and Director of Goaltending for the local junior team, the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL).

NEXT

The NHL released its preseason schedule with dates, times, and locations; unfortunately, there won’t be any games in Hartford. While Hartford is not on the schedule, surprisingly, Sydney, Nova Scotia did.

If Hartford can’t even get an exhibition game, it’s time to move on from this fantasy that the NHL will return to the Connecticut capital.

UCONN RELATED NEWS

The UCONN men’s hockey team has announced their home slate for the Hockey East season. It will feature a very light XL Center presence with 17 games on the Huskies’ home ice in Storrs after their direct negotiations with the current building operator, OVG 360.

UCONN will play its first full season at the Toscano Family Ice Forum. The Huskies had a strong start last year in the first half of the season and faded in the second half finishing the season 20-12-3.

The Huskies bowed out to UMASS-Lowell in the playoffs after losing to UMASS in the conference title game the prior year. Across the hallway with the Hartford Wolf Pack is Bobby Trivigno, who swiped their national tournament aspirations.

The team opens up on the road in a non-conference set against Colgate University (ECACHL) and their new head coach, ex-Pack Mike Harder. His assistant is one-time Yale Bulldog captain Anthony Walsh.

The non-conference slate has the Huskies hosting the Holy Cross Crusaders (AHA) with assistant coach and ex-Pack Bobby Butler on October 14th at Toscano for the home opener.

The Huskies will host just three Hockey East matchups at the XL Center. It will be just one of the few times the fans in Hartford will see the #15 overall draft pick of the Nashville Predators, Matt Wood.

The reason for that is Hockey East requires all its schools to play primarily on campus. For years waivers were granted to UCONN, and the conference schools chafed about their teams playing on campus buildings. That includes UCONN.

Now with the Toscano sandbox built, the school can’t hide anymore.

The XL as a home rink doesn’t cut even with no tickets available.

A few years ago, a source indicated that the negotiations before Toscano were built centered on how low they could go and not meeting the 4,000 standard Hockey East requirement. They couldn’t go lower than Merrimack, and many fans will now be shut out.

The Huskies are being held to the letter of the law of their conference entry application.

The only Hockey East games at the XL Center are UMass-Lowell on October 28th, then the University of Maine Black Bears for two games on January 12th and 13th.

The XL Center games will include a non-conference meeting with Dartmouth College and their head coach, former Quinnipiac assistant coach, and player Reid Cashman, on November 25th.

They will host Harvard on New Year’s Eve, December 31st, at Toscano at 3:00 PM.

UCONN will wrap up its XL Center activity with non-conference action on January 26 and 27, hosting their annual  Connecticut Ice Festival for the fourth time. It will feature the reigning National Champion Quinnipiac Bobcats, the Yale Bulldogs, ECACHL teams, and the Sacred Heart Pioneers (AHA).

The rest of the Hockey East contests will be held at the Toscano Family Ice Forum.

On November 10th, the Huskies host Merrimack, and then the Boston College Eagles, loaded with NHL prospects, on November 18th at Toscano.

UCONN will host UMass-Lowell for their third season matchup on Friday, December 1st.

The school will start the new year with the first game in Storrs on January 19th. The Huskies will welcome the University of New Hampshire.

UCONN will host Providence College, Massachusetts, and Boston University in February after the Connecticut Ice tournament at the XL Center.

The Huskies finish the regular season at their on-campus home skating against the Northeastern Huskies and then end the regular season against the University of Vermont. That will complete their 35-game regular season in early March.

Any Hockey East post-season games are all single-game affairs per the conference format and will be played at Toscano.

Former Husky Spencer Naas, UCONN (HE)/Selects Academy at South Kent Prep (CTPREP), leaves the Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL ) and signs with the Dundee Stars (Scotland-EIHL) for the 2023-24 season.

Another ex-Husky, Ryan Wheeler, leaves the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) and signs with the Adirondack Thunder(ECHL).

The current Huskies saw their former highly-rated goalie, Logan Terness, transfer to the Ohio State Buckeyes (Big 10). Head coach Mike Cavanaugh, in turn, then rolled the dice with a grad transfer from the ECACHL goalie Carson Haider from Clarkson University. They had great success two years ago with Darion Hanson.

DRURY’S SON

Luke Drury, the son of Rangers’ President and General Manager Chris Drury, is captain at the Brunswick (Bears) School in Greenwich. He commits to attend and play at Brown University (ECACHL) for the 2025-26 season.

The elder Drury’s ex-Hartford Whaler brother Ted has five children-four boys and a daughter. Each of his offspring is involved in hockey at some level.

Owen Drury will play with the West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL) next year. He has not committed to college yet. His youngest, Ryan, is 12 and playing with the CCM Chicago team.

His eldest son, Jack, played for his hometown, Chicago Wolves, last season before a late injury recall by the Carolina Hurricanes.

SOME NEW HAVEN CONNECTIONS

Ronan Buckberger, the youngest son of former Beast of New Haven forward Ashley Buckberger, commits to the Ohio State Buckeyes (Big 10) in 2025-26.

Ryan McCleary, the son of former New Haven Senator Trent McCreary, was traded from the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) to his hometown team, the Swift Current Broncos (WHL). He is a Pittsburgh (NHL) seventh-round 2021 draftee.

His sister, Maddy, just completed her Canadian college career with the St. Mary’s (Halifax) University Huskies (AUAA-W).

ODDS AND ENDS

Rayen Petrovický, the son of former Whaler and New York Ranger Róbert Petrovický, skated with three European teams last year. The previous was JoKP (Finland-Mestis) on a loan. He signs with HC Liberec (Czechia (Czech Republic-CEL) for the 2023-24 campaign.

A trio of ex-Sound Tigers got new addresses as Mitch Vande Sompel goes from the Colorado Eagles (AHL) to the independent AHL Chicago Wolves. Bode Wild goes from Atlanta (ECHL) back overseas to HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia-SLEL). Victor Crus-Rydberg switches teams in the Swedish lowest Division 1 league, HockeyEttan Kalmar HC, to Karlskrona HK.

Alex Kromm, the son of former Whaler Rich Kromm, retires and becomes the assistant coach for the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL). Alex Drulia, the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk Stan Drulia, becomes the Austin Bruins (NAHL) assistant coach.

As of August 1st, the early signing and commit phase starts in college hockey recruiting.

Quinnipiac University snagged Conrado Calderini from Greenwich, who’s attending Berkshire School. They also got a commitment from Ethan Wyttenbach, who commits for 2026-27. He played last year on the Long Island Gulls U-15 team. He will likely be heading to a prep school and juniors until he arrives.

Yale got Kirby Perler and Dylan Hunt of the Boston Junior Eagles via Milton Academy. The 16-year-old Perler, a Woodbridge native, knows the difficulties surrounding Ivy League school admissions, so this was a verbal commitment pending he meets the strict academic requirements for entry. Even ECACHL schools need to compete in the highly competitive college hockey marketplace.

Perler still faces a tough road and will need to go to either a prep school, the USHL, or the now independent of BC Hockey, BCHL, before he sees the ice at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, the home to the Bulldogs.

Among the incoming class of six are Dave Andreychuk (no relation to the former NHL player of the same name and spelling). He played Frederick Gunn School (Washington). He then migrated to the Northeast Generals (NAHL).

Another is William (Will) “Beanie” Richter of Greenwich/Brunswick School, the son of legendary Rangers goaltender Mike Richter. He played with the Penticton Vees (BCHL) last three years.

UCONN has not released its list.

Four of a half-dozen prospects committed to Harvard are considered blue-chip prospects.

Michael Munroe of Avon Old Farms (CTPREP) is a 2025-26 commit to the University of Maine (HE) Black Bears.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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