By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Hartford Wolf Pack players will report to the New York Rangers training camp in only a few weeks. But that is not the only news, as more players are moving about and signing contracts around the world. But while some are signing to keep playing, others call it a career.
Ex-CT Whale and Ranger defenseman Michael Del Zotto retired from hockey after 14 seasons, his last with the Anaheim Ducks. He split last year with the Charlotte Checkers and the San Diego Gulls (AHL) after 736 NHL games and a Stanley Cup. Del Zotto was initially drafted by the Rangers in 2008.
Another player calling it a career is ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger goalie Kevin Poulin. He retired from hockey after playing with the Laval Rocket with an above .500 record in the AHL. Poulin played for five teams and accumulated a career record of 115-106-23 with a .910 save percentage over nine seasons. He spent 13 years in pro hockey and earned a bronze medal for Team Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea.
SIGNINGS
Ex-Pack Joey Keane renews his deal with Spartak Moscow (Russia-KHL).
Ex-Pack/Sound Tiger Jean-François Bérubé leaves the Florida Panthers organization and returns to the LA Kings organization.
Five more AHL’ers move on to Europe.
Bobby Lynch leaves the Rockford IceHogs for Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL). Goalie Anton Khudobdin also leaves Rockford for Sokol Krasnoyarsk (Russia-VHL). Dylan Sikura leaves the San Diego Gulls and Rockford for Skellefteå AIK (Sweden-SHL). Chase Pearson leaves the Grand Rapids Griffins to go to HC Dukla Michalovce (Slovakia-SLEL), and Erik Brown departs from Bridgeport to Sport Vassa (Finland-FEL).
That makes 83 players in total heading to Europe. Ten go to Russia, making 17 to the KHL. 30 of the 32 AHL teams have seen at least one player sign overseas. Sweden leads all countries with 31 players signed.
ERIC BOULTON & SONS
Eric Boulton, who played with the Rochester Americans (AHL) during his career. He played against the Wolf Pack, most memorably in the 2000 AHL Calder Cup final. He was also a Sound Tiger for two games at the end of his career. The Rangers originally drafted him in the ninth round of the 1994 NHL Draft, but he never played in New York. He spent half a season in Binghamton. Boulton has both of his sons involved in hockey.
His 17-year-old son, Ryder Boulton, will play for the London Knights (OHL) this season. He spent last year with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres U-16 AAA team, where his father was the assistant coach and an Islanders pro scout.
19-year-old Sawyer Boulton is in American junior hockey. He goes from the El Paso (TX) Rhinos (NAHL) to the Rochester Jr. Americans (NAHL) this year.
MOVES
The Pittsburgh Penguins dealt Peter DiLiberatore (Quinnipiac University) to the Arizona Coyotes, where he will likely play with the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL).
Another former member of the national champion Quinnipiac Bobcats and a grad transfer from Wisconsin (Big 10), Ty Smilanic, is slated to be in the rookie camp of the Montreal Canadiens, hoping to get a deal to play in Laval or the Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL).
Jacob Nordqvist, who played his grad transfer also with the national champion Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) team after four years with Lake Superior State (CCHA), signs with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL).
Now that makes 26 ECACHL pro signees.
The Hockey East conference still leads all conferences with 38 singings, while the NCHC has 37, the CCHA has 35, the Big Ten 32, and the AHA has 20.
As for the rest, the NCAA Independents have 13, Europe has 65, and Division III has 34. Canadian colleges have four, and Canadian major junior leagues have only two. Undergrads leaving early is at 39, and the total number is now 305.
Grad transfers 70 and in-school-104.
NEWS
UCONN promotes Assistant Coach Tyler Helton to Associate Head Coach. After four years as an undergrad since 2013, he has been a part of the UCONN Hockey East version since its inception.
The Huskies got a verbal commitment from California native Colin Frank of the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) for 2025-26.
Jake Sanderson, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler Geoff Sanderson, signed a one-year extension with the Ottawa Senators to his original ELC deal.
The U-17 tourney schedule was announced. It will be held in Charlottetown (Eastlink Centre)/Summerside (Credit Union Place), PEI (Prince Edward Island) November 2-12. It features six teams: Canada Red, Canada White, Czechia, Finland, Sweden, and the US.
The medal games will be held on November 11 at noon and 5 p.m. AST.
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