HARTFORD WOLF PACK REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK 

By; Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The New York Rangers training camp has officially opened, and their first game against the Boston Bruins, a 3-0 loss, has been played. There are still lots of Hartford Wolf Pack notes coming out of camp.

Pack defenseman Adam Clendening re-signs with the Rangers on a PTO. Nothing was indicated about his potential for a return to Hartford. He adds depth to an already crowded defense corps. It was thought that the Chicago Wolves, Milwaukee Admirals, Grand Rapids Griffins, or Cleveland Monsters, all AHL teams, would be his next destination.

The Wolf Pack moved their game with Cleveland from Saturday, February 24, 2024, to Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. There is an unspecified building availability issue. It will lead to a rare midweek three-games-in-three-days running Wednesday through Friday (Bridgeport Islanders, Cleveland, and Springfield) and an even rarer mid-season weekend off.

EX-PLAYERS MOVEMENT

Ex-Pack Danny O’Regan signs with MODO (Sweden-SHL). Ninety players from the AHL last year have now signed overseas.

Ex-Pack Andy Welinski signs with the St. Louis Blues. There is a good chance he will play for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season.

Ex-Pack goalie Brandon Halverson returns to North American hockey. He departs Germany DEL-2 for one more chance with the Dallas Stars on a Professional Try-Out (PTO) training camp deal. He’s aiming for a spot with the Texas Stars (AHL) or the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL).

Ex-Pack/Ranger Artem Anisimov signs a PTO training camp deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

Angela Ruggiero (Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford) is now the Rangers Hockey Operations Advisor and is one of three new female organizational hires.

Former New Haven Senator (19 games) Andy Schneider is the Rangers’ new Director of Amateur Scouting for North America. He moves organizationally from across the Hudson River from the New Jersey Devils, where he was the Director of Canadian major junior hockey scouting for them last year.

YOUNG ARMY

The youngest son of Wolf Pack great Derek Armstrong, Easton Armstrong, is off to the Los Angeles Kings training camp on an invite basis. The Kings are one of the NHL teams his father played for.

Easton will likely return to the Wenatchee Wild (WHL) for his last junior year as an overager. The Wenatchee Wild ownership purchased his Winnipeg Ice team from last season this past summer. The franchise was upgraded from the Junior A BCHL to the WHL.

Reports that Armstrong signed with the Fargo Force (USHL) are false. That organization had pursued him when he was 16 but has had no contact with him since. Three WHL teams had been looking to add him.

AUSTRALIA GAME

The first NHL game in Australia was a hit.

Nick Bjugstad, the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk Scott Bjugstad, had a strong game and set up the second Arizona Coyotes goal in the 5-3 win over the Kings.

Teammate Barrett Hayton, the son of Nighthawk Brian Hayton, recorded the empty net insurance goal. A third son of a former Nighthawk played as well. Pierre-Luc Dubois is the son of Eric Dubois.

Jason Spence, the second Australian by birth presently playing in the NHL, had the primary assist on the Kings’ first goal.

The goal by Logan Cooley will be the most significant conversation piece, his right-wing rush spin-a-rama tally.

OTTAWA

Michael Andlauer’s purchase of the Ottawa and Belleville Senators was unanimously granted and approved by the NHL and AHL’s respective Boards of Governors on Friday. Now that it’s done, next is getting a downtown arena, and eventually, Belleville might be relocated down the road.

Whispers have been circulating that Ottawa might want to move its AHL team into the Western Quebec region to extend its brand and capture the 25% French-speaking market of Ottawa, the Canadian national capital city.

Gatineau across the river would be likely, but the QMJHL Olympiques will have a big say if it ever happens.

Eastern Quebec has been ceded to the Canadiens.

MORE TRANSACTIONS

Alexandre Fortin, the nephew of ex-Hartford Whaler Jean-Sébastien Giguère, a former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe (Playoff MVP) trophy winner, signs with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), leaving the Hershey Bears organization.

Nolan Volcan, the nephew of another former Whaler, Mickey Volcan, signed with the Ft. Wayne Komets (ECHL). He came from Canadian college hockey, where he played for the University of Alberta Golden Bears program. He heads to training camp with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL). His grandfather, Mike Volcan, played in the CFL.

BRIDGEPORT NEWS

The Bridgeport Islanders saw the parent New York Islanders bring back from the Swedish Hockey League Dmytro Timashov, who was born in Ukraine.

Timashov played in Bridgeport during the 2020-21 season. He joins Samuel Asselin from the Providence Bruins. He’s been a “Pack pest” the last few years and likely will be in Bridgeport this season.

Former Sound Tiger Goalie Christopher Gibson leaves the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle Kraken) and is headed to the Texas Stars (Dallas Stars).

The Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) have Alec Nasredinne, the son of former Sound Tiger player and current Dallas assistant coach Alain Nasredinne. They also have Brady Schultz (Monroe), the grandson of former Whaler Norm Barnes, and Liam Kilfoil, formerly of the Selects Academy at South Kent Pre,p on their lineup as the junior season gets underway.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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