KNOBLAUCH NAMED OILERS HC, SMITH TAKES OVER PACK
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury and Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the club has named Steve Smith as interim Head Coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
Smith, 60, is in his third season with the Wolf Pack. He was named an Assistant Coach with the club on August 24th, 2021, and spent the last two seasons in that role under Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. Smith spent two games as the Wolf Pack’s interim Head Coach during the 2021-22 season, while Knoblauch was with the Rangers due to COVID-19 protocols.
Before joining the Wolf Pack, Smith served as an Assistant Coach with the NHL’s Calgary Flames (1997-98), Edmonton Oilers (2010-14), Carolina Hurricanes (2014-18), and Buffalo Sabres (2018-21).
Smith enjoyed an 804-game NHL career, playing with the Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Flames. He scored 375 points (72 g, 303 a) in his career and won the Stanley Cup three times as a member of the Oilers (1987, 1988, 1990).
Earlier today, the Oilers announced that Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch has been named the team’s new head coach.
Knoblauch was named the seventh head coach in Wolf Pack history on July 29th, 2019. He posted a record of 119-90-18-14 in 241 games as the Wolf Pack’s Head Coach.
About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more.
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.
