THE HART BEAT – VOLUME 1, ISSUE 16
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack returns from the annual All-Star Break this weekend with just 27 games left in their regular season.
The club currently sits seven points back of the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. They’ll hit the road for a pair of games in Charlotte this weekend, looking to cut into their deficit and start the stretch drive off on a positive note.
The Week That Was:
Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 – at Providence Bruins (1-3 L): The Wolf Pack gave up two goals in 45 seconds in the first period, falling behind 2-0 18:36 into the game. That hole would prove to be too much to overcome.
Georgii Merkulov opened the scoring 17:51 into the game, beating Dylan Garand on a rebound opportunity. 45 seconds later, at 18:36, Frederic Brunet intercepted a pass, walked into a dangerous area, and snapped home his eighth goal of the season.
Trey Fix-Wolansky got the Wolf Pack on the board 13:59 into the second period, making it 2-1. He blasted a shot from the left-wing circle that beat Michael DiPietro for his team-leading 16th goal of the season.
The Wolf Pack pushed in the third, but could not beat DiPietro to equalize. Merkulov put the game away at 9:37 of the final period, potting his second goal of the night.
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 – Vs. Providence Bruins (1-2 SOL): The Bruins completed the sweep of the weekend back-to-back set on Saturday night at PeoplesBank Arena.
Brett Harrison opened the scoring 10:42 into the game, taking a pass from Merkulov in the left-wing circle and beating a diving Spencer Martin on the power play.
Connor Mackey evened the scoring 2:11 into the middle stanza, striking while the sides battled four-on-four. The shot came from the left-wing side and leaked through netminder Luke Cavallin.
The third period and overtime failed to produce a goal, forcing the sides to a shootout. It marked just the second shootout for both teams this season.
The Wolf Pack went 0-for-3 in the shootout, leading to Merkulov shooting with the game on his stick in the bottom of the third round. Merkulov beat Martin, earning the Bruins the second point and a tenth straight victory.
The Week Ahead:
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 – at Charlotte Checkers (4:00 p.m.)
Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 – at Charlotte Checkers (4:00 p.m.): The Wolf Pack and Checkers will meet for a back-to-back set in North Carolina this weekend. It is the first of two trips to the ‘Tar Heel State’ for the Wolf Pack this season.
The sides have played two games on the campaign, both in Hartford. Each team is 1-1-0-0.
The Wolf Pack claimed a 4-1 victory in the first meeting on Oct. 29. Gabe Perreault recorded three points (1 g, 2 a), while Justin Dowling scored twice in the victory. Dowling’s first goal of the night came just 30 seconds into the middle frame and would prove to be the game-winning goal.
The Checkers drew even with a dominating 7-1 victory on Jan. 28. Nate Smith struck just 5:52 into the hockey game, giving the visitors a lead they never lost. Riese Gaber paced the attack for the Checkers with four points (1 g, 3 a), while Brett Chorske lit the lamp twice in the victory.
The Wolf Pack were 2-1-1-0 in Charlotte a season ago.
Where To Watch & Listen:
You can watch both Wolf Pack games this weekend on AHLTV on FloHockey here!
Alex Thomas will have the call of the action both days. ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starts at 3:45 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Both games can also be heard on Mixlr.
Quick Hits:
- On Saturday, the Wolf Pack signed veteran defenseman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout agreement (PTO). Dermott joined the Wolf Pack prior to the All-Star break but has yet to make his team debut.
- Also on Saturday, the parent New York Rangers (NHL) reassigned goaltender Callum Tung to the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison from the Wolf Pack.
- Former Wolf Pack F Cristiano DiGiacinto is currently partaking in the 2026 Winter Olympics as a member of Team Italy. He spent parts of three seasons with the Wolf Pack (2021-22 – 2023-24).
- The Wolf Pack are second in the Atlantic Division in penalty minutes with 621. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are first with 645.
Join the Wolf Pack for the 2025-26 season! Single-game tickets are on sale now! To buy, click here.
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THE HART BEAT – VOLUME 1, ISSUE 15
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack are set for the final two games before the All-Star Break. This weekend, the Wolf Pack will meet the Providence Bruins for a back-to-back, home-and-home set.
The club is looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Week That Was:
Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 – Vs. Bridgeport Islanders (3-6 L): The Wolf Pack were doubled up in the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ at PeoplesBank Arena on Friday night.
Julien Gauthier opened the scoring 8:35 into the game, giving the visitors a lead they never lost. Hunter Drew netted a natural hat-trick, putting the Islanders ahead 4-0 by the 6:05 mark of the second period. Drew struck at 13:27 of the opening stanza, then again at 5:26 and 6:05 of the middle frame.
Matthew Maggio made it 5-0 at 16:48 of the second period, backhanding home a rebound.
Jaroslav Chmelař, Cooper Moore, and Daniel Walcott all scored in the third period for the Wolf Pack to make it 5-3, but Liam Foudy hit the empty net at 19:06 to end the intrigue.
Moore’s goal was his first in the AHL. Kyle Jackson picked up the secondary assist on the goal. That was the first point of Jackson’s AHL career.
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 – at Springfield Thunderbirds (1-4 L): The Wolf Pack fell behind just 6:55 into the game when Marc-André Gaudet blasted home his fourth goal of the season.
Brendan Brisson struck on the power play at 13:20 of the first period to tie the game. He fired a shot from the right-wing circle while the Wolf Pack attacked five-on-three for his 12th goal of the season.
Hunter Skinner restored the lead at 3:38 of the second period, however. Skinner fired a shot from the top of the left-wing circle that beat Garand for his fourth goal of the season. Dillon Dube tacked on the insurance at 8:13, making it 3-1 through 40 minutes.
Despite a good push in the third period, the Wolf Pack were unable to find the equalizer. Chris Wagner hit the empty net at 17:00, cementing the two points for the Thunderbirds.
The Week Ahead:
Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 – at Providence Bruins (7:05 p.m.)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 – Vs. Providence Bruins (7:00 p.m.): The Wolf Pack and Bruins will play back-to-back games this weekend, with the set opening in Providence on Friday night before concluding in Hartford on Saturday.
These are the fifth and sixth meetings out of ten on the season. It will be the third meeting in each city.
The Bruins have won three of the first four matchups, posting a 3-1-0-0 record. The Wolf Pack are 1-2-1-0 on the season against the Bruins.
Each of the two meetings in Providence has gone the way of the Bruins. They picked up a 5-2 victory on Oct. 18 and a 3-2 overtime decision on Nov. 12. Fabian Lysell potted the game-winning goal in the overtime triumph.
The Wolf Pack picked up a 5-1 victory in the last meeting on Jan. 10 in Hartford. Brett Berard scored the game-winning goal that night, while Callum Tung made 24 saves to pick up the victory.
Where To Watch & Listen:
You can watch both Wolf Pack games this weekend on AHLTV on FloHockey here!
Alex Thomas will have the call of the action both nights. ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starts at 6:50 p.m. on Friday night and 6:45 p.m. on Saturday night.
Both games can also be heard on Mixlr.
Quick Hits:
- On Saturday, the parent New York Rangers claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers from the San Jose Sharks. To make room, the club assigned forward Brett Berard to the Wolf Pack.
- The Wolf Pack have surrendered the first goal in each of their last five games.
- On Tuesday, the AHL announced that forward Brendan Brisson will attend the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO. The event takes place in Rockford, IL.
- Thanks to his power play goal on Friday night, Brisson now leads the Wolf Pack with six power play goals on the season.
- The Wolf Pack are currently 16-22-4-1 on the season, good for 37 points. They sit eighth in the Atlantic Division and are five points back of the Bridgeport Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Division.
Join the Wolf Pack for the 2025-26 season! Single-game tickets are on sale now! To buy, click here.
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 PeoplesBank Arena. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Will Cuylle, and Matt Rempe. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
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