THE HART BEAT – VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4
THE HART BEAT – VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack earned a split in a pair of divisional matchups this past weekend. Now, the Wolf Pack are on the road for their longest stretch of the season.
The club will play games two, three, and four of an eight-game road trip. This week also marks the Pack’s first trip to Canada of the season.
The Week That Was:
Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, vs. Providence Bruins (2-0 W): The Wolf Pack snapped a five-game skid on Friday night with their first home victory of the season. James Reimer was sensational, making 35 saves to record a shutout in his Wolf Pack debut.
Liam Greentree put the Pack ahead 57 seconds into the third period, tapping home a feed from Glenn Gawdin on the power play for his fourth goal of the season.
Carey Terrance hit the empty net at 19:18, cementing the two points for the Wolf Pack.
This marked the club’s second straight 2-0 victory over the Bruins. They also earned a shutout victory over the Bruins on Oct. 9 in Providence in the first meeting this season.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (2-3 L): The Wolf Pack turned in 40 strong minutes on the road but couldn’t hold off a furious Penguin rally in the final stanza.
Gawdin opened the scoring 4:50 into the second period, taking a feed from Nathan Aspinall and ripping home his second goal of the season.
Finn Harding got the Penguins even at 10:27 of the third period, then Tristan Broz gave them a lead at 14:34. With Harrison Bruinicke in the penalty box for hooking at 17:12, the Wolf Pack went to work six-on-four.
There, they found an equalizer when Juuso Pärssinen potted his second goal of the season from Justin Dowling and Greentree.
Despite tying it late, the Wolf Pack were unable to secure a point in the standings. Owen Pickering blasted home the game-winning goal from the left-wing circle at 18:40. The goal was his second against the Wolf Pack in three games this season.
The Week Ahead:
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, at Hamilton Hammers (7:00 p.m.): The Wolf Pack and Hammers will meet for the first time in the Steel City.
A season ago, when the Hammers were the Bridgeport Islanders, the franchises faced off twelve times. The Islanders won eight of those, going 8-4-0-0. The Wolf Pack were 4-8-0-0 in the head-to-head series.
This marks the first time since Feb. 11, 2011, that the Wolf Pack have visited Hamilton. That night, the Connecticut Whale defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs by a final score of 3-2. Devin DiDiomete scored the game-winning goal at 18:47 of the third period.
Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, at Belleville Senators (7:00 p.m.) – The Wolf Pack make their lone trip to Belleville of the season on Friday night. It is the first of two meetings on the season overall.
The sides split a pair of games last season, with the home team winning both. The Senators scored a dramatic 2-1 victory on home ice on Nov. 8. Philippe Daoust scored the shorthanded game-winning goal at 19:55 of the third period, stunning the Wolf Pack.
The Wolf Pack responded with a 4-0 shutout victory on Feb. 21 at PeoplesBank Arena. Brandon Scanlin scored the game-winning goal 6:08 into the game. Spencer Martin made 20 saves to record the shutout.
The Wolf Pack’s last victory in Belleville came on Mar. 24, 2024. Alex Belzile scored twice in the victory, while Olof Lindbom made 37 saves to collect the victory in net.
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at Springfield Thunderbirds (3:05 p.m.) – The Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds meet in the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ presented by Braman Pest on Sunday. It is the first of twelve meetings this season.
The Wolf Pack won six of ten meetings a season ago, going 6-4-0-0 against the T-Birds. The Thunderbirds collected points in five of the ten matchups, posting a record of 4-5-1-0.
Where to Watch and Listen:
All three Wolf Pack games will be available this weekend on AHLTV on FloHockey.
Alex Thomas will have the call of the action on Thursday and Friday night from Hamilton and Belleville. ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ begins at 6:45 p.m., with the call of the action starting at 7:00 p.m. on both nights. Fans can also tune in on Mixlr on both nights
Ryan Smith of the Thunderbirds will have the call of the action on AHLTV on FloHockey on Sunday.
Quick Hits:
- On Tuesday, the Wolf Pack loaned forward Caige Sterzer to the ECHL’s Worcester Railers.
- Also on Tuesday, the Wolf Pack named defenseman Marc Del Gaizo the 16th captain in franchise history.
- Forwards Anton Blidh, Justin Dowling, and Glenn Gawdin will wear the ‘A’ on a rotating basis this season.
- James Reimer became the oldest goaltender to start a game in the AHL on Oct. 23 since Manny Legace with the Springfield Thunderbirds on Apr. 14, 2012.
- He became the oldest goaltender to record a shutout (38y, 222d) in the AHL since Wade Flaherty (40y, 62d) on Mar. 13, 2008, with the Rockford IceHogs.
- Defenseman Matthew Robertson, assigned to the Wolf Pack on Sunday by the parent New York Rangers (NHL), is tenth all-time in games played in Wolf Pack history with 256 games.
- On Sunday, the Rangers signed Reimer to a one-year contract for the remainder of the 2026-27 season. In a corresponding move, the club assigned Robertson and goaltender Spencer Martin to the Wolf Pack. Reimer made his Rangers debut on Oct. 26 against the Los Angeles Kings.
Join the Wolf Pack for the 2026-27 season by becoming a member today! For more information, 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 are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and play at PeoplesBank Arena. The Wolf Pack has been home to numerous current New York Rangers including Igor Shesterkin, Will Cuylle, and Gabe Perreault. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
