CANTLON’S CORNER: Wolf Pack Off Season Volume 17
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – This is the last of our off season trackings of all things Hartford Wolf Pack and CT hockey connected info. Cantlon’s Corner will return when Wolf Pack training camp opens in late September following the New York Rangers – New York Islanders exhibition game on September 22nd at the Webster Bank Arena. The exhibition game will be the sixth NHL pre-season game held at the Arena, but the first with the Rangers as the opponent for the Islanders.
PLAYER & COACHING MOVEMENT
Ex-Wolf Pack / Ranger, Tanner Glass, has signed a training camp PTO with the Calgary Flames.
Ex-Wolf Pack defenseman, Conor Allen, signed a one-year AHL deal with the Rochester Americans.
Ex-Pack forward, Scott Tanski, leaves the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) to sign with the Reading Royals (ECHL).
Ex-Sound Tiger defenseman, Peter Lee, who had some good seasons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia-KHL), signed a PTO training camp deal with the Los Angeles Kings. He’ll likely end up playing with the Ontario Reign (AHL).
The AHL-to-Europe list grew this past week. Ex-Pack, Mike Kostka, who split last season with the Stockton Heat after being traded by the Binghamton Senators signs with Skelleftea AIK (Sweden-SHL). Former Yale player, Antoine Langaniere, following four years of AHL play departs the San Diego Gulls for Assat Pori (Finland-FEL). John Kurtz of the Syracuse Crunch, who also had time playing time with the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) signs with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland-EIHL).
These signings make 80 players who have signed in Europe with 28 of the 30 AHL teams having lost at least one to Europe or Asia hockey leagues.
Ex-Wolf Pack, Ryan Potulny, who started last year with HK Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic-CEL) and ended the season with EHC Linz (Austria-AEHL) heads to Braehead (Scotland-EIHL) for this season.
Ex-Pack, Maxim Kondratiev, re-signs with Amur Khabarovsk (Russia-KHL).
Former Wolf Pack goalie Miika Wiikman heads over from Nottingham (England – EIHL) to the Milton Keynes Lightning (England-EIHL) who are making their league debut this season being elevated from the EPIHL league.
A blast from the past, defenseman, Anders Myrvold, who played 19 games for the Wolf Pack in 2001-02, and who has not played hockey in seven years, has signed a deal for a playing comeback at age 42 to play for Valerenga in Norway Elite League (NEL).
Blast from the Part Two: Always chatty and combative ex-Pack, Ryan Hollweg, sidelined for the entirety of last season with a knee injury, is back. Hollweg has signed a one-year deal with HC Pilsener (Plzen) of the Czech Elite League (CEL). HC Pilsener is who he played for before his injury. Known as, “Hollywood” to his teammates while here and starting his pro career, is now married to a Czech woman and lives there full time.
Another collegiate free agent, Hobey Baker winner, defenseman Will Butcher, who played for NCAA champion, the University of Denver Pioneers (NCHC) signs a two-year entry level deal as permitted under the CBA with the New Jersey Devils. Butcher turned down bids from the Buffalo Sabres and the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights. Originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, Butcher was granted free agent status after Colorado was unable to get him to sign a deal by last Tuesday.
Pierre-Luc Mercier from Bowling Green University (NCHC) and Stephen Johnson of SUNY-Owego (SUNYAC) both signed with the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL) and Connor Schmidt Utica College (ECAC West) inks a deal with the Tulsa Oilers (ECHL).
182 Division I players, 24 from Division III and 45 Europeans have signed professional contracts for a total of 251 collegians.
Sacred Heart University Pioneers (AHA) announced three transfers to the school. Leading the way is defenseman Mike Lee (Hamden/Gunnery Prep) from the University of Vermont (HE). He will be eligible to play in 2018-19. This season, Jason Cotton, who come from Northeastern (HE) and goalie Matt Keneally from Becker College (Worcester, MA) will play.
Briggs Gammill (New Canaan) announced a verbal commitment to Yale University (ECACHL) for 2020-21.
Pat Mullane, the Wallingford native and former Avon Old Farms product, following five years of pro hockey has decided to call it quits. Last season he played for HC Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic-CEL) and was in Wolf Pack training camp three years ago.
Former Wolf Pack and CT Whale defenseman, Jared Nightingale, hung up the skates and becomes an assistant coach with the Omaha Lancers (USHL) this season. Nightingale’s younger brother, Adam, is an assistant coach (video) with the Detroit Red Wings. His older brother, Jason, is the Coordinating Director of Analytics with Buffalo.
With Nightingale’s move into coaching that makes 79 former Pack players as well as three former coaches all coaching hockey at some level in North America or Europe.
Ex-New Haven Nighthawk, and Wolf Pack goalie, Robb Stauber, currently the head coach of the US Women’s National hockey team, has some news to celebrate.
Stauber’s nephew, Levi Stauber, has made an early commitment to Michigan Tech (NCHC) for 2019-20. He is also a Dubuque (USHL) 2016 Draftee. His other nephew, Willy, is in his senior season of Minnesota public school hockey with Duluth Marshall High School. He will also play for Team CCM in a junior league.
Jaxson, his son, will be playing junior hockey with one of two teams he was drafted by, either Sioux Falls (USHL) or Bismarck (NAHL) this year. Jaxon played with the nationally known Honeybaked U-16 team (TIEHL).
Jake Gresh (Avon/Avon Old Farms), who played last season for the Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL) in Canadian Junior A switches to US junior hockey. He will play for the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) this year and is on track to play for the University Alaska-Fairbanks (WCHA) in 2018-19.
There’s a disturbing new trend in college hockey with its transfer rule. Former Vermont goalie, Patrick “Packy” Munson, moved to the defending national champion, University of Denver (NCHC). He was eligible to play this year, but Denver brought in two other goalies, so Munson has transferred to Michigan Tech (NCHC) in the same conference. Because he completed his NCAA mandated transfer year, he can immediately play for Michigan Tech.
One of the classiest NHL players, Shane Doan, announced his retirement after 21 years. Doan owes those many years to his years in the AHL. He was struggling in his third year (1997-’98) and the Coyotes, then the parent team of the Springfield Falcons, sent him down to get his game together. He has 42 points in 39 games and once he was recalled never returned. Doan went on to five consecutive 20+ consecutive goal seasons and topped the team in almost every category.
Former Wolf Pack, Ryan Malone, has signed a PTO deal for training camp with the Minnesota Wild. He retired after the 2014-15 season after 28 games with just four goals.
Ex-Sound Tiger, Harry Zolnierczyk, goes from the Nashville Predators to the Florida Panthers on a training camp PTO.
Lots of changes for scouts, some new while other are changing teams. Plus there were some assistant coaches who moved over the summer with their Connecticut connection;
Arizona – Mark Bell (Wolf Pack) Pro Scout
Boston – Mike Dunham (Salisbury Prep) Goalie coach
Buffalo – Frank Musil (Whalers) Pro Scout
Calgary – Don Maloney (New Haven, Whalers, Wolf Pack) Senior VP of Player Development
Chicago – Mikael Samuelsson (Wolf Pack) Player Development Coach and Ulf Samuelsson (Whalers, Wolf Pack, Avon Old Farms) Assistant coach (not related to each other)
Carolina – Mike Mottau (Wolf Pack) Amateur Scout and Andrei Nikolishin (Whalers) European Scout
Los Angeles – Don Nachbaur (New Haven Nighthawks & Whalers) Assistant Coach
New Jersey – Joe Ferras (Sound Tigers) Pro Scout, Andy Schneider (New Haven Senators) – Amateur Scout, Eric Weinrich (Whalers) Player Development Coach and Chris Scopetto (Beast of New Haven/Hamden) Equipment Manager
New York Rangers – Steve Eminger (CT Whale) Pro Scout
Ottawa – Steve Stirling (Sound Tigers Pro Scout, and Todd Stirling (Danbury Trashers) – Amateur Scout
Pittsburgh – Scott Young (Whalers) Director of Player Development
St. Louis – Daniel Tkaczuk (Sound Tigers) Assistant Coach
San Jose – Dave Barr (Whalers) Assistant Coach
Vancouver – Ryan Johnson (Beast of New Haven) Director of Player Development/Utica (AHL) – GM
Las Vegas – George McPhee (New Haven Nighthawks) GM, Murray Craven (Whalers) Senior VP, Ryan McGill (Wolf Pack) Assistant Coach, Jim McKenzie (Whalers) Pro Scout, Kent Hawley (New Haven Senators) Amateur Scout and Alexander Godynyuk (European Scout).
TRAVERSE CITY TOURNAMENT TEAM NAMED
Ranger prospects are gearing up for the annual Traverse City, MI tournament that starts next weekend in the Upper Peninsula town.
Just six of the players on the tourney roster skated with the Wolf Pack last season. They include Robin Kovacs, Ty Ronning, Vinni Lettieri, Malte Stromwall, Vince Pedrie, Chris Nell. For the Pack, it’s a brand new crop of players seeking those first slots, and this is their first steps in pro hockey.
Read about it on Howlings, HERE
NEWS
The Los Angeles Kings announced an exhibition game with another AEG owned ice hockey property, the Eisbaren Berlin Polar Bears of the German DEL League (Deutsche Eishockey League). The game date is February 13 at the Citizens Bank Arena home of their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. AEG nicknamed the match as an “International Frozen Friendly” between Ontario and Eisbaren Berlin.
The last AHL and Euro team contest was the Toronto Marlies hosting Farjestads BK (Sweden-SHL) in 2014. It came after they played the AHL All-Star game in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Eisbaren coach is former NHL and AHL All-Star and recent IIHF Hall of Fame inductee, Uwe Krupp. One of the first big man to play a significant role in the NHL, Krupp stands 6’5 and weighs 240lbs.
The GM of the Polar Bears is another former NHL’er, Peter John Lee. He played 431 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins amassing 245 points in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Lee was taken in the first round, 12th overall by the Montreal Canadians in 1976. Lee had a stellar junior career with the Ottawa 67’s who played in the OHA before switching to the QMJHL. The team retired Lee’s number 14. He was also drafted by the WHA Toronto Toros the same year. Lee had a very long and distinguished career in Germany with Dusseldorf EG where his number 12 is also retired.
Congratulations to Berlin’s Adam Blanchette as he coached the Southern Sky Stampeded (Queenstown) to their third consecutive Birgel Cup in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL). His team beat the West Auckland Admirals 5-2 before their hometown fans last weekend sweeping the best-of-three final series.
Captain Matt Schneider had four goals in the championship series pacing the Stampede to a 5-3 Game 1 win. Their Canadian import, Dale McIntosh, had two goals in their championship clinching the win. Hungarian import, Adrian Toth, had two goals for West Auckland. During the regular season, Toth and McIntosh each had 55 points and led for the scoring title in the short season league.
The championship is their fifth in the NZIHL’s twelve-year history, making it the most ever. They broke a three-way tie with the Botany Swarm and Canterbury Red Devils who have four apiece.
Congratulations are also for the Kempton Park Sabres who captured their third straight South African Super League (SASL) title in the first three years of the league’s existence. The Sabres beat the Cape Town Kings 8-4 in the championship final with Jack Valadas scoring two goals and assist for the champs.
The Australian AIHL Goodall Cup Finals are being played this weekend in Melbourne. The crowning of a new champion will come after the Newcastle North Stars won the last two years. The first semifinal pits the Canberra (CBR) Brave against the Perth Thunder and the second, the league’s best, the Melbourne Ice take on the other team from the host championship city, the Melbourne Mustangs.
The Philippines captured the gold medal in the first ever Southeast Asian Games hockey tournament in an exciting 5-4 win over Thailand. The game was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the Malaysian National Ice Skating Center.
The Philippine squad built a 4-0 lead only to see Thailand shrink it to one goal. Jose Inigo Cadiz scored what proved to be the game-winner at 10:59 of the third period. Thailand, however, scored a late powerplay goal and pulled the goalie for an extra attacker, but could not tally an equalizer.
The Philippines were led by Paul Sanchez with two goals. Sanchez also led the tournament in scoring with eight goals and 14 points in four games. The leading goal scorer was Bryan Chee Ming Lim of Malaysia with nine goals. Thailand’s championship efforts were aided by two goals from Papan Thanakroekkiat and two assists by Hideki Nagayama.
Five countries participated along with the Philippines, Thailand, host Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The best jersey was that of the championship Philippines squad.
Over the summer some AHL grads were named head coaches, assistant and goalie coaches in the OHL.
The latest to be called is Norm Milley, who became the assistant coach for the Ottawa 67’s. In Peterborough, Mike Duco and Derrick Walser are the new assistant coaches. Ryan Kuwabara is the new assistant coach for the Saginaw Spirit. Former Rockford head coach from last year, Ted Dent, was named the head coach for Niagara. Todd Gill becomes Owen Sound’s new bench boss and former New Haven Senator, Jake Grimes, becomes the Associate Head Coach for Guelph.
The oldest to get new positions were Greg Stefan, a former Adirondack Red Wing, who is the goalie coach for Flint Firebirds and NHL Hall of Famer, and former Springfield King, (1969-1971) and four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Islanders, Billy Smith, was named goalie coach for the Barrie Colts.
Our condolences to former Nighthawk and Whaler, Al Tuer, on the passing of his father, Graham Tuer, 87. The elder Tuer was a legend in the Saskatchewan hockey community. Al Tuer is presently the Head Pro Scout with Florida.
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