BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The 2018-19 season for the Hartford Wolf Pack is inching closer by the day. New York Rangers training camp has opened and thus there’s a lot of news to share.
TRAINING CAMP TO OPEN AND FIRST CUTS
The Wolf Pack will open their 22nd training camp on Saturday with on-ice physicals at the XL Center. More formal practice sessions will begin starting on Sunday, and then on Monday and Tuesday at the XL Center before moving to Champions Skating Center in Cromwell on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Rangers made their first cuts and sent several players to Hartford.
The forwards who were sent to Hartford include Ty Ronning, Dawson Leedahl, Justin Salvaggio and defenseman Sean Day, and Vince Pedrie.
The goalies are Chris Nell and Brandon Halverson, who is injured. Both were assigned to Hart City.
Forward Nico Gross was returned to the Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Goalie Jeremy Brodeur, the son of Hall-of-Famer Marty Brodeur, was released from his training camp PTO and returned to the Allen Americans (ECHL).
The Wolf Pack received a contingent of players who have signed contracts with their new ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners. They are led by the former captain of UConn for the past two years, Derek Pratt, who is the son of former Nighthawk, Tom Pratt. His uncle is Kent Carlson, who is not related to the hockey-playing Carlson brothers of Slapshot fame, but who also played in the NHL for Montreal, St. Louis, and Washington.
In addition, Riley Bourbonnais and Alex Kile, plus a goalie, Connor LaCouvee, from BU, who played under the Rangers current head coach, David Quinn, when he was with the Terriers, are also in camp.
Three minor league invitees were also extended.
The first was one that Cantlon’s Corner previously reported on, ex-Pack Shawn O’Donnell, who signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) during the summer. O’Donnell is in town to take another crack at making the Wolf Pack permanently. Scott Savage is a BC alumnus who played most of last year in Jacksonville IceMen (ECHL) and recall time with Cleveland. The same goes for Shawn Ouellette St. Amant who split the year with San Antonio and Colorado (ECHL) while also playing on the Kelly Cup championship team before the team’s elevation to the AHL this season.
Two other camp invitees are from the college ranks. They are, Mike Marnell from St. Lawrence (ECACHL), plus forward, Brady Vail.
Many NHL cuts with CT connections early in training camp.
Wiley Sherman (Greenwich/Hotchkiss Prep) was sent to Providence from Boston.
Jamie Sifers (Stratford/Fairfield Prep/Salisbury Prep) sent to Utica by Vancouver.
Luke Esposito (Greenwich/Brunswick Prep) was sent to Bakersfield from Edmonton’s camp.
Florida send two ex-Sound Tigers to Springfield in Harry Zolnierczyk and Matt Mangene. Both signed offseason AHL contracts with the Thunderbirds.
Logan Roe (Kent Prep) re-signs with the Florida Everblades (ECHL), last year’s Kelly Cup runner-up and a high school teammate of Ranger/Wolf Pack, Boo Nieves.
Ex-Pack, Samuel Noreau signs with Berlin (FHL).
Ex-Sound Tiger, Marco Charpentier calls it quits after splitting last year with Sorel-Tracy and Trois-Rivieres-Three Rivers (LNAH)
Ex-Danbury Trasher, Jean-Michel Daoust, signs with Thetford Mines (LNAH).
Jake Lechyshyn, son of ex-Whaler Curtis Lechyshyn, is sent by Las Vegas back to the Regina Pats (WHL).
Three more college signees Robbie Darrar (Gunnery Prep) Vermont (HE), Matt Joyaux Ohio State (Big 10) both depart for Kalamazoo (ECHL). Shane Eiserman from the University of New Hampshire (HE) signs with Adirondack (ECHL). That makes now 203 Division I players have signed and a total of 267 college players in total have signed pro deals in North American and Europe.
Ex-Sound Tiger goalie, Kevin Poulin, goes from EHC Kloten (Switzerland-LNA) to Eisbaren Berlin (Germany-DEL).
Kevin Goumas (Canterbury Prep) after a year off, signs with IF Bjorkloven (Sweden-Allsvenskan).
Ex-Pack, Daniel Sparre, leaves Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL) to EHC Wolfsburg (Germany-DEL).
Mark Vicorek (New Haven Nighthawks) is the new assistant coach for the Minnesota Magicians (NAHL).
USHL UNVEILS 30 PLAYER PROTECTED ROSTER
The primary US Junior A league unveiled its 30 player rosters for players who can participate with their teams this season and several CT connected names appear:
Central Illinois – Jason Siedem (Avon Old Farms)
Cedar Rapids – Cam Cokinis (Taft Prep)
Dubuque – Ian Pierce (Kent Prep)
Simon Kjellberg – (Rangers draft pick)
Green Bay – Matt DeBoer (Salisbury Prep)
Madison – Ryan Kirwan (Avon Old Farms)
Sioux City – Christian Jiminez (Taft Prep)
Matt Steinburg – (Son of ex-Nighthawk Trevor)
Tri-City – Matt Holmes (Salisbury Prep)
Waterloo – Mark D’Agostino (Gunnery Prep)
Youngstown – Pat Dawson (Westminster Prep)
Malik Alishlov (Westminster Prep)
Anthony Cipollone (Loomis Chaffe)
Arsenil Smekhnov (Salisbury Prep)
COACHING MOVES
Ex-Pack Pierre-Alexandre (PA) Parenteau, who officially retired early in the summer, will be behind the bench for the University of Moncton Blue Eagles (AUAA) as an assistant coach as their Canadian college hockey season begins next week.
Ex-Pack defenseman, Fedor Tyutin, has retired and become a Pro Scout with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Adam HouIi (Gunnery Prep/Trinity College) will be a busy man this fall and winter. He will be the Head Coach / GM of a junior team New Jersey (EHL) and Head Coach of Manasquan HS in New Jersey, a state where players and coaches can participate in junior and public school hockey. Houli will also be the scout as well for the NJ Titans (NAHL).
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