BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT –The offseason has begun for the Hartford Wolf Pack and the rest of the AHL, except for the Pacific division, which has a playoff.
Teams are very busy planning and signing players and coaches for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
PLAYER AND COACHING MOVEMENT
All of the AHL teams not in the Pacific Division have begun to send players to their respective ECHL teams for some post-season experience.
The Toronto Marlies sent four players, Bobby McMann, Jeremy McKenna, Noel Hoefenmayer, and Gordie Green, to the Wichita Thunder.
The Marlies sent nine players around the block to the parent Maple Leafs, who lead their series three-games-to-two against the Montreal Canadiens.
Joseph Woll, Veini Vehvilainen, Calle Rosen, Stefan Noesen. Tim Liljegren, Kalle Kossila, Michael Hutchison, Mac Holloway, and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev.
The Colorado Eagles sent Sasha Matala to the Utah Grizzlies.
The Ontario Reign sent Nick Boka to the Ft. Wayne Komets while Josh Ingham and Jack Sadek packed their bags for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Doyle Somerby of the Tucson Roadrunners heads to the South Carolina Stingrays.
The Manitoba Moose sent Peter Kreiger to the Indy Fuel, while the Rochester Americans sent Brendan Warren to the Jacksonville Icemen. Nelson Nogier, Cole Kehler, and C.J. Suess were sent to the Tulsa Oilers.
The Rochester Americans send Griffin Luce (Salisbury School) to the Rapid City Rush (ECHL).
Ryan Scarfo heads to the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) and three players Pat McGrath, Alan McCrea, and Brent Gates go to the Indy Fuel (ECHL).
MORE MOVES
Artuu Ruotsalainen is reassigned to the Finnish National Team playing at the World Championships in Latvia.
Henderson heading to the Pacific Division after eliminating San Jose on the strength of a two-goal and three-point effort from ex-Pack Danny O’ Regan has sent three players to the Vegas taxi squad in Dylan Sikura and Cody Glass.
Henderson will play with the Bakersfield Condors for the Pacific Division post-season title and the John Chick Trophy. The Condors eliminated the San Diego Gulls in OT Monday. Brad Malone, the nephew of former Hartford Whaler, Greg Malone, and the cousin of ex-Pack, Ryan Malone, scored the game-winner.
The first AHL player to Europe, David Kase of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, signs with HC Sparta Prague (Czech Republic-CEL).
A former Quinnipiac Bobcat, Karlis Cukste, who played with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) and the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) this past year, heads home to Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL).
Vitali Abramov leaves Belleville to Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL).
The fourth is Ex-Sound Tiger and former QU Bobcat Travis St. Denis is set to exit Binghamton for Schwenniger (Germany-DEL).
Now a dozen in total have made the move for the next season.
According to the Swedish hockey website, SportsExpressen.se, ex-Pack Dale Weise has signed a deal to be announced shortly with IK Oskarshamn (Sweden-Allsvenskan).
Ex-Pack/New York Ranger, Tim Erixon, goes from Växjö HC to Timrå IK (Sweden-SHL) for next season.
Ryan McKiernan (Brunswick School), fresh off winning the German DEL championship, leaves Eisbaren Berlin to Rogle BK (Sweden-SHL).
COLLEGE NEWS
Former UCONN Husky, Ruslan Iskhakov, moved from TPS Turku (Finland-FEL) to Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL).
Also, in UCONN news, the University announced a new five-year extension for its head coach Mike Cavanaugh and had the groundbreaking for the new 2,600 seats $70 million arena-ready between September 2022-January 2023.
The Maine Black Bears selected Ben Barr, the assistant coach from the national champion, UMASS-Amherst, to replace the late Dennis “Red” Gendron over the ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger (now Islanders) and Maine associate coach for the last six years, Ben Guite.
Replacing Barr at UMASS-Amherst is Penn State’s assistant coach for the last 10 years, Matt Lindsay. Previously, he was an assistant at Princeton and was a volunteer assistant at Colorado College. He started at Division-III at Hobart College (SUNYAC) and Utica College.
Lake Superior St. (NCHC) Damon Whitten’s contract was extended six years.
Former Sound Tiger, Peter Mannino, gives up his head coaching job with the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) and signs on as an assistant coach with Colorado College (NCHC).
MORE INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Jamie Arniel, the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk player and Rangers Assistant Coach, Scott Arniel, leaves EC Bad Nauheim (Germany-DEL-2) and heads to HC Bratislava (Slovakia-IceHL).
A trio of ex-Sound Tigers finds themselves on the move.
Joey Martin departs Stavanger (Norway-NEL) and will skate next season for EC Graz (Austria-IceHL). Matt Mangene leaves ESV Villacher SV (Austria-iceHL) for EHC Wolfsburg (Germany-DEL). The new head coach there is a former Rangers draft pick, Mike Stewart.
Sebastian Collberg exits Löwen Frankfurt (Germany-DEL-2) and returns home to BIK Karlskoga (Sweden-Allsvenskan).
Former Wolf Pack and Ranger Steven Kampfer heads from the Boston Bruins to AK Bars Kazan (Russia-KHL).
Former QU Bobcat goalie Michael Garteig leaves ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL) and returns to HIFK Helsinki (Finland-FEL).
Ex-Wolf Pack, Ville Meskanen, departs Illves Tampere (Finland-FEL) to go to KooKoo (Finland-FEL) next season.
Ex-Wolf Pack and Sound Tiger Chris Bourque signs with ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL) for next season, leaving EHC Munich.
ALL KINDS OF NEWS
Nick Dineen (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep), who played with the Amarillo Bulls (NAHL), commits to Stevenson University (UCHC) for next fall.
In the fall, the return of the CCHA conference names its regular season and playoff trophy names they will be handing out to the winners in the spring.
The playoff title will honor the late CCHA great coach of Michigan State, Ron Mason, with the Mason Cup.
The regular season title winner will be awarded the McNaughton Cup.
USA Hockey let several coaches go, including Kenny Rausch (Danbury/Immaculate High), the Director of USA Youth Hockey.
TRANSFERS
Goaltender Evan Fear departs Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) and transfers to Northeastern (HE), making 57 school transfers this collegiate off-season and 47 grad transfers.
Tobias Fladeby finishes at AIC (AHA) and signs with Tingryds AIF (Sweden-Allsvenskan), making 80 college players sign pro deals in North America and Europe.
Emil Öhrvall departs Sacred Heart University (AHA) for BIK Karlskoga (Sweden-Allsvenskan). The Pioneers were his third school in three separate conferences in his collegiate career.
Nick Rheaume, the son of ex-Pack/Ranger, Pascal Rhéaume, has committed to UMASS-Lowell (HE) for 2022-23. Rhéaume played with the Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) this year. His cousin is Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) transfer goalie Dylan St. Cyr, the son of former New Haven Senators player Gerry. St. Cyr.
COMMITS
Two CT Division-III commits as William Pond (Wilton/CT Roughriders-EHL) heads to Western New England College (CCC).
Ponds’ Roughrider teammate Connor Sullivan (Brunswick School/CT Jr. Rangers – NCDC) heads to Lake Forest College (NCHA). Joining him at Lake Forest is Mattias Derraugh (Danbury-NAHL), who committed to the Illinois-based school.
IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The IIHF World Championships are underway in Latvia. There are many familiar names dotting the roster landscape.
In Group A, the 3-0 Slovakian team has current Wolf Pack goalie Adam Huska and ex-Pack/Ranger Marek Hrivik. Huska has yet to play, and Hrivik has four points in three games. Slovakia engineered an early upset beating Russia 3-1 on Monday.
Denmark has ex-Pack Niklas Jensen, who scored a hat trick in their first game and had a goal and two assists against Great Britain in a 3-2 overtime win Tuesday.
Sweden had ex-Pack/Ranger player Oscar Lindberg and ex-Wolf Pack Carl Klingberg.
The Czech Republic has ex-Pack and current Rangers defenseman Libor Hajek. They also have Adam, and David Musil, the nephews of former Whalers and Rangers player Bobby Holik. Ex-Pack and current Ranger Filip Chytil is playing. Former Beast of New Haven Jaroslav Spacek is one of the assistant coaches, plus former UCONN Husky recruit Matej Blumel.
Belarus has an ex-Sound Tiger, Shane Prince, who has citizenship. Switzerland has a pair of ex-Wolf Pack players in Andres Ambuhl and Raphael Diaz; Great Britain has goalie Jackson Whistle, nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk, Rob Whistle, plus Ben Lake (Sacred Heart University-AHA).
MORE IIHF
In Group B, the US squad features Ryan Donato, the son of ex-Wolf Pack/Sound Tiger, Ted Donato. They also have a current Ranger, Kevin Rooney, and the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk, Steve Rooney.
Current Ranger, Zac Jones and Tage Thompson (Milford/UCONN), a son of the current Bridgeport Islanders head coach, Brent Thompson.
The head coach is former Sound Tigers bench boss Jack Capuano. The team General Manager is current Rangers President/GM, Hartford GM Chris Drury (Trumbull/Fairfield Prep).
Canada has shockingly lost its first three games to Latvia, Germany, and the US. Canada has a current Wolf Pack, Braden Schneider, and former Sacred Heart University (AHA)/Sound Tiger product Justin Danforth.
Germany has Tom Kuhnhackl of Bridgeport, and Italy has former Ranger Peter Andersson as one of the assistant coaches, and he is the father of ex-Pack, Calle Andersson.
