BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Sunday was an off-day for the Hartford Wolf Pack after a late return from their trip to upstate New York. Upon their return, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch was recalled to New York for a second straight year. Knoblauch was recalled to replace Rangers head coach, Gerard Gallant, who tested positive for COVID-19. He was left behind in Anaheim to isolate and recover. Knoblauch will remain with the team until Gallant recovers.
Knoblauch traveled across the country to LA to join the Rangers where he will find an NHL team with a very familiar fourth line, part of his first and second line in Hartford.
Steve Smith and Casey Torres and a yet-to-be-named third person will handle the Wolf Pack coaching duties on an interim basis. It will likely be either Wolf Pack goalie coach Jeff Malcolm or VP of Hockey Operations Pat Boller who could reprise his former assistant coach role.
BUSY WEEK AHEAD
A busy week for the Wolf Pack. On Wednesday, the Charlotte Checkers come to the state capital. Following that game, the Pack travels to Providence for a game with the Bruins where there’s the possibility of a date with Tuukka Rask in his post-hip surgery rehab stint. Rask hasn’t played hockey since last May.
After those games, there are two dates with a team ahead of them in the standings, the Hershey Bears. Next week, coming in from Canada will be the hard-hit Laval Rocket who are just getting back to practice this week. They join the equally hard luck, parent Montreal Canadiens. As per the Quebec health authorities, they lost two players to call-ups in Montreal forcing them to recall someone from the Trois-Rivieres Lions (ECHL).
STAYING PUT
The Pack planned on sending both James Sanchez and Brandon Fortunato back to their ECHL affiliate, the Jacksonville Icemen to get necessary playing time to remain “game-ready.” They didn’t travel with the club on Saturday to Utica and weren’t available, but with the callups to the New York “Taxi Squad,” it appears as if those plans, like everything else, have changed.
Late Monday, the Pack saw another goalie, Tyler Wall, recalled to the Rangers taxi squad leaving only Adam Huska and François Brassard as the team’s only goalies.
