HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and every professional team everywhere, for that matter, are all busy at work getting their roster ready for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

The Wolf Pack added roster depth by inking forward Cristiano DiGiacinto, to a one-year AHL deal.

DiGiacinto, 27, appeared in 36 games with the Wolf Pack in the 2022-23 season, his second with the team. He registered 12 points on three goals and nine assists and collected 44 PIMs.

DiGiacinto, a walk-on from Canadian college hockey (Acadia University), also appeared in 47 games with the Wolf Pack during the 2021-22 season scoring 13 points and scoring six goals.

In addition to his time in Hartford last year, DiGiacinto skated in 19 games with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen, who were then the Wolf Pack’s Double AA affiliate. While in Jacksonville, he tallied 15 points, including ten assists. He added three points and two assists in 12 Kelly Cup playoff games.

DiGiacinto hails from Hamilton, Ontario. He has scored 25 points with nine goals in 83 AHL games, all with the Wolf Pack. He has also dressed in 31 ECHL games, all with the Icemen, scoring 21 points on six goals.

The 5’11, 192-pound forward was selected originally in the sixth round, 170th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He was never offered a deal and signed with the Rangers.

After three seasons, newly ex-Pack Patrick Khordorenko, who played in just four games last year after season-ending shoulder surgery, signs with the Charlotte Checkers for ’23-’24.

Another ex-Pack who suited up for just two games over two years, Easton Brodzinski, the brother of Pack captain Jonny is now a minor league free agent. He heads to familiar territory signing with the Jacksonville Iceman (ECHL), currently affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres.

Ex-Pack Malte Strömwall leaves the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and heads home. He signs with Frölunda HC (Sweden-SHL) for the 2023-24 season.

After a year with HC Litvinov in Czechia, ex-Pack Josh Wesley, the son of former Hartford Whaler Glen Wesley, signs with the Colorado Eagles (AHL).

Former Pack Jacob Hayhurst signs an AHL two-way deal with Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) /Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL).

Ex-Pack Blake Parlett departs Nuremberg (Germany-DEL) and signs with HC Bolzano (Italy-IceHL) for 2023-24. He joins another exp ex-Pack Christian Thomas and ex-Sound Tiger Mike Halmo.

Former CT Whale Mike Pelech departs the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL) for Glasgow (Scotland-EIHL).

Parker Gahagan, the Wolf Pack emergency goalie last year, spent most of the season with Jacksonville (ECHL). He suited up for just two games with Hartford. He signs a one-way, one-year deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)/Reading Royals (ECHL).

Adam Samuelsson, the youngest son of Whaler great, former Ranger, former Wolf Pack, and Avon Old Farms assistant coach, Ulf Samuelsson, leaves the Newfoundland Growlers (St. John’s) (ECHL) and signs with the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL).

Three new junior coaching adds ex-Pack Chris Nell, who returns to his hometown of Green Bay for a second consecutive season. Nell leaves Marian University (NCHA), where he was an assistant coach, and his high school alma mater, Notre Dame Academy, where he was the goalie coach last season. He now becomes the assistant coach and Director of Goaltending for the local junior team, the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL).

NEXT

The NHL released its preseason schedule with dates, times, and locations; unfortunately, there won’t be any games in Hartford. While Hartford is not on the schedule, surprisingly, Sydney, Nova Scotia did.

If Hartford can’t even get an exhibition game, it’s time to move on from this fantasy that the NHL will return to the Connecticut capital.

UCONN RELATED NEWS

The UCONN men’s hockey team has announced their home slate for the Hockey East season. It will feature a very light XL Center presence with 17 games on the Huskies’ home ice in Storrs after their direct negotiations with the current building operator, OVG 360.

UCONN will play its first full season at the Toscano Family Ice Forum. The Huskies had a strong start last year in the first half of the season and faded in the second half finishing the season 20-12-3.

The Huskies bowed out to UMASS-Lowell in the playoffs after losing to UMASS in the conference title game the prior year. Across the hallway with the Hartford Wolf Pack is Bobby Trivigno, who swiped their national tournament aspirations.

The team opens up on the road in a non-conference set against Colgate University (ECACHL) and their new head coach, ex-Pack Mike Harder. His assistant is one-time Yale Bulldog captain Anthony Walsh.

The non-conference slate has the Huskies hosting the Holy Cross Crusaders (AHA) with assistant coach and ex-Pack Bobby Butler on October 14th at Toscano for the home opener.

The Huskies will host just three Hockey East matchups at the XL Center. It will be just one of the few times the fans in Hartford will see the #15 overall draft pick of the Nashville Predators, Matt Wood.

The reason for that is Hockey East requires all its schools to play primarily on campus. For years waivers were granted to UCONN, and the conference schools chafed about their teams playing on campus buildings. That includes UCONN.

Now with the Toscano sandbox built, the school can’t hide anymore.

The XL as a home rink doesn’t cut even with no tickets available.

A few years ago, a source indicated that the negotiations before Toscano were built centered on how low they could go and not meeting the 4,000 standard Hockey East requirement. They couldn’t go lower than Merrimack, and many fans will now be shut out.

The Huskies are being held to the letter of the law of their conference entry application.

The only Hockey East games at the XL Center are UMass-Lowell on October 28th, then the University of Maine Black Bears for two games on January 12th and 13th.

The XL Center games will include a non-conference meeting with Dartmouth College and their head coach, former Quinnipiac assistant coach, and player Reid Cashman, on November 25th.

They will host Harvard on New Year’s Eve, December 31st, at Toscano at 3:00 PM.

UCONN will wrap up its XL Center activity with non-conference action on January 26 and 27, hosting their annual  Connecticut Ice Festival for the fourth time. It will feature the reigning National Champion Quinnipiac Bobcats, the Yale Bulldogs, ECACHL teams, and the Sacred Heart Pioneers (AHA).

The rest of the Hockey East contests will be held at the Toscano Family Ice Forum.

On November 10th, the Huskies host Merrimack, and then the Boston College Eagles, loaded with NHL prospects, on November 18th at Toscano.

UCONN will host UMass-Lowell for their third season matchup on Friday, December 1st.

The school will start the new year with the first game in Storrs on January 19th. The Huskies will welcome the University of New Hampshire.

UCONN will host Providence College, Massachusetts, and Boston University in February after the Connecticut Ice tournament at the XL Center.

The Huskies finish the regular season at their on-campus home skating against the Northeastern Huskies and then end the regular season against the University of Vermont. That will complete their 35-game regular season in early March.

Any Hockey East post-season games are all single-game affairs per the conference format and will be played at Toscano.

Former Husky Spencer Naas, UCONN (HE)/Selects Academy at South Kent Prep (CTPREP), leaves the Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL ) and signs with the Dundee Stars (Scotland-EIHL) for the 2023-24 season.

Another ex-Husky, Ryan Wheeler, leaves the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) and signs with the Adirondack Thunder(ECHL).

The current Huskies saw their former highly-rated goalie, Logan Terness, transfer to the Ohio State Buckeyes (Big 10). Head coach Mike Cavanaugh, in turn, then rolled the dice with a grad transfer from the ECACHL goalie Carson Haider from Clarkson University. They had great success two years ago with Darion Hanson.

DRURY’S SON

Luke Drury, the son of Rangers’ President and General Manager Chris Drury, is captain at the Brunswick (Bears) School in Greenwich. He commits to attend and play at Brown University (ECACHL) for the 2025-26 season.

The elder Drury’s ex-Hartford Whaler brother Ted has five children-four boys and a daughter. Each of his offspring is involved in hockey at some level.

Owen Drury will play with the West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL) next year. He has not committed to college yet. His youngest, Ryan, is 12 and playing with the CCM Chicago team.

His eldest son, Jack, played for his hometown, Chicago Wolves, last season before a late injury recall by the Carolina Hurricanes.

SOME NEW HAVEN CONNECTIONS

Ronan Buckberger, the youngest son of former Beast of New Haven forward Ashley Buckberger, commits to the Ohio State Buckeyes (Big 10) in 2025-26.

Ryan McCleary, the son of former New Haven Senator Trent McCreary, was traded from the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) to his hometown team, the Swift Current Broncos (WHL). He is a Pittsburgh (NHL) seventh-round 2021 draftee.

His sister, Maddy, just completed her Canadian college career with the St. Mary’s (Halifax) University Huskies (AUAA-W).

ODDS AND ENDS

Rayen Petrovický, the son of former Whaler and New York Ranger Róbert Petrovický, skated with three European teams last year. The previous was JoKP (Finland-Mestis) on a loan. He signs with HC Liberec (Czechia (Czech Republic-CEL) for the 2023-24 campaign.

A trio of ex-Sound Tigers got new addresses as Mitch Vande Sompel goes from the Colorado Eagles (AHL) to the independent AHL Chicago Wolves. Bode Wild goes from Atlanta (ECHL) back overseas to HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia-SLEL). Victor Crus-Rydberg switches teams in the Swedish lowest Division 1 league, HockeyEttan Kalmar HC, to Karlskrona HK.

Alex Kromm, the son of former Whaler Rich Kromm, retires and becomes the assistant coach for the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL). Alex Drulia, the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk Stan Drulia, becomes the Austin Bruins (NAHL) assistant coach.

As of August 1st, the early signing and commit phase starts in college hockey recruiting.

Quinnipiac University snagged Conrado Calderini from Greenwich, who’s attending Berkshire School. They also got a commitment from Ethan Wyttenbach, who commits for 2026-27. He played last year on the Long Island Gulls U-15 team. He will likely be heading to a prep school and juniors until he arrives.

Yale got Kirby Perler and Dylan Hunt of the Boston Junior Eagles via Milton Academy. The 16-year-old Perler, a Woodbridge native, knows the difficulties surrounding Ivy League school admissions, so this was a verbal commitment pending he meets the strict academic requirements for entry. Even ECACHL schools need to compete in the highly competitive college hockey marketplace.

Perler still faces a tough road and will need to go to either a prep school, the USHL, or the now independent of BC Hockey, BCHL, before he sees the ice at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, the home to the Bulldogs.

Among the incoming class of six are Dave Andreychuk (no relation to the former NHL player of the same name and spelling). He played Frederick Gunn School (Washington). He then migrated to the Northeast Generals (NAHL).

Another is William (Will) “Beanie” Richter of Greenwich/Brunswick School, the son of legendary Rangers goaltender Mike Richter. He played with the Penticton Vees (BCHL) last three years.

UCONN has not released its list.

Four of a half-dozen prospects committed to Harvard are considered blue-chip prospects.

Michael Munroe of Avon Old Farms (CTPREP) is a 2025-26 commit to the University of Maine (HE) Black Bears.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK REPORTER’S NOTES first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – With the completion of the 2020-21 AHL season,  it’s time for hockey teams to begin the process of summer reflection, accounting, and planning for the future at all levels of the sport.

The accounting ledger will be plenty red across the board from the NHL to Junior A hockey. How each organization and league will adjust to the post-pandemic world, one thing is for certain; it will contain more reduced staffing organization-wide.

At the junior level, the Everett Silvertips’ (WHL) Garry Davidson was relieved of his GM position strictly for financial concerns and not from any hockey issues. In addition, the Robert Morris University Colonials (AHA) canceled its men’s and women’s programs last week unexpectedly.

AHL GETTING YOUNGER

The AHL will become even younger than it ever has and likely will have a more homogenized schedule, a goal since the Pacific Division was born. The likely scenario is a regular season in the 70-72 range.

Also, the number of independently-owned AHL teams will continue to shrink with the sale of the Rockford Ice Hogs to the Chicago Blackhawks just before the end of the regular season.

SPORTS GAMBLING IN CONNECTICUT

In Hartford, the hope for the recently signed sports gambling law by Governor Ned Lamont is that it is a savior of the XL Center preserving AHL and college hockey in Hart City, but the devil is the details of the law.

What percentage of the new sports gambling entity, which will be run by the Indian casinos, sub-contracted to the CT Lottery division, and licensed to 15 individual contractors, will be responsible for the 64 million dollar installment? A quarter, half, or all of it?

The new sports betting entity will have five entities to deal with the State of Connecticut. the Indian casino’s, Connecticut Lottery, the independent licensee’s, and Spectra/Northland, who have operational responsibility at the XL Center plus the CRDA, which oversees the building owned the city of Hartford.

What are the chances of conflicts with that many chefs in the kitchen?

BONDING

This comes despite the bonding of $64 million, $10 million more than was asked for, passed by the General Assembly just a week before the shutdown caused by the pandemic.

The Governor controls the Bond Commission, and he has been clearly reluctant to grant it, not putting it on the bond agenda since January. Moreover, there is no real sign that he will do so before the General Assembly session ends in June.

The reasons seem obvious. The long-term state borrowing is running against the Governor’s “debt diet” and the significant legislative opposition, despite its passage to keep pouring money into the XL Center.

Despite all the hurdles over the last eight years and the interminable negotiations with Northland Corporation regarding the title to the atrium at the XL Center, they still hold and acquire the Trumbull block for three years resolution in sight.

FREIMUTH

Could the proposed sports betting setup at the XL Center be a part of the recent discussions with Northland to resolve their impasse? Maybe.

CRDA Executive Director Mike Freimuth stated two weeks ago, the effort to get the XL Center re-boot across the finish line was ongoing, but time was working against them.

“This all is critical to the future of the XL. Right now, there is a lot of re-write going on in the legislature, but we’re nearing the end of the session. I’m confident something will get done, what that will be; I really don’t have an answer right now. We’re monitoring things right now, so much of it is out of our control.”

When asked if any deal has to be approved by the casinos and the General Assembly and then signed by the Governor, Freimuth replied, “I’ve said it before, the longer this goes on, the harder the stresses will be on the overall systems of the building as time goes by.”

It’s doubtful, however, that sports betting will be the Hail Mary that will finally get the more than obviously needed re-boot of the XL done.

HOCKEY DRAFT

This summer, hockey will be an adventure post-COVID.

The NHL Entry Draft will see the selection process be much more complicated with truncated seasons or no seasons altogether, so players’ rankings are essentially a major crapshoot this year.

Of the 228 North American skaters listed and ranked, just four come from the US college ranks, and they primarily played conference-only regular season schedules. Among the first six players, three are from Michigan, and one from the Vermont Catamounts (HE).

The Central Scouting Bureau (CSB) released their last list before the July 23-24 event, which will be held remotely via video-conferencing, and a month later than usual.

CONNECTICUT NAMES

A few Connecticut names are among the list of eligible skaters and goalies.

Cole Sillinger, the son of ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Mike Sillinger, is in the CSB tenth spot. He played this year for Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) and was slated to play for the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) this year, but dual citizenship allowed him to play US junior hockey.

Matthew “Mackie” Samoskevich (Newtown), who played for the Chicago Steel (USHL), is slotted by CSB at #26. He is a University Michigan Wolverines (Big 10) commit for the fall.

Chase Stillman, the grandson of former Hew Haven Nighthawk, Bud Stefanski, is ranked 35th by CSB. He was to skate for the Sudbury Wolves (OHL), but their season was canceled. So instead, he skated for Esbjerg (Denmark-DHL) and Esbjerg-2 (Denmark second division) on loan this season. He also skated for Canada at the World Under-18 tourney in Plymouth, Michigan.

Darien defenseman Scott Morrow, who played for the Shattuck’s St. Mary’s Sabres (MNPREP), one of the top prep programs in the nation, de-committed from North Dakota (NCHC) and instead will be attending UMASS-Amherst (HE), the defending national champions, in the fall. He is ranked 39th on the CSB list.

MORE NAMES

Matt Fusco, the son of former Hartford Whaler, Mark Fusco, finished up at Dexter School (MAPREP) and joined his brother John in the fall at Harvard University (ECACHL). His entire family, including uncles and cousins, are Harvard alumni. He is ranked 97th on the CSB list.

Shane LaChance. The son of Bristol-raised former NHL’er, Scott LaChance, and his uncle ex-Sound Tiger/Danbury Trasher Bob LaChance, played for the Boston Junior Bruins (NCDC) and is ranked 110th by CSB. His grandfather is former BU coach Jack Parker.

Ryan St. Louis (Riverside/Brunswick School), the eldest son of NHL Hall-of-Famer and former New York Ranger, Marty St. Louis, is heading to Northeastern (HE) in the fall. He was ranked 125th by CSB. He played for the USNDTP (USHL) team and the U-18 team this year.

Matt McGroarty, (Westport/Brunswick School) and a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) commit in the fall is ranked 205th.

GOALIES

Just 32 North American goalies are listed. One of them is incoming UCONN (HE) Husky freshmen Logan Terness from the Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL). His CSB ranking is 13th.

Among the 150 skaters internationally includes Simon Robertsson, the son of former Hartford Wolf Pack, Bert Robertsson. He skated for the recent Swedish World U-18 team. During the season, he split time playing for Skelleftea AIK (J-20/SHL) and is ranked 11th by CSB.

Oliver Kapanen is the nephew of former Whaler, Sami Kapanen. He ranked 22nd by CSB and skated for KalPa Kuopio (Finland U-20) and joKP (Finland- Mestis Division-2). He also played for the Finnish U-18 team in the recent tournament.

David Spacek, the son of former Beast of New Haven player Jaroslav Spacek, is ranked 75th by CSB and played for the HC Plzen (Czech Republic U-20).

INTERNATIONAL

In international goalies, there are just 13 players ranked. Nick Malik, the son of former Whaler, Ranger, and Beast of New Haven defenseman, Marek Malik, is in the tenth spot by CSB.

He was slated to return to play with the Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) Greyhounds this season. Instead, he skated for the team his father is an assistant coach for, HC Frydek-Mistek (Czech Republic Division-2) and the Czech Republic WJC team. He has signed a provisional contract with KooKoo (Finland-FEL) for the upcoming season.

AHL PACIFIC DIVISION

The championship series went to a third and decisive game. A late third-period wrister by the Bakersfield Condors’ Tyler Benson went through to the short-side on Henderson goalie Logan Thompson ended it. The win allowed the Condors to knock off the Henderson Silver Knights at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas 3-2 before a crowd of 7,420 fans. The Condors won the John Chick trophy as the Pacific Division winner and concluding the truncated 2020-21 AHL season.

Bakersfield featured Luke Esposito (Greenwich/Brunswick School), the nephew of former Rangers and NHL great Mark Messier. It also featured former Yale defenseman Phil Kemp, who scored in Game 3, and ex-Wolf Pack, Adam Cracknell.

Henderson’s roster included ex-Wolf Pack Danny O’Regan and Jake Leschshyn, the son of former Hartford Whaler Curtis Leschyshyn.

AHL ATLANTIC DIVISION ALL-STARS

Morgan Barron and Tarmo Reunanen were named to the Atlantic Division All-Star squad. The pair were among the most consistent performers in the shortened season, and both earned some NHL time at the end of the season.

Barron was among the top rookie scorers, and Reunanen top rookie defenseman in scoring.

2020-21 AHL Atlantic Division All-Stars

G – Jeremy Swayman, Providence Bruins (8-1-0, 1.89 GAA, .933 save %, 1 SO)

D – Samuel Bolduc, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (24gp, 6+8=14pts., +5, 1 PPG)

D – Tarmo Reunanen, Hartford Wolf Pack (21gp, 4+13=17pts., 2 PPG)

F – Morgan Barron, Hartford Wolf Pack (21gp, 10+11=21pts., +8, 6 PPG)

F – Cameron Hughes, Providence Bruins (25gp, 5+16=21pts., 1 PPG, 1 SHG)

F – Jakub Lauko, Providence Bruins (23gp, 5+14=19pts., +11, 2 PPG)

PLAYER & COACHING MOVEMENT

Scott Pooley leaves the Toronto Marlies and signs with Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL). His father, Paul, and his twin brother Perry played for five years in minor pro hockey between Sherbrooke (AHL) and Ft. Wayne (IHL).

Former Wolf Pack, Hubert Labrie, leaves Belleville (AHL) and signs with Iserlohn (Germany-DEL). His last AHL goal was scored in Hartford three years ago. He is the 14th player to sign for Europe, with 10 of the league’s 31 teams have seen a player leave.

Ex-CT Whale, Casey Wellman, departs Kunlun (China-KHL) for Kärpät Oulu (Finland-FEL). Another CT Whale, Blake Parlett, departs Tappara (Finland-FEL) to Nuremberg (Germany-DEL).

Former Wolf Pack and Ranger Dale Weise signs a one-year contract with IK Oskarshamn (Sweden-Allsvenskan). It was officially announced Monday by the team.

Former Wolf Pack/Sound Tiger, Chris Langkow, signs with  Fehérvár (White Castle) AV19 (Hungary-IceHL).

-Former Sound Tiger Mark Louis, after a year with HK Dukla Michalovice (Slovakia-SLEL), returns to play with the Cardiff Devils (Wales-EIHL), who resume playing in the fall.

According to Swedish hockey media, Ex-Wolf Pack Carl Klingberg is close to signing a deal with Örebro HK (Sweden-SHL) departing EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA).

The contract being offered is said to be 300K Swedish Kroner, a month or over a six-month regular season period that’s 1.8M Swedish Kroner, which is about $215K in US currency for the season.

URQUHART RETURNS TO HIS ALMA MATER

Ex-Pack defenseman, David Urquhart, leaves the San Diego Gulls after three seasons and returns to Montreal to become the head coach of his alma mater, the McGill University Redbirds (OUAA).

He is ninth in all-time for a defenseman in points in school history. He’s tied with former NHL head coach Mike Babcock.

Drayson Pears of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) signs with HC Cholet (France FFHG Division-2), making 74 collegians signed in Europe and 87 total collegians to sign pro deals in North America and Europe.

Goalie Dixon Grimes, the son of former New Haven Senators center Jake Grimes, signs his junior contract with the Guelph Storm (OHL), who drafted him two years ago. He played with the Listowel Cyclones (GOJHL).

The ECHL Coralville, Iowa expansion team, affiliated with the Minnesota & Iowa Wild, announced its nickname as the Heartlanders. The Trois-Rivieres team is likely waiting for the end of the Canadiens playoff run before making the announcement.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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The post CANTLON: CT HOCKEY OFF SEASON VOLUME 2 first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – A strong three-goal second period allowed the Hershey Bears to seize control of the game and skate away with a 4-1 win Saturday night at the XL Center.

The two-game battle between these two division rivals left the Bears in a much stronger position now seven points ahead of the third-place Wolf Pack.

Providence with a win over Springfield 4-2 are now five ahead of them and Charlotte got a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to Utica narrowing the lead between them to four points.

“We played according to plan in the first we played really well. (We) almost had a goal on the powerplay, and had some other good opportunities. J-F came up with some huge saves in the first, its what we expected.

Then in the second period, we let that first goal affect us and took a lot of momentum away from us,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch.

The Pack concludes the weekend play in Springfield tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM.

The Bears scored the game’s first goal in the first minute of the second period took control of the game.

Brian Pinho at the right point let one go Berube made the save, but he could not control the rebound and cover it the Bears Matt Moulson with his long stick got one crack at it and the second sent the puck into the net for his 21st goal of the regular season at 52 seconds.

“Last night we played well and we started out pretty well, but once they got the first one we just kinda combusted. We just kinda gave up,” said an annoyed captain Steven Fogarty “just playing hard and doing the right things and the only we can control is our attitude and effort and they just weren’t there we could see it and feel it on the bench.”

The Bears in short order took a 2-0 lead scoring 11 seconds into a powerplay just their second of the game.

Daniel Sprong at the right point took a Bobby Nardella pass and quickly fired a good hard low shot that Philippe Maillet free from his check and the Quebec native with a perfect tip scored on his mon-ami monsieur Berube depositing his 16th of the season far side.

“We gave up just one goal and changed our entire game the way we played our structure the things that have helped us gain success so far this year.

It’s a mindset thing you can’t change things the effort wasn’t there. We had a little push there in the third, but obviously not enough.”

The Wolf Pack playing way too passive in a five on five situation, playing like a PK. Matt Beleskey sought to change the direction got into a scrap unfortunately it was Hershey who kept the momentum.

“That’s the type of guy Beleskey is he saw what was going on the bench tried to get us going and it worked, but we went ahead and combusted like that (again),” said Fogarty.

Once again Bobby Nardella got the scoring sequence started receiving the pass from Eric Burgdorfer a the right point getting the puck to Brian Pinho as he came off the right-wing half wall.

Then just before he was going to get nailed by Mason Geersten he snapped a 35 footer top shelf over Berube’s left shoulder to make it 3-0 silencing a hearty crowd of 4,814.

“They’re a good team there gonna get their chances, but we allowed too many,” said Knoblauch.

His captain put it more straight forward.

“They going to have their puck possession and get their chances,

We have to play down in their end, and we did not do enough of that.”

That was all for Berube facing 18 shots and in came Adam Huska.

“I did that because we needed to try to change things at that point,” said Knoblauch.

The current offense output is not enough to get back into first place.

“One goal in five (periods) just isn’t enough in this league there a good team, but so are we. Were not just not getting enough second chances, not getting guys to the net.

We weren’t generating enough off the rush and we have proven all year long we can score goals. We gotta get back to playing the right way defensively and we can get guys going to the net better.”

All too often Hershey had the puck the Wolf Pack didn’t. The Bears were able to secure the puck and make rushes up ice and gain easy entry into the Pack end of the ice.

As one fan acidly texted me during the game “why don’t (they) let them stroll into the offensive zone !!

Well put and wells aid.

The Bears continued the quality chances as Bobby Nardella, Mike Sgarbossa and Shane Gemish had point-blank shots.

In the third period, that Wolf Pack broke Vitek Vanecek’s bid for a second straight shutout at 12:03.

After botching a three on one break, Nick Jones with his shot missing the net, the puck remained in the Hershey zone.

Patrick Newell got the puck from Greg Chase and in the right-wing faceoff circle sent a smooth backhand pass to Jones who one-timed his ninth past the Bears netminder at 12:03.

It was Chase’s first ever Wolf Pack point.

Hershey’s Tyler Lewington’s empty netter with a second to go closed out scoring for the night.

The first period was much like last night’s tight-checking and opportunities that came via turnovers.

Hershey got an early break at 1:22 off a turnover and Daniel Sprong who has played very well since being acquired from San Diego last week was stoned by Berube.

The loss of Tim Gettinger and Boo Nieves forced some interesting line combos as Ryan Dmowski was with Steven Fogarty and Vinni Lettieri to start the game. Dmowski had the first shot and the first hit of the game.

Beck Malenstyn had another chance for Hershey and Sean McBride on the left-wing answered back with one at 7:04.

At 12:58 another gift turnover went to Hershey’s Shane Gersich and he went in all alone, but Berube made a gorgeous butterfly glove save to keep the game scoreless.

The Wolf Pack powerplay continues its struggles doing well on the first half of the first chance, but didn’t sustain the same puck movement in the second half of it.

As part of the Wolf Pack’s Military Appreciation weekend, the Wolf Pack wore their camouflage-style jerseys for the game.

In the first intermission, a new class for the Army, Marines and Coast Guard took oaths to begin their training. Congrats to all!

LINES:

Fogarty-Lettieri-Dmowski
O’Regan-Newell-Kravtsov
Beleskey-Jones-Gropp
McBride-Ronning-Chase

LoVerde-Hajek
Ebert-Geersten
Raddysh-Crawley

SCRATCHES:

Tim Gettinger – Upper-Body – Day-To-Day
Boo Nieves – Upper-Body – Day-To-Day
Yegor Rykov – Healthy
Gabriel Fontaine – Shoulder Surgery – Season-Ending

NOTES:

Nieves was a last-minute scratch forcing Knoblauch to do some serious line juggling and when Beleskey was tossed early in the third for his second fight of the game they were down a forward for the rest of the third period.

Gettinger looks doubtful for tomorrow and might not be available till next weekend.

UCONN hockey will travel to Orono, Maine to play the Hockey East quarterfinals next weekend as the fifth seed to play the number four Black Bears.

Providence’s Dan Vladar finally surpassed Igor Shesterkin in best GAA at 1.83 and Igor still has second-best save percentage at .934

The Wolf Pack record since his recall January 7th is 10-10-5 (W-L-OTL).

Among the best plus-minus in the AHL two ex-Pack players ay the fourth and fifth spots Hubert Labrie (Belleville) plus 25 and Cole Schneider (Milwaukee) plus 23.

Wolf Pack fan Jersey of the night: #27 Ryan Graves (Colorado), #5 CT Whale Blake Parlett (EHC Munich Germany-DEL), #42 Jeff State, #43 Dan Catenacci (HC Bolzano Italy-EBEL), and #6 Joel Bouchard (Head coach AHL Laval Rocket).

NEPSAC prep school playoffs all finals will be Sunday at Trinity College at the Koppel Community Center.

In a big upset, Salisbury Prep knocked off Avon Old Farms 4-3 in overtime at Jennings-Fairchild Rink. They will play Dexter School who knocked off Berkshire Scholl 3-0 at 5 PM.

In the Large Division, Loomis Chaffe (Windsor) knocked Brunswick School (Greenwich) 5-2 and will play Cushing Academy 4-2 winners over St. Sebastian’s 4-2 at 2:30 PM for the title.

In the Small School division Pomfret shutout Groton 4-0 and will play Gunnery (Washington) 5-2 winners over The Rivers School at 12:30 PM

The post CANTLON: BEARS CLIP WOLF PACK 4-1 first appeared on Howlings.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – The New York Rangers prospects finished up their time competing in the Traverse City tournament on a high note and left with a 3-1 record. The team showed the promise they have and equally the work they still need to do.

It started off with a rocky performance in losing 6-2 to the prospects that Rangers President, John Davidson, brought in when he ran the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brett Kemp (Medicine Hat Tigers-WHL), a training camp, invitee scored both goals on the Rangers’ highly-touted Russian goalie, Igor Shesterkin, who had a tough North American debut. There were too many turnovers, especially in the neutral zone, and it proved costly for the young Rangers squad.

Game 2 went much better as the prospects rebounded from the loss and beat the Dallas Stars, 7-4. Defenseman Adam Fox had a stellar five-point scoring effort that included the eventual game-winning goal, his second of the game, at 4:45 of the third period. Fox also contributed the primary assist on Karl Henriksson’s first goal and he began the scoring sequence for his defense partner, Yegor Rykov’s, power play goal just 1:27 into the second period.

VitaIi Kravtsov, the Rangers 2018 first-round pick, earned three assists, with two of them being the primary helper. Ryan Dmowskli (Old Lyme) picked up the final two goals. Fox assisted on his empty netter. Goalie Adam Huska (UCONN) had a strong game with 24 saves.

Game 3 of the tourney saw the Rangers score three goals in the third period as first-round draft pick (2nd overall), Finnish winger, Kaapo Kakko, in his debut game scored the winning goal and had two primary assists in a four-point effort. The Rangers scored two powerplay goals just 1:38 apart in the third period off Kravtsov’s stick.

The Rangers had a five-minute powerplay that carried over from late in the second period after a high-hit by the Stars’ Drake Pilon (no relation to former NHL defenseman with the Islanders, Rich Pilon) on Lewis Zerter-Gossage, who was left dazed and bloodied.

Kravtsov’s first tally came from off the right-wing into a wide-open net, as he converted Kakko’s pass from behind the goal line on the left-wing side at 1:06. Then came the second goal at 2:44. It was a high end, top-shelf play from atop the left-wing circle. From the right-wing circle, Kakko sent a perfect cross-ice pass through the box putting it right in the perfect spot for Kravtsov, who was in full stride and buried it past goalie, Hunter Jones.

The Rangers tied the score at three with 1:37 left in regulation. Kakko again tallied, this time from down as he low-banked a shot that went off some legs in front of the net and popped up in mid-air an. The California Kid, Patrick Newell, exercised some fine hand-eye coordination putting it in out of mid-air.

The game-winner was the whipped cream on top of the sundae as Kakko burst down the right-wing, circled the net, moved through the offensive zone untouched and went back to the right-wing. Then again, he made another rush from behind the net and this time put a backhanded wraparound on the net from the left-wing beat and Jones to the short-side at 2:48 for the game-winner.

The team mobbed number 45.

The Rangers concluded their tournament play with a 5-3 win over the prospects of the defending Stanley Cup champion, St. Louis Blues.

Dmowski kicked off the Rangers scoring at 4:31 of the first period. The goal turned out to be the first of three for the Blueshirts in the period. The Rangers eventually built a 4-0 lead early in the second period as Nick Jones with a goal and an assist scored on the powerplay at 5:47.

Swedish second-round pick from June, Karl Henriksson, had another strong game. He had three assists, two of them the primary kind, as well as points in three of the four games. Newell scored again while Finnish rearguard, Tarmo Reunanen, tallied his first two points on assists. Huska again demonstrated a strong presence.

NOTES:

The Rangers announced the 53-roster players for the first day of training camp on Thursday in Tarrytown, NY.

A few surprises on the list.

One reported here last week has one time Ranger, Wolf Pack, and Sound Tiger, Micheal Haley, invited to training camp on a try-out contract, as was former Wolf Pack, Connor Brickley, who was acquired last January for then Wolf Pack captain, Cole Schneider.

Brickley was an Unrestricted Free Agent over the summer and didn’t receive a contract, so he’s trying this route in a bid to make the Rangers. Schneider meanwhile, re-signed with Nashville to a new one-year deal.

Another player on a Professional Try-Out contract is former Winnipeg Jet defenseman, Joe Morrow, who began his pro-career in Wilkes Barre/Scranton with the Penguins.

One player who was not invited was forward Matt Beleskey. He was the first player assigned to Hartford, as he enters the last year of his four-year NHL one-way deal that was originally signed with the Boston Bruins. Beleskey gets $1.9 million of which the Bruins pay half, but his cap-friendly deal gives the Rangers just a $825K cap hit for this season. Beleskey will go through waivers by September 20, the day before Wolf Pack camp opens.

Wolf Pack training camp is scheduled to begin next Saturday, September 21st at the XL Center in advance of their first exhibition game on Wednesday, September 25th against the Springfield Thunderbirds at the Danbury Ice Arena, the home of the brand new FHL team, the Danbury Hat Tricks.

Ex-Pack goalie, Brandon Halverson, is in Toronto on a try-out contract. Shawn O’Donnell and Matt Register both signed with the Allen Americans (ECHL) last week are in the NHL camp of the Minnesota Wild.

Former Hartford Wolf Pack forward, Corey Locke, 35, has announced his retirement after playing seven pre-season games with HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic-CEL).

Locke played just one season for the Wolf Pack in 2009-10 and led the Wolf Pack with 85 points, the third-best in the AHL.

Only he and Chris Bourque, who also played just one season, are the only Wolf Pack players to have finished in the Top 10 in league scoring in the past ten years.

His AHL totals are 639 games played with 182 goals and 568 points.

Landon Ferraro, the son of Hartford Whaler great, Ray Ferraro, had an injury riddled year with the Iowa Wild (12-2-3-5-14) last year, signs a training camp PTO deal with Vancouver.

Ex-Sound Tiger, Matt Pistilli leaves Lowen Frankfurt (Germany DEL-2) and returns to Esbjerg Energy (Denmark-DHL). Another ex-Sound Tiger, CJ Stretch, departs Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic-EBEL) to MAC Ujbuda (Slovakia-SLEL).

Greg Squires (Brunswick School) goes from Kunlun (China-KHL) to EC Graz (Austria-EBEL).

Chris Izmirlian (Yale University) departs the Greenville Swamp Rabbits  (ECHL) to head to the Rapid City Rush (ECHL).

Drew Blackmun, of Northeastern (HE), transfers to Union College (HE). He will sit out this season as per the NCAA transfer rule.

Cam MacDonald (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep) who plays for Sioux City (USHL) commits to Boston College (HE) for 2022-23.

A left-handed shooting, junior, defenseman, Clayton Phillips, makes an inter-conference transfer in the Big 10. He leaves the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and moves to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He received an NCAA transfer waiver making him eligible to play this year and has two more years of eligibility left.

Ex-Pack and former Ranger #1 draft, Bobby Sanguinetti, heads to Europe to continue playing signing a deal with EHC Munich (Germany-DEL) who’s roster features twelve former AHL’ers including three ex-Wolf Pack in Chris Bourque and Blake Parlett.

The post CANTLON’S CORNER: RANGERS’ PROSPECTS HAVE A SOLID TRAVERSE CITY TOURNEY first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – There is so much activity going on in the world of New York Rangers hockey and in the sport in general.

For the Hartford Wolf Pack, things have been fairly quiet so far. The AHL regular season schedule will drop in mid-July, but we may have gotten a peek at a potential member of the new Wolf Pack coaching staff.

During his comments regarding his Hall-of-Fame induction, Zubov said he has already been in New York to meet with the new Rangers President, “JD” John Davidson, who also happens to be the head of the HOF selection committee. When pressed, Zubov said he, “Just came to chat and have a cup of coffee”

Coming all the way from Russia, that coffee must be pretty darn good.

Since his retirement from playing, Zubov has been coaching for the last five years in his native Russia. He’s been in St. Petersburg for two-and-a-half years as an assistant coach before he became a head coach midway through the season three years ago.

He spent the last two years in the former Olympic town of Sochi as the head coach of HC Sochi in the KHL.

With the plethora of young defenseman in the Rangers’ system, especially in Hartford, and add in the two just drafted last Saturday, it would make eminently good sense for Zubov to become the defenseman assistant coach for the Wolf Pack where he would fill the slot most recently held by Joe Mormina who was let go along with head coach Keith McCambridge the day after the regular season ended.

Zubov’s credentials are impeccable. Not since Jeff Beukeboom and JJ Daigneault were on the Wolf Pack coaching staff has there been someone of that stature of an NHL player to leave an imprint on the locker room.

One name that can be checked off the list of possible coaches is ex-Wolf Pack/CT Whale defenseman, Jared Nightingale. He was hired as an associate coach for Saginaw (OHL).

RANGERS SCHEDULE

The NHL released the 2019-20 schedule and the Blueshirts will open their next campaign against the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, October 3rd. Their first road game comes on Saturday, October 5th, in Ottawa against the Senators. The same as the Wolf Pack’s home opening date at the XL Center.

The Rangers were able to do some NFL Sunday counter scheduling with fan friendly game times on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 20th against Edmonton and Vancouver respectively. Both have puck drop times of 1:00 pm.

The AHL schedule will be released in mid-July.

NEWS AND NOTES

It’s official. The NHL’s Seattle franchise files an AHL expansion application to put their farm team in Palm Springs, California. The team, yet to be named, will play in a brand new, 10,000 seat arena. Seattle and OVG (Oak View Group) have teamed up with Live Nation, the behemoth national ticketing agency, and the Agua Caliente Indian tribe, whose land, they will build on, in what will be a brand new, multi-purpose arena. They will be able to do shows in the building since it’s in LA. The building will be classified as a B-Level building,

The location is a perfect distance from Ontario and San Diego. With an airport right there that can service short inexpensive flights to Northern California where the team can play the other Pacific Division teams in the state, which are the Bakersfield Condors, the San Jose Barracuda and the Stockton Heat.

In addition, direct flights to Tucson and Denver and available for the other two AHL Pacific teams. For Seattle, it will have direct flights for recalls and there is a direct connection to Vancouver should the Canucks move their AHL team from Utica to Abbotsford (the Canucks are having a pre-season game there in the fall). They also have flights to Chicago and Texas, Austin and San Antonio for any games with the Midwestern AHL teams.

This is no surprise with OVG involved. They are developing and financing the new re-booted NHL Seattle KeyArena and were named the building’s operators for the Webster Bank Arena back in March. In addition, Irving Azoff, a notable financier, is in the mix as well. There was no doubt this project was gonna get greenlit.

There’s a good piece from the Seattle Times on this final NHL-AHL team imprint as they matchup 32 NHL teams and 32 AHL teams. Read it HERE

Here are two other pieces from Arena Digest that fill in some other pieces to the puzzle. HERE and HERE.

The AHL announced the earliest time in memory that Ontario International Airport will be the title sponsor of the AHL All Star Classic in Ontario, CA this year. It’s the first time it’s been held at a Pacific Division team building.

Ex-Pack, Steven Kampfer, signed a very cap friendly, two-year, one-way deal with Boston for $800K per.

Ex-Pack, Scott Kosmachuk, a pending UFA next week was dealt along with two draft picks by Colorado to Washington for Andre Burakovsky.

Anaheim has prevented one player, Sam Carrick, from leaving the AHL for Europe. The defenseman signs a one year, one-way $700K deal with San Diego.

The Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes swapped a pair of players each.

Chicago departed with goalie Anton Forsberg, an ex-Springfield Falcon who spent all last season in Rockford, along with fellow Swede, Gustav Forsling, for ex-Sound Tiger defenseman, Calvin de Haan and Alexei Saarela, who led the Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers in goal in the regular season and the post-season. He was originally a Rangers draft pick but was traded to Carolina in the Eric Staal deal two years ago.

Saarela’s younger brother, Antii, was selected by Chicago in the 4th round (123rd overall) in last Saturday’s NHL Draft.

A second member of the Calder Cup champion squad was also dealt as Carolina sent Nicolas Roy and a 5th round draft pick to Vegas for forward Eric Haula.

Two more collegians have signed. North America keeps one in Brendan Warren of the University of Michigan (Big 10) with Indy (ECHL) and one will head to Europe in Chris Pohlkamp of Bowling Green (NCHC). He signs with Coventry Blaze (England-EIHL).

That ups the total to 174 college players that have signed North American pro deals. 42 have signed in Europe and a total of 227 players from college have signed pro deals since the college year has ended.

Stefan Elliott who split the season with Belleville and Wilkes Barre/Scranton leaves for Europe signing with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus-KHL),.

The AHL to Euro list saw Juuso Ikonen leave Hershey to go to HC 71 (Sweden-SHL). There are now 45 players who have signed with European or Asian teams and 24 of 31 AHL teams have lost at least one player so far.

-Ex-Pack, Allan McPherson, leaves Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic-EBEL) for HKM Zloven (Slovakia-SLEL).

-Ex-CT Whale, Blake Parlett, leaves Kunlun (China (KHL) for EHC Munich (Germany-DEL) next year.

-The Rangers officially announce the players they have made qualifying offers effective by 5 pm on Tuesday as per the CBA.: Julius Bergman (D), Pavel Buchnevich (F), Tony DeAngelo (D), Brendan Lemieux (F), Vinni Lettieri (F), Chris Nell (G), Jacob Trouba (D),

When the team makes the offer, it gives them the right of first refusal or the ability to receive draft choice compensation should their player sign an offer sheet from another team. The compensation would then be based on where they were drafted or if undrafted but failed to qualify as Group 6 UFA.

For Lettieri, it makes some sense, but it’s not likely he will be back. Chris Nell makes no sense at all. His first month of play in Hartford two seasons ago. Then he was just an afterthought. He was shuttled to four different ECHL destinations the past two years unless that was the sole purpose to send him to Maine which is the only plausible explanation.

The Rangers did not make the following players UFA (unrestricted free agents); Chris Bigras, Julius Bergman, Chris Nell, and Brandon Halverson. Two Group 6 free agents John Gilmour and Rob O’ Gara were not made any offers by the Rangers.  The other UFA Dustin Tokarski loaned out to Charlotte where he collected his second Calder Cup ring no offer to date has been made and is likely to sign in Sweden for next season.

Bergman has already signed a contract with Frolunda HC the defending Swedish Hockey league champions so his return is highly unlikely.

Here is a list of players who received qualifying offers, as announced by teams with Connecticut connections: Ex-Sound Tiger, Alan Quine (Calgary), Ryan Donato (Minnesota), the son of ex-Wolf Pack and Sound Tiger, Ted Donato, current Sound Tigers, Micahel Del Colle and Josh Ho-Sang (Islanders).

Kasperi Kapanen (Toronto), the son of Hartford Whaler great, Sami Kapanen, who signed a multi-year deal, former Quinnipiac University Bobcat, Brogan Rafferty (Vancouver), and Chandler Stephenson (Washington), who’s the nephew of former Whaler, Bob Stephenson.

Several NHL teams did not make public their list they were; Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, and Vegas.

The aforementioned Jeff Beukeboom saw his son, Brock, head to Denmark to play for the Odense Bulldogs in the fall.

Ex-Pack, Adam Tambellini, was also not tendered a qualifying offer by Ottawa. Neither was Adam Musil, the nephew of former Whaler and Ranger, Robert (Bobby) Holik, both players are now UFA’s.

In the annual CHL Import where all 62 teams from the three Canadian major junior leagues get the chance to draft two import player limit. No Ranger draft picks were taken, but a few names of note were selected.

Senna Peeters, a Belgian native who played at Selects Academy at South Kent Prep (USPHL) was taken in the 1st round (48th overall) by the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL).

Then two picks later goalie Nick Malik, the son of former Whaler, Ranger, and Beast of New Haven, d-man, Marek Malik, was taken in the 50th overall slot by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL).

In the second round, 82nd overall incoming UCONN freshmen Alexander Firstov just selected in the NHL Draft last Saturday in the 2nd round 42nd overall by Minnesota was selected by the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL).

Cooper Moore (Cos Cob/Brunswick Prep) was drafted by Detroit in the 5th round (128th overall) turns out is the nephew of former NHL’er Dave Ellett who played for Winnipeg, Toronto, New Jersey, Boston, and St. Louis.

With a new AHL city planned for Palm Springs, CA coming into the league by 2021 one of the cities from the old AHL Maritime Division Fredericton is getting a new Junior A franchise in the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MJAHL) with the Fredericton (New Brunswick) Jr. Red Wings.

One big change in Charlotte late yesterday as their head coach and GM (plus Carolina AGM) Mike Vellucci an ex-Whaler, stepped down yesterday after 27 years in the family starting back in Plymouth (OHL) (nee Flint) then owned by Compuware.

Cantlon’s Corner has learned Vellucci is heading to Wilkes Barre/Scranton in the same capacity.

The post CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON – VOLUME 10 first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Vinni Lettieri and Devante Smith-Pelly matched hat tricks while John Gilmour’s and Nathan Walker each had three helpers for their respective teams, but in the end, it was the Hershey Bears who pulled off a 5-3 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The loss effectively removed any chance the Wolf Pack might have had in catching the Bears, whose record improves to 33-22-2-4 (72 points). They hold an eleven point lead over the Pack with just thirteen games left to play. The loss drops the Pack record to 26-28-6-3 (61 points).

The Bears’ win ended their current, and longest, losing streak in over two months. They are 0-1-2-1 over the span.

Penalties and loose defensive zone play cost the Wolf Pack another loss, which also ended a modest three-game winning streak.

“When you’re killing penalties, your shot totals are going to be going up, and the first part we’re putting ourselves to be in a position to take those penalties. At the top of my list, we were mismanaging pucks in critical areas and we know this Hershey team set a record for consecutive wins. Anytime you give a team a free play on turnovers like that, there’s a very good chance it’s going to wind up in the back of your net,” Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said.

The Bears took a 3-2 lead as the Pack was, once again, unable to clear the puck or get to a loose puck off a rebound.

Rookie Wolf Pack goalie, Adam Huska, stopped ex-Pack Ryan Sproul’s left point drive with a pad save. The Bears Nathan Walker got to the loose biscuit after a center ice turnover by Tim Gettinger, who was going off for a line change.  Walker fed another ex-CT Whale, Jayson Megna, for a quickly developing two-on-one. Megna, a right-handed shot, was playing on the left wing. He slid the pass over to Smith-Pelly on the right wing. The NHL veteran deposited his second of the game at 1:52.

The Bears nearly got another with a Sproul shot that that was stopped, but on the net-front battle, Walker seemingly scored, but a lengthy review determined there was no goal.

The Bears kept the pressure on as the Wolf Pack took penalties allowed the Bears quality O-zone time.

At 8:53, and on the powerplay, Megna redirected Michael Sgarbossa’s perfect pass from the left point. Megna had inside position on Josh Wesley and put it past Huska giving the Bears a two-goal advantage at 4-2.

The Wolf Pack followed with 1:16 of five-on-three late but didn’t connect until six seconds after it ended. After passing it back-and-forth several times, Lettieri took a cross-ice pass from Gilmour and buried his third goal of the game past a diving Bears goalie, Vitek Vanacek at 16:45.

The goal completed Lettieri’s hat trick and some of the crowd of 4,685 followed the hockey signature rituals by throwing hats on the ice.

It was Lettieri’s 21st goal of the season, which leads the team. Lettieri was the second Pack player to record a hat trick in two weeks, but just the third hat trick in three years and sixth in the last seven years. Gilmour’s third assist of the game gave him 48 on the season to become the AHL leader for points by a defenseman passing Zach Redmond of the idle Rochester Americans.

‘Our line has been doing great,” remarked Lettieri. The team’s number one unit consists of Lettieri, Steven Fogarty, and Ryan Gropp, “When I get the puck. I always try to get it to Gropp or Fogarty and then try to get ahead of the play and they always seem to find me.”

Smith-Pelly matched Lettieri’s hat trick restore a two-goal lead as the trailer on Walker’s breakaway. Huska made the pad save, but Smith-Pelly went unchecked and was able to sweep and bury that a shot just 44 seconds after Lettieri’s goal at 17:29.

The play started when Gabriel Fontaine blew a tire at center ice. Sean Day was unable to get back to contain Walker allowing Smith-Pelly to record his seventh point in six games.

McCambridge was happy with his rookie goalie who showed flashes of his UCONN form.

“I like the way Adam played. I really can’t fault (him) on those rebounds against us, but he did give us some chances to win the game. He had to fight thru traffic to find those pucks and he did so. There are going to be rebounds, and that’s our defenseman’s job to clear those rebounds.”

The Wolf Pack came out at the start of the second as they did in the first attacking Hershey defense and gained the lead back at 2-1.

Gilmour wired a shot off the left pad of Vanacek and Lettieri was right there to easily deposit the loose change for his second of the night at 30 seconds.

Two milestones were reached on the play.

Lettieri became the second Wolf Pack to reach 20 goals. The other was the now traded, Peter Holland.

With his second assist of the night, Gilmour broke the record for assists by a defenseman passing Andrew Hutchison in the 2007-08 season.

Hershey came back at 5:53 on the powerplay. Huska made a save with the shoulder on Jusso Ikonen, but the Wolf Pack didn’t get to a loose puck, but Walker did at the left side of the net. Walker sent the puck behind the net to Juuso Ikonen. He quickly fed Garret Pilon who rifled his seventh goal of the season to the far side past Huska, evening the game at two and completing a well-executed three player sequence.

Pack grabbed the first goal of the game on the powerplay.

Gilmour fed Lettieri at the right point. Lettieri then unloaded a heavy snapshot that sailed past Vanacek who was screened by Gabriel Fontaine 12:39.

Hershey bounced back with Smith-Pelly, in his sixth game since being demoted by the Washington Capitals, when he scored his first of the game from the left wing. Smith-Pelley’s perfect redirect of ex-Sound Tiger Aaron Ness’s left point shot beat Huska to the short-side at 17:29 to tie the score at one.

SCRATCHES:

Dawson Leedahl (upper body, week-to-week)
Rob O’Gara (lower body, week-to-week)
Chris Bigras (ankle, out for the season)
Drew Melanson (healthy)
Julius Bergman (healthy)

LINES:

Fogarty-Lettieri-Gropp
Fontaine-Beleskey-Meskanen
Ronning-Gettinger-St. Amant
O’Donnell-Butler-Wallin

Gilmour-Lindgren
Raddysh-Day
Wesley-Crawley

NOTES:

The Pack will host the Binghamton Devils on Wednesday at 7:00 pm, the last mid-week game of the season and the last home game for the next two weeks.

Gilmour’s next goal will be his 19th and will break the Wolf Pack team record for goals by a defenseman set by Andrew Hutchison in the 2007-08 season. Hutchinson was the Wolf Pack captain and became the only Eddie Shore trophy winner for Best Defenseman in franchise history.

Matt Beleskey’s powerplay goal last night in Springfield against the Thunderbirds broke a 23-game scoreless streak that dated back to January 5th against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

With Huska now in the red, white, and blue, Chris Nell became expendable and was reassigned to the team’s ECHL affiliates, the Maine Mariners, who in turn released veteran Hannu Toivonen.

Wolf Pack Fan Jersey of the Night: Plenty to choose from #15 Greg Moore, #36 Craig Weller, #40 Steve Valiquette, #42 Jeff State, CT Whale #5 Blake Parlett, a Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) #27 Tim Gettinger, and a special tip of the chapeau to a #27 Hershey Bears Dennis Bonvie plus two beautiful blue Maine Mariner’s road uni’s. Former team captain and head coach, Ken Gernander’s #12 jersey was sighted as well.

Speaking of Moore, he is now the head coach of the Chicago Steel (USHL). Moore was the second Wolf Pack captain following Gernander’s retirement. Their first captain was Craig Weller who is not currently active in hockey.

One of 38 players to play for both the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the Wolf Pack, Valiquette is now an MSG-TV hockey analyst on Rangers’ broadcasts. He was part of the greatest Wolf Pack goalie tandem ever with Jason LaBarbera.

Speaking of the 6’5 Jeff State, who also played for the wildly, infamous Danbury Trashers, then Wolf Pack head coach, Ryan McGill, now an assistant with the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and who was never one for mincing words said, “He was like a human pillon out there,”

Blake Parlett is now playing in Beijing, China with Kunlun Red Star (KHL). Bonvie, the AHL’s all-time PIM leader with 4,493 in 871 games and was one of the most honest and decent players in the game, is currently scouting for the Boston Bruins. Bonvie’s fight with Richard Scott in Hartford was one of the greatest toe-to-toe bouts in XL Center history. Scott was smiling throughout the tilt.

At the time, Scott’s teammate Jeff Toms, said after the game, “If you couldn’t get juiced after watching that you need to check your pulse.”

The post CANTLON: BEARS BURY PACK DESPITE LETTIERI HAT TRICK first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – While the Hartford Wolf Pack are reassessing, reevaluating, and making some signings and course corrections, the rest of the hockey world continues to make the news.

AHL CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS

The AHL quarterfinals are set to start this weekend.

In the first, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will play the Charlotte Checkers. The series will be played in a 2-3-2 format.

In the other, the Toronto Marlies take on the Syracuse Crunch. That series will be in the only traditional playoff formatted series, playing 2-2-1-1-1. Game 1, in a high scoring affair, went to the Marlies who came out on the high end of a 6-4 score.

The Manitoba Moose, who eliminated the defending champion, Grand Rapids Griffins, will take on the Rockford IceHogs. The Tucson Roadrunners, the top affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes, is the franchise’s first farm team since 1997 to make the AHL playoffs. They will challenge the Texas Stars. 

AHL COACHING CHANGES

The list of coaches being relieved of their duties – fired for those who prefer the more blunt way of saying it – has grown to five following Sylvain Lefebvre (Laval Rocket), the first to be let go.

Troy Mann (Hershey Bears), assistant coach and ex-Pack, Randy Murphy were dismissed after the Bears finished in last-place for the first time since 1983-84 in the AHL Atlantic. Former QU Bobcat Reid Cashman remains as an assistant coach.

After nine years with the Edmonton Oilers organization, Gerry Fleming was let go by the Bakersfield Condors. Also relieved of their position were assistants, Tony Borgford. That move matches their parent club in Edmonton who relieved its entire coaching staff including Todd Mcllelan, Ian Herbers, and Jim Johnson.

The Oilers wasted little time appointing Jay Woodcroft as the Condors new head coach. He was an Oilers assistant for the last three years.

Eric Veilleux was let go by the San Antonio Rampage. He could be returning to the QMJHL after a surprise opening came up in Halifax, after the Mooseheads fired their head coach, Jim Midgley, after just one season.

The latest to be pink-slipped is former New Haven Nighthawk, Kurt Kleinendorst. He was fired for the second time as a head coach of an Ottawa AHL franchise. The first time was in Binghamton. He was let go after the team’s initial year in Belleville. The assistant coaches are one-time Nighthawk, Paul Boutilier and former New Haven Senator, Tony Cimellaro, who are staying put for now.

CHAMPIONS CROWNED

The Federal Hockey League saw the Watertown Wolves win the league title while the SPHL’s Huntsville Havoc shut the door on the Peoria Rivermen’s third straight final appearance. The Havoc won the series in two straight games in the best of three final.

WORLD UNDER-18 TOURNAMENT

After marching thru the tourney, the US team lost in the gold medal game to Finland.

In Division II, Group B, New Zealand knocked-off Hong Kong 8-5 to earn a promotion to Division II Group A next year.

USHL DRAFT

The top US junior draft will be held early next week in the usual two-phase format.

Phase I starts Monday, May 7th at 6:00 pm CST and is limited to 2002 birth year eligible players. A team can sign a player to a tender contract guaranteeing them a roster spot for the 2018-19 season. If a team does that, they lose a first-round pick. Teams are only permitted two tenders a year and if a second player is signed the team loses a second-round pick. Currently, eight players have been signed to tenders as of Thursday.

Phase Two is Tuesday, May 8 and is an open draft format.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

The US finally released their team’s roster. Several names with Connecticut connection dot the lineup sheet.

Cam Atkinson (Greenwich/AOF), ex-Pack, Brian Gibbons (Salisbury Prep), ex-CT Whale, and current New York Ranger, Chris Kreider, ex-Sound Tiger, Anders Lee, ex-Pack, Neal Pionk, and Tage Thompson (Orange/UConn).

Canada is led by former Hartford Whaler, Sean Burke as the team GM. Their roster sports two ex-Sound Tigers, in Ryan Pulock, and Anthony Beauvillier.

Switzerland has ex-Pack/Ranger, Raphael Diaz, and ex-Sound Tiger, Nino Niederreiter.

Belarus has ex-Wolf Pack, Vladimir Denisov.

Slovakia’s roster has a former Sound Tiger, Tomas Marcinko, and one of the assistant coaches is former Whaler, Robert Petrovicky.

Host Norway has ex-Pack, Nicklas Jensen, and former Sound Tiger, Franz Nielsen.

The Czech Republic has no Filip Chytil, but they do have a former Beast of New Haven as an assistant coach, Jaroslav Spacek.

Russia has ex-Pack/Ranger, Artem Anisimov, and former Wolf Pack, and current Ranger, Pavel Buchnevich. They also have Rangers’ draft pick, goalie, Igor Shestyorkin.

Sweden does have the Wolf Pack’s Lias Andersson (read the following piece) and in goal, former Wolf Pack, Magnus Hellberg. They also have former Sound Tiger, Anders Nilsson, as well as current Ranger, Mika Zibanejad.

The tournament starts in Copenhagen, and Herning, Denmark on Friday. The US and Canada start the tournament with a day off.

Just before the tournament got underway, the IIHF issued suspensions to four players of Sweden’s World Junior Championship squad for their conduct in Buffalo.

One of those suspended is Andersson, who infamously tossed his silver medal into the crowd. He was hit with the toughest ban, four games. Since the suspension wouldn’t have mattered as Andersson is aged out and would have likely been on the Rangers NHL roster and ineligible to play anyway, the IIHF changed it to keep him from the World Championship games next season.

Rasmus Dahlin, who is expected to be the first overall in the NHL Draft pick in Dallas next month, was given a two-game ban. It affects only his eligibility for the 2019 WJC and 2019 Under-18 team games. He was 17 at the time of the incident, but he is not on Sweden’s team.

Read the full details of the decision HERE

PLAYERS AND COACHES, PLAYING, ON THE MOVE OR SIGNINGS

Ex-Pack, Chris Summers, leads 13 Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins players elevated to Pittsburgh to be Black Aces.

Connor Clifton, a QU Bobcat grad, was called up from the Providence to the Boston Bruins.

Ranger draft choice Tim Gettinger and his Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Greyhounds won the OHL Western Conference final against the Kitchener Rangers 4-3 in double overtime. Gettinger has 16 points in 18 playoff games. He had no points in Game 7 but led the team with six shots on goal. The team also featured Hayden Verbeek, the nephew of former Whaler and Ranger, Pat Verbeek. Hayden is finishing his junior career and has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Montreal Canadiens that starts next season.

Pat Verbeek is the current assistant GM and Director of Player Development for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Greyhounds head coach is ex-Pack, Drew Bannister. His assistant coach is former Ranger, Joe Cirella.

The OHL Finals pits the Greyhounds against the Hamilton Bulldogs, who eliminated the Kingston Frontenacs. That team featured Rangers prospect defenseman, Sean Day who will play in Hartford next fall.

The last line of attachment between the Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes was NHL Hall-of-Famer, Ron Francis. While he is the franchise’s all-time leader in scoring, it was announced on Monday that Francis was dismissed as the team’s President of Hockey Operations after having been demoted from the GM position nearly two months ago.

The Hurricanes are an organization in complete disarray.

Despite a revitalized AHL farm team in Charlotte, and having the second overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, not only does the team not have someone in Francis’ role, but the team has no head coach, and Pro Scout – and Francis loyalist, Joe Nieuwendyk, also resigned this week.

Read about it HERE.

One-time Whalers GM, Brian Burke, announced that he is stepping down from being the President of Hockey Operations for the Calgary Flames.

The Montreal Canadiens released former Wolf Pack assistant coach, J.J. Daigneault, after six years. The former Ranger and Daniel Lacroix were shown the exit door last Friday.

Rick Dudley, 69, a former Nighthawks head coach, was also dismissed by Montreal and also after six years on the job. Dudley was not unemployed long as he has signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes to be their Senior VP of Hockey Operations.

Sam Anas, the former QU Bobcat, has signed a new two-year, two-way deal with the Minnesota Wild.

Former Yale Bulldog, Ryan Hitchcock, has signed a two-year AHL deal with Bridgeport. After Yale’s season concluded, he signed an ATO deal and played five games for the Sound Tigers.

Former Sound Tiger goalie, Mikko Koskinen, signed a one-year, one-way deal with Edmonton. He played the last four years with SKA St. Petersburg (Russia-KHL) and with the Finnish Olympic team this year.

Patrick Roy is back as GM/Head Coach for the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) after ex-NHL’er Phillippe Boucher stepped down two weeks ago after five years in the role.

Three more AHL’ers are heading to Europe next year. They are former Yale Bulldog, Andrew Miller, who was with Charlotte. He heads to HC Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland-LNA) and his new Swiss teammate is the Swiss-born goalie, Reto Berra, who leaves the San Diego Gulls to return HC Fribourg too. Defenseman Andrey Pedan one of the Penguins Black Aces leaves Wilkes Barre/Scranton to join AK Bars Kazan (Russia-KHL).

Ex-CT Whale defenseman, Blake Parlett, leaves Eisbaren Berlin (Germany-DEL) to make his way to Kunlun (China KHL) next year.

Ex-UConn defenseman, Jonna Kunnas, goes from Grenoble (France-FREL) to HC Mulhousie (France-FREL) in the Elite Magnus League.

Lucas Bombardier, a former CT Oiler who played this year for the Knoxville Ice Bears (SPHL) heads to play for the Botany Swarm (New Zealand-NZIHL) this summer.

IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DIVISION II

For Cheshire native Rob Malloy, things were going well for his Mighty Roos Australian national team. They were undefeated going into their last game of Division II Group A tourney in Tilburg, Netherlands with a grand chance to be elevated to Division 1 Group B. Well, that all ended with a crushing loss at the hands of the host country.

The undefeated host, the Netherlands (5-0-0), crushed Australia’s hopes with a 9-2 victory. They tallied four goals in the first 1:02 of the game. Ivy van den Heuvel had three assists for the Dutch while Thomas Stempher added a goal and three assists.

The goal of the game, and maybe the tournament, came off Mickey Bastings’ stick. He was in full flight, took a pass from van den Heuvel, did a spin-a-rama before, with his back to the Aussie goalie, Anthony Kimlin, going backhand-to-forehand and put it in the net.

The first loss by Australia came a day after an emotional 5-4 shootout win over Serbia that kept their gold medal hopes alive.

The Mighty Roos built a 4-2 lead as Malloy, who had a strong tournament factored into their attaining the lead early in the third period.

After starting an early opportunity in the second period by winning a one-on-one battle behind the net, Malloy set-up teammate Matt Armstrong, who was stopped at 13:48. A few minutes later, Malloy delivered a clean and thundering hard hit to Serbian defenseman, Dominik Crnogora. the hit left Crnogora in a heap.

At 1:04 of the third period Malloy on the right wing and got the puck after defenseman Per Goransson’s left point shot sailed wide to the short-side. The puck came right off the backboards to Malloy who beat goalie Arsene Rankovic before he could recover and broke a 2-2 tie.

At 6:55, Malloy was on the left-wing side of the net. He took a shot that went off the skate of Serbian defenseman, Peter Novakovic’s skate. Armstrong was there to backhand the loose puck past Razanovic and gave the Mighty Roos a seemingly secure 4-2 lead.

Four consecutive penalties in the second-half of the third period allowed the Serbs to even the game. On some loose defensive play, the Serbs got a two-on-one that ended with Marko Sretovic on the right wing to make it 4-3.

A five-on-three power play followed and with their goalie pulled turned it into a six-on-three with ten seconds left. Novakovic was on the right wing side when he buried a cross-ice pass to tie the game at four.

After a scoreless five minute overtime, the teams had to rely on the shootout.

Australia’s Beau Taylot’s tally proved to be the game-winner.

The Netherlands earned the gold and promotion, while Australia earned the silver and Serbia took the bronze.

China, in its first time at the Division 2 level, finished fourth. They will play Yale University in December as they seek to upgrade their skill level in preparation for hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics.

In Division II, Group B, Great Britain pulled off an upset winning 3-2 over host Hungary in Budapest to capture the gold. Italy took silver and Kazakhstan took bronze.

In Division 1, Group B, an all Baltic final as host Lithuania won 4-1 over Estonia with ex-Pack, and Ranger, Darius Kasparaitis in the lineup. Japan took the silver and Estonia earned the bronze. Kasparaitis announced he was officially retired from playing at age 46

EURO CHAMPS

The ZSC Zurich Lions captured the Swiss NLA title in seven games over HC Lugano.

The Lions have ex-Ranger, Kevin Klein, who is retiring as well as former Wolf Pack and Ranger, Lauri Korpikoski. Former Sound Tiger, Robert Nilsson (the younger brother of Anders Nilsson) had a season-ending knee injury early in the campaign.

HC Lugano had former Wolf Pack and Ranger Bobby Sanguinetti.

The winner of the NLB Swiss League was SC Rapperswil-Jona, who earned a promotion to the NLA after beating the NLA’s EHC Kloten for honors. For Kloten, it will be the first time in 56 years they will not be in the countries, top-tier league.

The Aalborg Pirates captured the Denmark title beating the Herning Blue Fox in six games. They won the title-clinching 4-2. It was the Pirates first championship in 37 years.

The Pirates had ex-Sound Tiger forward Kirill Kabanov and one time Quinnipiac University Bobcat, Peter Quenneville.

The post CANTLON’S CORNER: HARTFORD WOLF PACK OFF SEASON VOLUME TWO first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CT Whale

Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned defenseman Blake Parlett from the Whale to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Parlett, a second-year pro, had returned to the Whale from Greenville March 10 and played in four games in his latest AHL stint.  All told this season, Parlett has suited up for 54 games with the Whale, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists for 14 points while logging 34 penalty minutes.  In seven ECHL games with the Road Warriors, he has scored one goal and added three assists for four points, and is +3 with four penalty minutes.

Parlett signed with the Rangers as a free agent June 2, 2011, after playing last season with the Whale on an AHL contract.

The Whale are back in action tomorrow night, Friday, March 23, hosting the Portland Pirates at the XL Center in a 7:00 PM game.  Fans can take advantage of a special food combo deal, available for all remaining Whale regular-season Friday-night home games, at that game.  A hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.  The Whale also play at home this Saturday night, March 24 at 7:00, locking horns with the Providence Bruins.

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at CTWhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

The AHL’s Connecticut Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin and Howard Baldwin, Jr..  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated nearly $21.4 billion in sales and has transferred more than $7.2 billion to the state’s General Fund. Prizes have exceeded $12.3 billion. Purchasers must be 18 years or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238. For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, visit CTLottery.org.

The post BLAKE PARLETT REASSIGNED TO ECHL GREENVILLE first appeared on Howlings.

VERSUS     

The Connecticut Whale should be happy they came away with the two points they got for the 5-3 win Sunday afternoon in Manchester when they faced the Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Arena, because they certainly weren’t going to be getting any style points – if there was such a thing.

“It’s going to be a grind, with a short night and travel last night,”  Whale head coach Ken Gernander told Brian Ring afterwards. “But the guys stuck with  it, got a big goal by Casey [Wellman], and we were able to get our two points.”

Despite going into the game with a 3-0 record against the Monarchs this season, the Whale were minus arguably their best all-around player as Mats Zuccarello was recalled by the New York Rangers after Ryan Callahan’s nagging foot injury sustained when he blocked a Ilya Kovalchuk shot, was unable to go. According to Andrew Gross on his Ranger Rants blog, Zuccarello found out about his recall on Sunday morning. ““I was eating breakfast, getting ready to go to the game in Manchester. I packed my little stuff and go the airport.” Zuccarello was sent to the Whale after the third game of the season against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

So the Whale were going to need to press on without “The Norwegian Hobbit.” In his absence, Ryan Bourque moved up from the third line with Tommy Grant and Kelsey Tessier to the second with Wellman and Andreas Thuresson while Jonathan Audy-Marchessault moved up to the left wing on the first line. Gernander also inserted defenseman Blake Parlett into the lineup for his first game with the Whale as a forward running with Jordan Owens and Jeff Prough.

The first period was played fast and wide open with both teams putting two in the net of the opposition.

The Whale struck first when Wellman put his first of two past Jeff Zatkoff (17-14-1, 27 saves). Thuresson took the puck form behind the Manchester goal and threw it up to the left point and to the stick of Brendan Bell. The Whale defenseman then fired a slap shot that hit the goaltender in the pillows and rebounded to Wellman on the right side before slamming it into the back of the net at 1:14.

Two seconds short of three minutes later Richard Clune redirected a David Kolomatis shot from the right point and snuck it past a stellar, again, Chad Johnson (20-13-5, 34 saves), knotting the score.

Eleven seconds later Grant took a hooking call and on their first power play just sixteen seconds into that man-advantage Kolomatis got his second helper when he gave the puck to veteran Trent Hunter who walked the puck out form the left half-boards untouched and ripped a wrister that beat Johnson glove-side making it two goals in 27 seconds and a 2-1 lead.

The Whale responded with a power play of their own at 12:26. Nick Deslauriers went to the box on a roughing call at 11:56. As the puck moved around the perimeter, Audy-Marchessault on the left side sent the puck to the right point and Tim Erixon. The future Ranger fed Kris Newbury in the right circle. Newbury looked across and saw Audy-Marchessault sneaking in on the left side. A perfect cross ice pass and an even better shot over the short side shoulder and under the crossbar later the score was tied at two.

The best scoring chance for either team in the second period came in the first half minute. Zatkoff misplayed a puck behind the net and it bounced of the boards, hit the cage and came right out in front of the empty net. Audy-Marchessault turned on the after burners to get to the puck and take the gift goal. He looked golden until Jake Muzzan dove across the crease and got his stick on the puck sending Audy-Marchessault’s shot over the top of the net.

Manchester outshot the Whale 11-6 in the second period, but it was all Whale in the third as the connected three times to pull away.

The first came at 8:09. Linden Vey’s outlet pass from the right side, and just inside their defensive zone hit Bourque and flipped right to Wellman. The Brentwood, California native blasted the puck past Zatkoff for his twentieth of the season. Wellman potting twenty was the first time in his professional career.

Eleven seconds later Marc-Andre Cliché’s shot from the left wing faceoff circle blew right past Johnson. The goal was washed out  when Clune, who was battling Jared Nightingale in the crease fell on Johnson and referees Chris Cozzan and Jon McIsaac discussed it and called off the goal.

“We had a chance there, a goal was just called off. The puck was in and out of the net before any contact,” Manchester head coach Mark Morris told the Union Leader’s Ian Clark. “It was kind of disappointing because that certainly affected the outcome of the game. Tough break. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Exactly three minutes later Grant sent an outlet pass up to Wellman. The versatile forward raced up left-wing and fed Thuresson on the right side of the slot. Thuresson’s slapper beat Zatkoff over the glove for what would prove to be the game winner.

Two goals were scored in the last 1:51.

At 18:09, with Zatkoff on the bench and an extra attacker on the ice, Thomas Hickey blasted a shot from the high slot as Brandon Kozun put up a perfect screen so that Johnson never saw the shot from the the Monarch defenseman making it 4-3.

But the Whale’s new captain, Wade Redden aced the game when his clearing attempt off the wall from deep in the Whale zone. Kozun  chased the slow rolling puck back to the net, but could not catch up to what proved to be Redden’s second goal since returning from a two month absence, the longest of his career.

With Bridgeport having lost to  Norfolk 6-3 at the Webster Bank Arena the Whale find themselves in a first place tie. Bridgeport still sits atop the Northeast Division by means of holding a game in hand on their intra-state rivals.

The two teams will battle it out for first place  at the XL Center on Friday night at 7pm.

Ian Clark with the story inside the Monarch’s dressing room at UnionLeader.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS:

(Conference)

(Division)

(Standings provided by TheAHL.com)

NOTES:

* Such a great honor for a great man, so we’ll rerun the link on Ken Gernander being inducted into the Connecticut Hockey Hall-Of-Fame at TheAHL.com.

LINES:

Audy-Marchessault – Newbury – Deveaux
Bourque – Wellman – Thuresson
Grant – Tessier – Tanski
Prough – Owens – Parlett

REDDEN – Vernace
Bell – Klassen
Valentenko – Erixon

Johnson
Talbot

(Captain in CAPS / Assistant Captains are Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Francois Bouchard – Broken Wrist – Indefinite
Chad Kolarik – Knee – (Can’t Play due to Roster Issues)
Pavel Valentenko – Upper Body – Day-to-Day
Sean Avery – Healthy Scratch

THREE STARS:

1. CT – C. Wellman
2. CT – A. Thuresson
3. MCH – D. Kolomatis

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Chris Cozzan (18)
Jon McIsaac (39)

Linesmen:
Joe Ross (92)
Brian MacDonald (72)

NEXT GAME:

Some much needed rest for the #CTWhale as they are off now until next Friday when they do three-in-three again, but all at home. Of the team’s remaining 15 games, ten of them are at home and only one of them requires a road trip and that’s the first weekend in April when they travel to Wilkes-Barre and Hershey. You can hear all the action on WCCC.com starting at 2:50pm.

To watch the game live, you can purchased it for $6.99 at AHL-live.

For Ticket information for all home games, call (860) 548-2000.

Too far away or can’t make it? Listen live at WCCC.com or from your cell phone or computer you can get all the live action via our Twitter page:@HowlingsToday for all games both home and away.

SCORE SHEET:

Connecticut Whale 5 at Manchester Monarchs 3 – Status: Final
Sunday, March 11, 2012 – Verizon Wireless Arena

Connecticut     2 0 3 – 5
Manchester      2 0 1 – 3

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Wellman 19 (Bell, Thuresson), 1:14. 2, Manchester, Clune 5 (Kolomatis, Loktionov), 4:12. 3, Manchester, Hunter 2 (Kolomatis, Azevedo), 4:39 (PP). 4, Connecticut, Audy-Marchessault 20 (Newbury, Erixon), 12:26 (PP). Penalties-Grant Ct (hooking), 4:23; Bourque Ct (tripping), 8:56; Deslauriers Mch (roughing), 11:56; Clune Mch (tripping), 14:30; Loktionov Mch (high-sticking), 15:20.

2nd Period– No Scoring.Penalties-served by Kozun Mch (bench minor – too many men), 10:36; Owens Ct (tripping), 13:48.

3rd Period-5, Connecticut, Wellman 20 (Bourque), 8:09. 6, Connecticut, Thuresson 13 (Wellman, Grant), 11:20. 7, Manchester, Hickey 3 (Mullen, Vey), 18:09. 8, Connecticut, Redden 2   18:58 (EN). Penalties-Deveaux Ct (holding), 12:48.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 13-6-13-32. Manchester 16-11-10-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 4; Manchester 1 / 4.
Goalies-Connecticut, Johnson 20-13-5 (37 shots-34 saves). Manchester, Zatkoff 17-14-1 (31 shots-27 saves).
A-6,100
Referees-Chris Cozzan (18), Jon McIsaac (39).
Linesmen-Joe Ross (92), Brian MacDonald (72).

The post TWO POINTS ARE TWO POINTS first appeared on Howlings.

Andrew Gross reports on his Rangers Rants blog that Zuccarello will be with the Rangers for tonight’s tilt with with the New York Islanders to replace an injured Ryan Callahan. Gross also reports that ex-Whale Michael Del Zotto will also miss the game with an injured right hip. It’s ironic that, as Gross points out, Zuccarello makes his NHL return against an Islanders team that was the last one he played against in the NHL in Game Three of this season before being whisked off to Hartford.

Zuccarello has 12 goals, 24 assists in 37 games for the Whale and will be playing in his third game in three days. He would have been doing so anyway as he would have been in the lineup for today’s Whale game as well.

The Whale do not have any extra forwards on the current roster so KenGernander is likely to insert Blake Parlett into the lineup for this afternoon’s tilt with the Manchester Monarchs and run seven defenseman.

Game time is at 3pm. Follow the play-by play with us at @HowlingsToday on Twitter.

Here’s the official release:

NY RANGERS TRANSACTION UPDATE

Recall Forward Mats Zuccarello from Connecticut (AHL)

New York, March 11, 2012 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has recalled forward Mats Zuccarello from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Zuccarello, 24, has registered 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points, along with 22 penalty minutes in 37 games with Connecticut this season.  He ranks fourth on the team in points and assists, and is tied for fifth in goals.  He also ranks third on Connecticut with a plus-five rating, and fifth with five power play goals.  Zuccarello has posted nine multi-point efforts, including three, three-point performances.  He recorded an AHL career-high, three assists on November 12 at St. John’s.  Zuccarello also registered a career-high, seven-game point streak from November 26 at Springfield to January 13 at Norfolk, recording five goals and six assists over the span, including four consecutive two-point efforts from December 2 at Providence to December 9 vs. Hershey.

The Oslo, Norway native skated in three games with the Rangers to begin the season.  He was originally signed by the Rangers as a free agent on May 26, 2010.

The post ZUCCARELLO RECALLED BY RANGERS first appeared on Howlings.