By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack 

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their season-long five-game homestand tonight as they welcome the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to town for their first game following the All-Star break.

Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.

Tale of The Tape:

This is the second of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Phantoms this season. It is the second and final meeting at the XL Center. The sides will meet at the PPL Center on February 19^th, then wrap the season series up on April 1^st with another game in Allentown, PA.

The Pack took the first meeting by a final score of 3-2 on December 7^th in Hartford. Ty Emberson opened the scoring just 2:58 into the game, while Andy Welinski and Will Cuylle tacked on insurance markers at 5:51 and 11:19 of the opening frame. Garrett Wilson and Tyson Foerster would strike in the third period for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough, as Louis Domingue made seven third-period saves for the victory.

The Pack have won two straight at home against the Phantoms, taking a 6-4 decision on February 5^th, 2022, and a 3-2 decision back in December.

The Pack are 3-3-0-1 against the Phantoms over the last seven meetings, while the Phantoms have a record of 4-3-0-0 in that span.

Wolf Pack Outlook:

The Wolf Pack won their second straight game on Saturday night, scoring a season-high eight goals in an 8-2 rout of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the XL Center. Tim Gettinger opened the scoring, striking just eight seconds into the contest. Gettinger would finish the night with three points (2 g, 1 a).

In his 300th career AHL game, Tanner Fritz scored the game-winner and finished with two points (1 g, 1 a). It was his first game-winning goal of the campaign. Captain Jonny Brodzinski set a career-high for points in a game with four (1 g, 3 a). He now has points in seven straight games, scoring eleven points (3 g, 8 a) in that span.

Emberson, Turner Elson, Matt Rempe, and Brandon Scanlin also scored in the victory. Gettinger and Brodzinski, meanwhile, both ended the night with +/- ratings of +5. That tied the franchise record for the best +/- in a single game.

The win pushed Hartford to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, jumping the Penguins and Bridgeport Islanders. It is the first time this season that Hartford has held sole possession of a playoff spot.

Elson leads Hartford in scoring with 25 points (10 g, 15 a) in 45 games. Cuylle has the team lead in goals with 14, while Fritz’s 20 assists top the club in that category.

On Sunday, the parent New York Rangers (NHL) recalled forwards Cuylle and Sammy Blais. Cuylle was assigned back to the Wolf Pack on Thursday afternoon.

Hartford is 2-2-0-0 during their current five-game homestand.

Phantoms Outlook:

The Phantoms scored an impressive 5-1 victory over the Hershey Bears on Saturday night in Chocolatetown. Aliaksei Protas opened the scoring for the home side, but Jackson Cates and Foerster would score at 2:21 and 8:16 of the middle stanza to flip the game and put the Phantoms ahead for good.

Jordy Bellerive delivered the dagger at 2:55 of the third period, while Bobby Brink scored on the powerplay at 16:49. Cates potted his second goal, a shorthanded tally into an empty net, at 19:44 to end the scoring.

The win pushed the Phantoms to 6-4-0-0 in their last ten games. They currently hold sole possession of fifth place in the Atlantic Division with 49 points.

Olle Lycksell leads the Phantoms in scoring with 33 points (8 g, 25 a) in 33 games. Foerster, meanwhile, leads the club in goals with 17 in the campaign. Elliot Desnoyers (14), Artem Anisimov (12), and Cates (10) have also hit double-digit goals this season for the club.

Game Information: 

WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr

Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.

The Wolf Pack conclude a back-to-back set tomorrow night when they visit the Hershey Bears for the final time this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage will be available on AHLTV and Mixlr.

The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday night when they welcome the Bridgeport Islanders to town at 7:00 p.m. for the latest installment of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’! Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs! Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK CONCLUDE HOMESTAND first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Rourke Chartier scored his second goal of the game at 1:08 of overtime to complete a Belleville Senators comeback 3-2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center on Wednesday night.

The Senators rallied with two late regulation goals to force the extra session and then overcame a late tying goal by Hartford in the win.

Chartier broke in on the right-wing side and lifted his ninth goal of the season as the backhander beat Pack starting netminder Adam Huska for the game-winner.

The Pack (25-16-5-2) remains in third place with a .594 winning percentage ahead of the fourth-place Charlotte Checkers. A mere five points separate the top five teams in the Atlantic Division. However, the second-place Providence Bruins kept ahead of the Pack with a 5-3 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Belleville (24-21-0-0) stays near the bottom of the North Division, just ahead of the Syracuse Crunch by the slimmest of margins, .533 to .531, for fifth place.

STANDINGS

The Wolf Pack earned a standings point with a goal while playing with an extra attacker. The goal was the first while playing with an empty net since January 2nd. Anthony Greco scored his second goal from the high slot with 1:18 left in regulation time. The Wolf Pack have only lost two games while maintaining a lead in the third period.

“It was tough to swallow. We battled hard. We’ll move on to the next one. It was good to get two (goals) tonight, but a little too much, too late,” a dejected Greco said after a strong game with the puck and nine shots on goal.

His coach, Kris Knoblauch, was delighted.

“Grec’s played a very good game for us. He couldn’t have been more timely with his second goal. He came up big and we’re missing a lot of guys right now (because of injuries and recalls).” Knoblauch stated.

SENATORS SCORE

For the second game in a row, the Senators found some third-period magic off their sticks.

Belleville scored the first of their late goals off a pool table-like shot by ex-Connecticut Whale Michael Del Zotto. The shot came from the left-wing side and went off Huska’s helmet, up into the air, hit the crossbar, and then off the back of the Pack goaltender, and trickled over the goalline. It was Del Zotto’s ninth tally of the season.

Three minutes later, the Senators struck again to tie the game.

Chartier, the most consistent Senator on the evening, tallied off a breakaway after stealing the puck from Austin Rueschoff in his zone. His shot rang off the post and amazingly hit the back of Huska’s skate and into the net at 15:26.

“You have to be resilient and roll with it a little bit. We continued (with our) foot on the gas pedal, and did good job of that, “remarked Greco.

Knoblauch acknowledged the two weird goals. However, he was still happy with his goaltending.

“Those were two tough breaks for Adam (Huska). The first one was unfortunate; off his helmet, off the crossbar, and him and in the net by three inches. The next one going off the goalpost and off his leg and into the net,” The coach said. Knoblauch was shaking his head in apparent shock and disbelief at how not just one but two pucks entered the net in that fashion.

KNOBLAUCH SEES POSITIVES

“The guys did a good job coming back late with a game tying goal. I think outside of the first five minutes, we played a very good game.”

Belleville goalie Filip Gustavson kept the Wolf Pack at bay all night, especially in the third. Gustavson made a huge save, stopping rookie Cristiano DiGiacinto halfway through the third frame and denying Patrick Khordorenko on two chances and Anthony Bitetto on yet another.

Huska deserved a better fate after playing a solid game.

“He played a very good game for us,” said Knoblauch.

FIRST TWO PERIODS

The Pack was solid through the game’s first forty minutes.

“I liked our effort. All four lines competed. O’Leary and Skinner, who hasn’t practiced in so long as a defenseman, let alone forward, to come in and play forward.” 

LINES

Fritz-Rueschoff-Ronning
Richards-Gettinger-Greco
Khordorenko-Whalen-Lorito
DiGiacinto-Whalen-Skinner

Jones-Lundkvist
Robertson-Giuttari
Reunanen-Bitetto

Huska
Kinkaid

SCRATCHES

Tinordi
Taylor
Luchuk
Pajuniemi (“50/50 he will play this weekend, He just started skating and practicing. We’ll find out over the next two days. Friday will be a full-contact practice.”)
Wall

NOTES

Following the game, Tim Gettinger was recalled and left to join the New York Rangers after Kevin Rooney suffered an upper-body injury in the Rangers 5-3 win over St. Louis.

Tanner Fritz was lost for the second half of the game and was being medically evaluated for an upper-body injury afterward. No status update was available.

The announced crowd of 1,737 was 19th lowest in franchise history, and 36th of the 49th lowest (under 2,000) crowds under the Spectra/Global Spectra/OVG banner.

Belleville’s Chris Wilkie is the son of ex-Wolf Pack, David Wilkie.

This was the first of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Senators during the 2021-22 season delayed by COVID.

The two sides will meet again at the XL Center on Friday, April 1st, while they will also play a pair of games in Belleville at the CAA Centre on March 19th and April 13th. After not meeting during the truncated 2020-21 season. This was the first time the Pack and the Sens met since November 9th, 2019.

That Pack at the XL Center skated by the Senators to a 4-3 shootout victory.

The Wolf Pack finished the 2019-20 season 0-0-0-2 record against the Sens. They also fell 5-4 in a shootout in Belleville on November 2nd, 2019. Hartford’s last win in regulation against the Senators came on October 19th, 2018, by a score of 4-3. Former Pack captain Cole Schneider (now with Milwaukee) scored the winning goal.

The Rangers announced the extension of the contract of current Wolf Pack captain Jonny Brodzinski for two more years rewarding the leading scorer (39 points) for his two years of loyalty and hard work.

The contract for two years encompasses two-way money at $750K-$775K-NHL/$315-$325K-AHL.

Brodzinski was recalled to New York with Zac Jones being sent down for significant ice time and game action.

James Sanchez was sent back to the Jacksonville Icemen, the Pack’s ECHL affiliates, to get some ice time as well.

Ex-Pack goalie Tom McCollum is loaned from HC Innsbruck (Austria-IceHL) to SC Bietigheim/Bissen (Germany-DEL) for the rest of the year.

Ex-Sound Tiger, Shane Prince, heads from Avtomobilst Yekaterinburg (Russia-KHL) to HC Lugano (Switzerland-LNA), coached by former New Haven Nighthawk/Springfield Indian Chris McSorley.

The GM for HC Lugano handing out his last foreign player licenses is former Hartford Whaler, Hnat Domenichelli.

Prince is also part of a handful of Western players in the KHL in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that are seeking to terminate their contracts.

The Pack’s Matt Lorito left the Baltic nation of Latvia last month ahead of the invasion of their neighbor during the KHL Olympic pause.

Tarmo Reunanen just celebrated his 24th birthday.

Goalie Michael McNiven of the Laval Rocket was shipped off to the Calgary Flames from the Montreal organization ending that experiment.

Ex-Sound Tiger Kevin Poulin was undefeated (5-0-1) in February for Laval and named AHL Goalie of the month.

Jake Lechyshyn, the son of former Whaler Curtis Lechyshyn, is recalled from the Henderson Siler Knights to Vegas.

Ex-Pack Lias Andersson is recalled from the Ontario Reign by the LA Kings.

Drake Rymsha, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk, Andy Rymsha, is recalled from the Ft. Wayne Komets (ECHL) by the Hershey Bears.

Ryan MacKinnon, an ex-Sound Tiger, goes from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms back to the Reading Royals (ECHL).

Canon Pieper (Quinnipiac University) goes from the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) to the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL).

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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The post CANTLON: (3/3) PACK DROPPED BY SENATORS IN OT first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack more than just recovered from a dreadful, defensively after a garish second period, they erupted, scoring a season-best five goals in a 7-3 win over the Hershey Bears before 3,699 at the XL Center.

The Pack onslaught began with 3:32 left after Hershey’s third goal and 14-shot second period.

Goalie Keith Kinkaid was visibly disgusted after ex-Pack Dylan McIlrath’s goal. The next shot forced a glove save on a wide-open Mason Morelli on the right-wing, who was another clean entry facing no checking or stiff opposition.

He went to the bench on a commercial time-out – a goalie rarity, but just prior, he’s chucked the puck to the corner rather than hand it over to the linesman. His disgust at the play of his teammates was clear.

“We realized when we were in the locker room after the second period. He’s building a wall for us, one save at a time. I heard guys saying it. He has done so much for us (this season), we’ve got to play better for him,” said veteran P.C. Labrie.

KNOBLAUCH SEES THE HUMOR

“We had the same thing happen with Shesty (Igor Shesterkin) once came to the bench, but nobody understood him because he was muttering in Russian,” Knoblauch said with a smile. “He would bark at people. Everybody knows because they have a lot of respect for him (Kinkaid). He’s done a lot for us in lots of games. We shouldn’t have won. Obviously, we responded well in the third.”

The third-period onslaught was ignited by the stick of Lauri Pajuniemi, who scored twice his fourth and fifth goals in 64 seconds, starting at 2:53.

The first one came off a redirection of a Ty Ronning shot. The second was a two-pass masterpiece that gave him his first multi-goal game.  The second goal started in the defensive zone with a Tanner Fritz outlet pass, finding Ronning, who then sent a lead pass for Pajuniemi, who outraced three Bears to the puck. Once gaining control, Pajuniemi fired it past goaltender Zach Furcale, a former #1 pick of the Montreal Canadiens.

“I didn’t have time to (process) that he had two goals,” Labrie said. “Boom, he got one. Boom he gets another. We’re in control here. That’s the strength of this team. (Goals) can come from any side of the ice or line for the team and when we defend against a team it’s the combo we have.”

PAJUNIEMI

Knoblauch complemented his rookie forward. “He did the same thing in Providence with a guy draped all over his back. There isn’t a lot of room to score goals out there, but he’s starting to find them.”

Labrie completed his three-point night with the Pack’s third goal in a 1:51 timeframe. Labrie jammed home his second goal of the year in front of the Hershey net. His excitement and exuberance were on full display as he banged on the glass behind the net afterward.

“We’re working smart in practice, and it paid off (tonight),” Labre said in his French-accented English. “We’re putting in five 10-minute drills in front of the net. Anybody we put on the fourth line is playing the right way. We’re fighting and battling to stay there, and I like the chemistry we have. It doesn’t matter who is on that line; nothing feels out of place. Everyone wants to chip in.

MORE PAJUNIEMI

His head coach spoke of and thought highly of him, not as a spare part in returning to North America from Germany after two years at the last minute.

“He has a good shot and protects the pucks well. P.C. has brought a lot. He has played more than we expected. We knew he was a tough guy and had skills. We knew he could play. He played in the NHL before. It’s been a nice surprise for us. He is by far one of the most popular guys in the dressing room.

“I love the way he plays and the energy he brings to the room,” remarked Knoblauch. “As a fourth liner, he doesn’t get that much ice time. Sometimes players get out of a game, can get out of focus. He doesn’t. Some guys can get lulled by the game; He knows when his shift is. He is encouraging his teammates. He’s making sure his linemates are ready for their shift. He’s another coach on the bench.”

BRODZINSKI

Captain Jonny Brodzinski scored two goals on special teams. The first was the team’s first power play goal in ten tries, and they added a shorthanded goal to complete Labrie’s prophecy from three weeks ago when he said, “When it cracks for us, it will crack.”

“He is working the wall so well for us. He wins like 90% of the puck battles he’s in. That’s why he’s our captain he gets rewarded.”

The first period was all Hartford. The second all Hershey as they tallied three goals to take an albeit brief lead.

“We had a good effort in the first and third period, not the second. We’ve been down numerous times like in Providence. There is no quit on this team and we stick with a game plan, and it works. We have had good leadership and the young guys have been respectful, hard-working and want to get better,” Knoblauch said.

SECOND PERIOD BLUES

Libor Hajek, playing in the last game of his conditioning stint, sent an ill-advised pass up the middle of the ice. The pass was broken up by Michal Kempny and set up Shane Gersich to score his first goal of the year, getting it past Kinkaid at 1:33 of the second.

The Bears tied it at two on an extended shift in the Pack end. The Pack was unable to clear their end. A shot from the left point by Lucas Johansen was deflected by Bears veteran and AHL sharpshooter, Mike Sgarbossa who tallied his team-best sixth goal at 10:06.

Then McIlrath, an ex-Wolf Pack and former Rangers 2010 first-round draft pick took an elusive shot from along the far side past Kinkaid at 15:13. It completed another Bears cycle in the Wolf Pack end of the ice.

It was the second time of his career, the first coming as a Springfield Falcon, that McIlrath has scored as an opponent against the Pack.

PACK RESPOND

The Wolf Pack has done well in reversing their first-period blues.

Anthony Greco (six shots) came on for a line change burst down the left-wing side in the Bears zone. Braden Schneider (two assists) was able to see him and hit him with a perfect, diagonal pass. In one motion, Greco put it on the net past Furcale with the puck headed low to the far side of the net at 6:18

McIlrath clipped Zach Jones on a play that didn’t go unnoticed. When the play stopped, Ronning showed fearlessness, loyalty by going after the much bigger and enforcer-minded McIlrath.

Labrie, the Pack’s tough guy, appreciated Ronning’s effort.

“That’s the mentality we have. We don’t have to fight every night, but when that crap happens, when you see Ty doing that, we’re all right there backing each other up.”

AFTERMATH

On the ensuing rush, Patrick Khordorenko picked up the loose puck generated by a Labrie clearing play and got a clean zone entry used. Next, Khodorenko used Bears defenseman Cody Franson as a screen and shot over Furcale’s glove with 6:18 remaining in the period. It was his first goal as Franson skated to his netminder to apologize to him.

Labrie likens the team to the 2012 Calder Cup-winning team he was a part of in Norfolk. “There’s a lot of (similarities) like the young guys and the veterans, the coaching staff we have. I think we have the two best goalies in the league.”

LINES

Fritz-Brodzinski-Greco
Barron-Ronning-Pajuniemi
Whalen-Khordorenko-Richards
Labrie-DiGiacinto-Rueschoff

Schneider-Robertson
Jones-Hájek
Reunanen-Guittiari.

Kinkaid
Huska

SCRATCHES

Bitetto
Gettinger
Skinner
Brassard
O’Leary

NOTES

Hajek played all weekend. The decision was made that his conditioning would not be extended. On Monday, he returns to New York.

“He has spent his time in development here. He’ll be moving on to New York. They can’t extend it.” Knoblauch said.

Gettinger was scratched from the lineup for a second game as he nursed an AHL campaign’s assorted bumps and bruises.

“It’s a nagging injury. He’ll be on the ice on Monday. We want him to get the rest and heal. It’s a persistent injury. He needs the time to heal, but if it were the playoffs, he would play. We just don’t want it to be all season long.”

HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER

It was ‘Hockey Fights Cancer Night’ at the XL Center. Before the game, Labrie reflected on his former assistant captain and Quebec Triple AAA teammate Alexandre Charest of the Coaticook Frontaliers (QJAAAHL) who passed away from a rare form of cancer while very young.

“He fought and battled very hard, but sadly he didn’t make it. During the opening ceremony and anthem, I thought about him, and said a quick prayer and had a good thought about him. We’re all wearing a jersey, playing or not.”

WINNING STREAK

Friday, the Utica Comets won their 12th straight to start the season at home. It was a 4-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers. The old record was eleven held by the 1984-85 Rochester Americans who got win number 13 as they built a 5-0 lead held on for a 5-3 win.

The league record for consecutive wins is 28. That record is held by the now-defunct Norfolk (V.A.) Admirals in 2011-12. They went on to win the Calder Cup title. The only losses they suffered in their march to the title in that impressive run were at the hands of the C.T. Whale in the playoff quarterfinals which they lost in six games.

MORE NOTES

Ex-Pack Deven DiDiomete signs with Gyergyói HK (Romania-MOL) in the Erste League,

Max Sauvé, who played at Avon Old Farms (CTPREP) and played at Penn State (Big 10), signs with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL).

CRAWFORD SELLS OUT

Former Hartford Whaler and New Haven Nighthawk and briefly C.T. Whale President of Operations, Bob Crawford, sold his stake in Connecticut arenas but sold the International Skating Center in Simsbury to local business interests.

He also sold Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, the Wolf Pack second practice facility, and the Bolton Ice Palace to a national arena management company called Black Bear Sports Group that will handle all the business operations and maintenance operations. Crawford will still be involved on the hockey side of things and will still be doing the winter open ice at Bushnell Park in the heart of downtown Hartford. The two buildings give Black Bear 29 in total.

The release state that “An affiliate of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. (“Black Bear”) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT, and Bolton Ice Palace in Bolton, CT (the “Arenas”). The Agreement is subject to normal course closing conditions. The Arenas collectively feature two NHL ice sheets, one Olympic ice sheet, a full-service gym, and a pool. The transaction also includes purchasing the Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack, the elite Tier I and Tier II youth hockey program. The Arenas are also home to the Whalers Youth Hockey Association & Eastern Connecticut Stars, and many figure skating. The Sellers included long-time silent business partner Alan Lazowski, Founder and CEO of Laz Parking, and former NHL player Bob Crawford. Crawford is assuming a senior role with Black Bear, including becoming a member of the Board of Directors. Black Bear, the largest owner/operator of ice rinks in the U.S., was founded by CEO Murry Gunty in 2015.

The two buildings give them 29 in total.

“I am thrilled that Bob will continue his life’s work and legacy with Black Bear, the best and most prolific rink owner and operator in the United States.”

“It has been my great honor to partner with Bob Crawford over the past 30 years and watch his passion and love for the game and his commitment to teach young men and women the art of the game,” said Lazowski. “I am thrilled that Bob will continue his life’s work and legacy with Black Bear, the best and most prolific rink owner and operator in the United States.”

“We are excited to expand our Connecticut presence with this transaction, as Connecticut is such a strong hockey market,” said Murry N. Gunty, Founder and CEO of Black Bear. “More importantly, I am thrilled to have Bob Crawford has joined our organization to help us continue to build out our hockey business. Bob brings deep hockey experience from both his distinguished NHL career and his extensive youth hockey experience including leading leagues, representing his district and serving in leadership capacities at the highest levels of hockey especially USA Hockey. It is an honor to have him on board.”

“I’m excited to stay on board and continue to develop players in the Jr. Wolf Pack program and support Black Bear’s overall hockey business,” said ex-NHLer Bob Crawford. “Over the years we have had numerous offers to sell the rinks, but both Alan and I believe that Black Bear will be the best home for our families and our buildings and a great place for my wife, Kathleen, and I to continue to make a large impact on both our community and the sport that we both love. In addition, Bolton Ice Palace and Champions Skating Center will continue to thrive under Black Bear’s ownership.”

The arena in Cromwell was first purchased in 1997.

“Our mission is to continue growing hockey and ice sports in Connecticut and are thrilled to add another Tier I franchise that we can support through our numerous junior team franchises such as the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL,” said Ryan Scott, Vice President of Black Bear. “Under Bob’s leadership, we also look forward to growing our league and tournament businesses in Connecticut and the rest of the Northeast and expect to host numerous boys’ and girls’ events in our rinks.”

-This is the first of six meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Bears during the 2021-22 AHL regular season. This is also the first of three meetings at the XL Center. The sides will meet back in Hartford on March 5th and 26th. The following three meetings will occur in Hershey, coming on January 22nd and 23rd and February 2nd.

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The post CANTLON: (11/20) PACK SMASH HERSHEY first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – This time it could be a permanent recall for Hartford Wolf Pack forward, Greg McKegg.

McKegg was recalled by the New York Rangers after the season-ending ACL tear suffered by top-line forward, Sammy Blais against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.

There is a definite spot open in New York and the initial move by Rangers General Manager Chris Drury and the senior staff was to fill that void with the former Boston Bruin.

For McKegg, this is an opportunity to make the recall permanent if he can fill the gap in the Rangers roster to Drury and Head Coach Gerard Gallant’s satisfaction.

OTHER NEWS

After just eleven games as an Assistant Coach, ex-CT Whale/Wolf Pack defenseman, Jared Nightingale leaves the Flint Firebirds (OHL). Nightingale takes the Assistant Coaching position with the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL) pushing up his pro timetable.

Former Sound Tiger goalie Kevin Poulin was recalled from the Trois-Rivieres Lions (ECHL) to the Laval Rocket (AHL).

Former Wolf Pack Lewis-Zetter Gossage (Kent School) is loaned out from the Maine Mariners (ECHL) to the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL).

MORE NEWS

On Tuesday, the AHL received the shocking news that former head coach, John “Clark” Donatelli, was charged in Rhode Island with four counts of sexual assault against Erin Skalde. She is the wife of Jarrod Skalde who at the time was the assistant coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Skalde was a former second-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 1989. Currently, he is the Head Coach and the Director of Hockey Operations of the Cardiff Devils (Wales-EIHL). Their son Skate is playing for Bracknell (England-NIHL).

Donatelli entered a plea of not guilty. He will face a pre-trial hearing in December.

For a little over a year, he was the head coach and in September, resigned from Eisbären Berlin (Germany-DEL). Donatelli is presently unemployed. He was the head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the time of the incident in 2018. He was arraigned last week in published reports and posted a $10K bond.

The two sides recently reached an out-of-court settlement of the case on the civil side. They now face the criminal trial.

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The post CANTLON: RANGERS RECALL MCKEGG TO REPLACE BLAIS first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The first corresponding transaction has occurred for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Defenseman Libor Hájek played his first game this season against the Florida Panthers for the New York Rangers and was then sent to the Wolf Pack on a 12-day conditioning loan.

Hajek coming to Hartford triggered other moves. Jeff Taylor, who played the first game of the season, was sent to the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen and goaltender Tyler Wall.

BRASSARD

The Pack recalled goalie François Brassard from his loan to Jacksonville to serve as the third goalie.

Brassard, 27, is 1-1-1 in three appearances with the Icemen this season. He has yet to play in the AHL. In his 32 career ECHL games, Brassard is 12-15-3 with a .901 save percentage and 2.96 goals-against-average.

Brassard was signed by the Wolf Pack to a one-year AHL contract on September 22nd. He was a 2012 sixth-round pick (166th overall) by the Ottawa Senators. He played half of the first preseason game against Bridgeport.

Wall has skated in just one game with the Wolf Pack this season. However, he collected his first campaign win on November 6th while collecting 27 saves in the team’s 4-3 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

TAYLOR

Taylor has played just 17 games in four years for Hartford

The Pack is back at the XL Center on Wednesday, November 17th. They will host the Bridgeport Islanders with the puck drop set for 7:00 PM. The two teams will meet again on Sunday afternoon in a matinee contest at the Webster Bank Arena.

This weekend the Pack have two road games. The first comes on Friday night in Springfield against the Thunderbirds, with a trip to Providence against the Bruins set for Saturday night.

Hájek, as reported by the NY Post senior reporter/columnist Larry Brooks, gave his consent to the move. Hájek was a second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He came to the Rangers organization in the trade for the ex-Ct Whale, Ryan McDonagh.

Hájek played junior hockey for former Wolf Pack head coach John Paddock with the Regina Pats (WHL). He was last in Hartford for the final 23 games of the 2019-20 season.

ODDS AND ENDS

Ex-Sound Tigers on the move include Tyler Mosienko, who was released by the Iowa Wild (ECHL). Matt Lorito goes from Djurgarden IF (Sweden-SHL) to Dynamo Minsk (Belarus-KHL). Four playing Canadian senior league hockey are goalie Mike Mole, defenseman Jon Gleed will be with the Dundas McCoys. The Brantford Blast has goalie Dave Leggio and Rob Hisey.

Several other players of note are playing in the Allan Cup Ontario-based league. They include ex-Pack Jordan Owens (Brantford), ex-Sound Tiger Blaine Down with the Whitby Dunlops, and ex-Ct Whale/Wolf Pack Kris Newbury, who’s with the Hamilton Steel Hawks. His last pro team was the Jacksonville IceMen.

In other moves, Tyce Thompson (Orange/Salisbury School), the son of current Bridgeport head coach and ex-Wolf Pack, Brent Thompson, was reassigned to the Utica Comets.

Mathieu Olivier, the son of ex-New Haven Knight/Springfield Falcon Simon Olivier, was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals by the Nashville Predators. Former UCONN forward Kale Howarth was sent from the Rockford Icehogs to the Indy Fuel (ECHL).

Drake Rymsha, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk, Andy Rymsha, has gone from the Ft. Wayne Komets (ECHL) to the Hershey Bears (AHL).

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack return home at the XL Center for their second three games in three days. They will face-off with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and then have their first meeting with the Charlotte Checkers in two years. The Checkers are now the dual affiliate of the Florida Panthers and the expansion, Seattle Kraken, who await the completion of their new arena in Palm Springs, CA.  Next year the Kracken will be in their building and migrate to the Pacific Division. The Pack will finish the weekend with a quick trip down I-95 to play at the Webster Bank Arena and the Bridgeport Islanders.

No players have been assigned to the Jacksonville Icemen, the team’s new ECHL affiliate. Keith Kinkaid will start the weekend in the net, as he has the first two weekends. Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch says who will be in the net for the rest of the weekend remains up in the air.

The first line of team captain Jonny Brodzinski, Tim Gettinger, and Anthony Greco remains intact. Morgan Barron, back from a stint with the New York Rangers, slides into the second line with Justin Richards and Ty Ronning.

The only defensive change is on the third pair, as Hunter Skinner replaces Zach Giuttari and teams up with Tarmo Reunanen. The other pairs are Anthony Bitetto and Zac Jones, and Braden Schneider, and Matt Robertson.

Thus far, the roster is injury-free.

Meanwhile, in New York, forward Ryan Reaves was placed on the IR. Kappo Kaako was taken off that list. Greg McKegg stays in NY for the time being. 

THE BEACH AFFAIR

Allegations of sexual abuse by Wolf Pack forward Kyle Beach that dates back eleven years to his time in the Chicago Blackhawks organization by a video coach have been proven to be true. The scandal has resulted in the firing of the team’s President, John McDonough, the General Manager who also holds the same role for the Team USA Olympic team, Stan Bowman, Assistant GM, Al MacIsaac, and a former head coach, now an ex-head coach of the Florida Panthers, former Whaler Joel Quenneville. However, after a meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, the present Winnipeg Jets GM, ex-Springfield Indians player Kevin Cheveldayoff, who was with the Blackhawks at the time, was spared the hangmen’s noose.

Beach was with the Pack for half a season after being acquired on waivers from the St. Louis Blues on December 6, 2013. After seven unpleasant games in Rockford and five rocky years there, he was traded for the current Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) assistant coach when the team was called the CT Whale, Brandon Mashinter.

The Blackhawks, and by extension the NHL, tried to bury him after Beach was drafted in the first round (11th overall) in 2008. After five years in the AHL, the Chicago organization sent Beach to HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League.

One NHL scout alleged at the time in a private conversation in no uncertain terms with this reporter that Beach had drug and alcohol issues, felt the Rangers had made a mistake in picking him up, and that Beach was anything but a good teammate.

GERNANDER REACTION

He was surely at best in his brief stop in Hart City. Former Pack head coach Ken Gernander, now an amateur NHL scout living in Minnesota, was succinct on his brief tenure.

“At no time, where we told about it by the organization or by him. He was good to work with, and we had no issues with him. The first I heard about it was from my daughter the other day, and I was completely shocked by it.”

By unmasking himself as the “John Doe” in the story by reporter Rick Westhead of The Athletic, Beach laid bare how the system failed him.

Beach is currently still skating for the German Division 3 EHC Erfurt Black Dragons. However, he’ll likely receive a sizable settlement when he retires and could wind up with an NHL job, as was the case with another ex-Wolf Pack, Akim Aliu was last year.

IN MEMORIAM

Original Hartford Whaler fans have lost the voice of their soul.

Bob Neumeier, 70, who overcame a stroke several years ago, the cheery, enthusiastically pleasant voice passed away in Boston of congestive heart failure. He was NBC’s voice of horse racing and did local sports in Boston for WCVB-TV as well.

Before the great Chuck Kaiton, it was Neumeier’s voice that boomed across large swaths of the US and Eastern Canada on WTIC-AM (1080) as the signature sound of the WHA New England Whalers.

RIP

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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The post CANTLON: (10/29) MUCH LIES AHEAD FOR PACK first appeared on Howlings.

ALLENTOWN, PA – Hartford Wolf Pack (3-1-0-1) captain, Johnny Brodzinski, tallied with 5:02 remaining to give the visitors a 3-1 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center in Allentown, in Pennsylvania.

Prior to the faceoff, the Phantoms were unable to make a defensive personnel change that ended up being lost to Garrett Wilson. The Phantoms’ German Rubstov mishandled the puck while he was harassed from behind by Tim Gettinger. Greco stepped in front of defenseman Egor Zamula backhanded the puck to a wide-open Brodzinski who fired the winner into the net.

Felix Sandstrom (38 saves) made the best save of the game just two minutes prior robbing a point-blank shot by Anthony Bitetto with 7:32 left to play.

SANDSTROM SAVE

Ty Ronning was open in front with Bitetto behind him. The puck hit him in the chest and fell to the ice, took a bounce, and then he took a swipe at it.  Sandstrom dove across with his blocker, losing his stick in the process. He dove to attempt to stop the scoring chance but got the puck with his right leg pad to temporarily keep the Pack off the board.

Sandstrom earned second-star status stopping Greco with 3:23 to go after he came down the right-wing side and let go a snapshot. The puck rebounded to Gettinger, but Sandstrom was alert and stopped that one too. Greco could do nothing more than just look up to the ceiling in frustration.

Greco and Gettinger each had team-high seven shots.

The Phantoms did not go down without a fight. Brennan Saulnier went high and hard on Brodzinski in the right-wing corner. Bitetto came across with his stick and elbowed him high sent him flying him backward. He was penalized for an interference minor at 17:19.

HUSKA

Goalie Adam Huska (21 saves) did his best penalty-killing effort stopping both Cam York on two chances and Morgan Frost.

When Bitetto exited the penalty box after a successful kill, he picked the loose biscuit and put it into the empty net to seal the win.

Garrett Wilson charged Bitetto with gloves dropped and a fight ensued. The refs called Wilson initially with a roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct plus a major for fighting, as well as game misconduct with 33.6 seconds remaining.

Hartford tied the score at one with a little puck luck in the first five minutes of the second period.

RONNING

Ty Ronning entered the Lehigh Valley end on the left side before sending a backhand saucer pass in the direction of Tanner Fritz. The puck went off Wilson’s skate and past Sandstrom for the equalizer.

The Phantoms took the 1-0 lead.

On a late powerplay, the Wolf Pack tried a slingshot offensive zone entry but it backfired.

Brodzinski took Zac Jones’s feed, was stripped of the puck by a Frost poke check. The biscuit was up scooped up by Max Willman, who was recently reassigned by the Flyers after his first two NHL games in Max Willman. He raced in and beat Huska low to the glove side along the ice with 36.6 seconds left.

LINES

Richards-Brodzinski-Gettinger
Khordorenk-Pajuniemi-Ronning
Fritz-Greco-Whelan
O’Leary-Labrie-DiCiacinto

Bitetto-Jones
Schneider-Robertson
Giuttari-Reunanen
 

NOTES

Wolf Pack Head Coach, Kris Knoblauch, and the Phantoms head coach Ian Lappiere both worked together in Philadelphia as assistant coaches.

New Jersey native Laura White was the first of the AHL’s ten women refs officiated the game. The first in team history and at the PPL Center in Allentown. The other ref was Beau Halkidis.

The Phantoms Brennan Saulnier’s older sister, Jill, a member of the Canadian women’s national team and the Montreal (PHWA) club, was in town. They played Team USA in PA winning 3-1. She is heading to Hartford for the next leg of the seven-game tour that ends at the WJC tournament in Edmonton/Red Deer, Alberta in January.

The entire family from Halifax, Canada was able to make the trip to see them both.

He also help initiate the first set of fighting majors this year with a spirited scrap with Wolf Pack vet Pierre-Cedric Labrie in the second period. Saulnier, a lefty squared off with the righty Labrie, who sought revenge for a hard, high hit behind the Wolf Pack net of Zach Giuttari in the first period.

The loss was the first in the nine-year history of the Phantoms in opening night games that now reads 6-1-2-0.

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The post CANTLON: (10/23) PACK WIN SCARES PHANTOMS first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – Incoming Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Braden Schneider played the first two games of the team’s abbreviated 2020-21 schedule. It was named the WHL Bill Hunter Award as the WHL Best Defenseman of their truncated 25 game season.

Ross Colton (Taft Prep) had a goal and assist in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s series-clinching win over the Carolina Hurricanes, advancing to the Stanley Cup semi-finals against the islanders.

Joining Colton in the semis is ex-Wolf Pack/New York Ranger Ryan McDonagh and their playoff taxi squad ex-Wolf Pack, Daniel Walcott.

Assistant GM/Director of Player Development is ex-Pack, Jamie Pushor, Director of Hockey Ops Mathieu Darche (Choate), and scout ex-Sound Tiger Jeff Tambellini.

OTHER CONNECTICUT CONNECTIONS

Director of Hockey Admin is former Beast of New Haven front office and AHL person, Liz Sylvia-Koharski.

The Islanders have a slew of ex-Sound Tigers on defense. Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, and Adam Pelech spent a lot of time under the tutelage of another ex-Pack, Brent Thompson.

Upfront Casey Czikas, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson, and Anders Lee, who is out injured this year, spent a little over a season before heading to the NHL.

On the big squad players who had short stints in Bridgeport Josh Bailey, Anthony Beauvillier. On the Islanders’ playoff taxi squad are Michael Dell Colle, Ross Johnston, and Oliver Wahlstrom.

The Islanders’ assistant coach is former Bridgeport head coach and New Haven Nighthawks player Lane Lambert. Also, there’s the team’s head athletic trainer from Hartford, Damien Hess, and Director of Player Development is ex-Pack, Eric Cairns.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Scouts include former Wolf Pack legend as a head coach and player and AHL Hall-of-Famer, Ken Gernander, ex-Pack, Chris O’Sullivan, and former Sound Tiger briefly, Eric Boulton.

The other semifinal will be played between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the underdog Montreal Canadiens. The series has some Connecticut connections and interesting sub-plots.

Vegas has former Connecticut Whale and Quebec city native Jonathan-Audy Marchessault, who the Rangers failed to evaluate his talent.

Max Pacioretty (New Canaan/Taft) is a former Canadiens captain. Chandler Stephenson and the nephew of former Whaler, Bob Stephenson.

The Golden Knight’s assistant coach is former Wolf Pack head coach Ryan McGill.

EVEN MORE CONNECTIONS

The team President is former Rangers and New Haven Nighthawk George McPhee, who has to develop Vegas Golden Knights teams that now have been in the NHL Final four three of its first four years in the NHL.

Montreal has ex-Whaler Sean Burke as their goalie coach, who has clearly helped resurrect Carey Price’s career. The decider of who to hire was made by former Whalers teammate GM, Marc Bergevin.

The VP of Hockey Development is Eric Crawford, a former Whaler/Nighthawk and relative of ex-Whaler/Ranger, Bob Crawford.

The NHL announced its Jack Adams Trophy Coach of the Year candidates, and it has a Brass Bonanza feel to it.

Former Whalers Dean Evason (Minnesota) and Joel Quenneville (Florida) were named, and a descendant of the Whalers was the third in Rod Brind’Amour of the  Carolina Hurricanes.

Brind’Amour’s son Skyler plays for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats (ECACHL).

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Eight more AHL players head to Europe.

Lukas Jasek of the Utica Comets signs with Lahti (Finland-FEL).

Josh Currie of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia-KHL).

Philipp Maillet of the Hershey Bears also heads to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Thomas Kuhnhackl of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, now Islanders, fresh off playing for Germany in the IIHF World Championship, reaching the semifinals, will stay at home next year with Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL).

Paul Carey (Salisbury School) of the Providence Bruins departs for Djurgardens IF (Sweden-SHL).

Alex Dostie leaves the San Diego Gulls for HC Innsbruck (Austria-IceHL), and goalie Kevin Davis leaves the Colorado Eagles for Stjernen (Norway-NEL).

Davis teammate Matthew Abt leaves Colorado for Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL), making 23 AHL players have left overseas, and 16 of 31 AHL teams have lost at least one player so far.

MORE MOVEMENT

Ex-Sound Tiger David Quenneville played mostly with Rapid City (ECHL), coached by ex-Sound Tiger assistant coach Joe Ferras and Binghamton for a few games signed with IK Oskarshamn (Sweden-SHL).

Ex-Wolf Pack, Nigel Dawes, leaves AK Bars Kazan Russia-KHL) and signs with Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL).

Goalie Filip Lindberg of the NCAA champion UMASS-Amherst Minutemen (HE) is passing up his senior season and likely to sign a standard three-year entry-level deal with the Minnesota Wild. he could start next year in Iowa.

Aaron Miller Bemidji State (WCHA) leaves for Europe after his collegiate career to JoKP (Finland Mestis Division-1).

Another collegian to Europe is Jere Huhtamaa leaving after his sophomore year from Merrimack College (HE) for TUTO (Finland Mestis Division-1), making 22 Hockey East players go and now 30 first-year students who’ve left early. 14 college players have signed in Europe to date, with 91 total college players Division-I or Division-III have signed a pro deal in North America or Europe.

The coach of national champion UMASS, Greg Carval, gets an extension until 2025-26, and UMASS-Lowell assistant coach Juliano Pagliaro leaves for the same role with the Penn State Nittany Lions (Big 10).

EVEN MORE MOVEMENT

Bill Robertson leaves the likely soon-to-be mothballed WCHA conference as its President. He was named the new USHL Commissioner replacing Tom Garrity, and becomes the tenth commissioner in league history.

After a year off from hockey, goalie Max Paddock, the nephew of Wolf Pack great and AHL Hall of Famer, John Paddock, is enrolling at Acadia University (AUAA) located in Nova Scotia to play Canadian college hockey.

The AHL All-Star Game is slated for the Place Bell in Laval at the end of January is still a go as it’s expected the border will be open by then.

The NHL is getting an exemption for the Stanley Cup playoffs for Montreal. The same exemption AHL Canadian teams (Abbotsford, Belleville, Laval, Manitoba, Toronto) are using to formulate the 2021-22 schedule.

Calgary and Edmonton are the only two Canadian teams with their farm teams in the US.

Former Sound Tigers/Wolf Pack Cail MacLean is promoted from head coach of Stockton to an assistant coach with the NHL Calgary Flames.

Former Sound Tiger Steve Bernier has retired and is the new skills coach for Cote-du-Sud Everest (QJAAAHL).

Former New Haven Knights Simon Olivier is out as head coach.

LOTS MORE MOVEMENT

In the last three years of Rangers pro scout, former NHLer Steve Konowalchuk is named the RedDeer Rebels’ head coach (WHL).

The QMJHL President Cup playoff title went to the Victoriaville Tigres (Tigers) in five games beating the heavy favorite, Val d’Or Foreurs.

Victoriaville featured defenseman Vincent Sévigny, the son of ex-Wolf Pack Pierre Sévigny and Brooklyn Kalmikov, is the son of ex-Sound Tiger, Konstantin Kamilkov.

Val d’Or had Samuel Poulin, the son of former Hartford Whaler Patrick Poulin, a Penguins draftee.

Goalie Max Donoso (Salisbury School) signs a junior contract with the Ottawa 67’s (OHL). They originally drafted him in 2019 in the fifth round (98th overall) of the OHL Priority Draft.

In this year’s 2021 OHL Priority Draft in the fifth round (98th overall), Ben Poitras (Salisbury School) was selected by the Saginaw (MI) Spirit.

Ex-Pack Jared Nightingale was named assistant coach for the Flint (MI) Firebirds (OHL) earlier in the week.

NEW ECHL ENTRY

The newest ECHL entry has a name. The Trois-Rivieres team will be called the Lions.

They will have a highly thought out and well-put-together strategy created the name, logo, and color scheme.

They took the name of the only pro team to play in the city in the mid-1950’s team in the 20th century that played on in the old Quebec Hockey League (QHL) that lasted for five years. Four of those years in the QHL and its last season in the EPHL-Eastern Professional Hockey League.

Eight other teams played in the city in the QMHL (Draveurs) and semi-pro LNAH (Draveurs, Caron, and Guay plus Blizzard); other teams’ names in various leagues were the Reds, Flambeau, Maple Leafs, and Ducs. However, the first was 1931-32, called the Black Foxes (ECHA-East Coast Hockey Association).

Inspired by the historical themes of the city, the team designed a logo that combines four main elements that stood out when the team reached out to fans.

First and foremost, the team will present an identity that is Québécois, as evidenced by the fleur-de-lys that constitutes the logo’s backdrop. The metal-plated lion is an homage to this key industry of the region. The torch, an important landmark in Trois-Rivières (le Flambeau) and a trademark symbol for the Montreal Canadiens is displayed in the lion’s mane.

The design of the logo all comes together around the strong, unbreakable, and determined spirit forged into the lion’s piercing gaze. The logo features a dominant metal grey and an iconic Québec blue as its primary colors. Its stylish mustache pays tribute to Sieur Laviolette, founder of the city, in 1634.

“We have worked very hard these last few months to create a team identity that will be representative of the region and that will resonate with hockey fans throughout the province. With the pandemic situation improving, including the return of fans in the stands, now is the right time to finally unveil the team’s name and logo to the people of Trois-Rivières,” mentioned team President Mark Weightman in a press release.

Team GM Marc-Andre Bergeron is expected to announce its first head coach in the next week or so. The team will play in the brand new Nouveau Colisée de Trois-Rivieres (no title sponsor yet) in the fall with a pair of games at home, including the franchise’s first game and home opener on October 12th against the Newfoundland (St. John’s) Growlers that will kick off the 2021-22 ECHL season.

Its most famous graduate was Léon Rochefort, who played with Montreal and the Rangers but got his real break during the first NHL expansion in the late 1960s and early 1970s, playing with brand new teams, the Philadelphia  Flyers then Los Angeles Kings.

He returned to Montreal, playing on the 1971 Stanley Cup-winning team (he was on Montreal 1966 team the year before expansion), compiling 617 NHL games with other stops in Detroit, Atlanta (Flames), and Vancouver before retiring.

His nephew Normand Rochefort played for the Quebec Nordiques and the Rangers.

XL CENTER UPDATE

The big political can that has been kicked around for eight years still has no resolution at the end of the General Assembly legislative session on Wednesday, leaving, as usual, more questions than answers in the future.

The CRDA Executive Director, Mike Freimuth, texted us where things stand.

“No updates on bonding, but we expect there to be some link to sports betting at XL (Center). Details to follow when it’s clearer.”

The announcement of a 72 game schedule for the Wolf Pack starting this season of courses changes their lease arrangements around the edge of their deal.

“Yes, the AHL season amount of games has been reduced by 4 games (2 Home/2 Away). Not sure of the impact until we see the dates. Obviously, losing a Friday will hurt more than losing an early-season Wednesday game. We’ll talk to MSG when we better understand (everything).”

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The post CANTLON: CT HOCKEY OFF-SEASON VOLUME 4 first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The Tampa Bay Lightning won their second Stanley Cup in tema history this past week with three Connecticut connections earning Championship rings.

In 2010, Ryan McDonagh played half of a season with the Connecticut Whale before being promoted to New York to join the Rangers. He would spend 7-1/2 years in the Big Apple before being traded to Tampa Bay along with J.T. Miller, another CT Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack alum, two-and-a-half years ago.

McDonagh was originally a first round pick (12th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens and was a part of deal that sent Scott Gomez over the border when Pierre Gauthier, then the head of Montreal’s Player Development side, told, the now soon-to-be-retiring, Rangers Director of Pro Scouting, Gordie Clark, that McDonagh, ”Wouldn’t amount to anything.”

As time has shown, that was wildly wrong. Clark said he couldn’t call, then Rangers GM, Glen Sather, fast enough to make the deal.

Also getting a ring is Greenwich-born, and former Brunswick Bruins school grad, Kevin Shattenkirk. While in New York, he never lived up to the expectations that led to his free agent signing. He was brought out after two years of the deal and was given a contract and a second chance by Tampa Bay.

The off-ice champion is the Director of Hockey Administration for the Lightning, Liz Sylvia-Koharski, who got her start with the AHL’s Beast of New Haven and worked in the AHL’s league office for six years.

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Jordan Murray of the Belleville Senators is loaned to Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL).

Ex-Pack, Adam Cracknell, who signed an offseason, one-year, two-way deal with the Edmonton Oilers, is loaned out from the Bakersfield Condors to Esbjerg Energy (Norway-NEL).

After a missing a whole season because of a torn ACL, Juuso Valimaki is loaned by the Calgary Flames via the Stockton Heat to Ilves Tampere (Finland-FEL).

Rockford IceHog, Brandon Hagel, is loaned to HC Thurgau (Switzerland-LNB).

Mikhail Maltsev of the Binghamton Devils, Yakov Trenin of the Milwaukee Admirals, and prospect Dmitri Zavgorny, of the Calgary Flames, who was originally ticketed for Stockton, have all been loaned by their respective organization to SKA St. Petersburg (Russia-KHL).

Bobby Nardella, of the Hershey Bears, is sent to Djurgardens IF (Sweden-SHL) on a full season loan.

Ryan Olson of the San Antonio Rampage is loaned to the EC Kassel Huskies (Germany DEL-2). His teammate, Alexei Toropchenko, is being loaned to Kunlun (China-KHL) that is playing at the City of Mystichi just outside of Moscow for the 2020-21 season. His father played two pro seasons in North America, the first was with the Springfield Indians. The St. Louis Blues are the new affiliate of the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Antti Suomela is loaned by the San Jose Sharks to HIFK Helsinki (Finland-FEL).

Nick Wolff, who signed with the Boston Bruins and played in Providence in the American League following a career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC), is loaned out to DVTK (Slovakia-SLEL).

Two more loans to SC Langnau (Switzerland-LNA). Erik Brunnström departs Belleville, and Joachim Blichfeld leaves the San Jose Barracuda.

155 AHL’ers have been loaned or signed in Europe.

Ex-Pack defenseman, Bobby Sanguinetti, and EHC Munich (Germany-DEL) have mutually agreed to end the last year of his contract.

Dominic Turgeon, of the Grand Rapids Griffins, and the nephew of former Hartford Whaler, Sylvain Turgeon, signs a one-year, two-way contract extension paying $750K if he plays in the NHL and $115K in the AHL.

David Drake, the former UCONN defenseman, signs a one-year deal with the Reading Royals (ECHL) for his third pro season.

Ryan Warsofsky (Sacred Heart University) departs the Charlotte Checkers and is heading to Chicago to be the new head coach of the Chicago Wolves, the top affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. Geordie Kinnear will be behind the Charlotte bench this year as Florida starts a new affiliation with the Checkers.

Former AHL goalie, Richard Bachman, has retired and has been named the goalie coach for the Iowa Wild.

COLLEGE

The Connecticut Ice Festival sponsor, the regional cable network SNY, has canceled the event. It was scheduled for January 30-31, but has been pushed off to the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The tournament, which features all four, Division I Connecticut college teams, and which the inaugural tournament winner was the Sacred Heart University Pioneers (AHA), from the ECACHL Quinnipiac University and Yale University plus the Hockey East UCONN Huskies.

A new college hockey rumor via a reliable source has the ECACHL discussing splitting the league into an Empire and New England divisions, just chatting.

Griffin Luce (Salisbury School) graduates from the University of Michigan (Big 10) and signs with the Rapid City Rush (ECHL). Luce’s grandfather is a former NHL player from the 1970s, Don Luce, who has a 12 game “cup-of-Coffee” with the Rangers for 12 games before enjoying a solid, ten-year span with the Buffalo Sabres. He, Craig Ramsay, and Danny Gare, were the first real checking line. They complemented the great, “French Connection” line and went to the 1975 Stanley Cup Final. Luce had a long post playing career as the Director of Player Development for 13 years with the Philadelphia Flyers, then four more as Pro Scout and his last season with Toronto as a pro scout before retiring. His great uncle, Mike Boland, had a long AHL career with the Rochester Americans and Hershey.

Colin Saccoman, of Lake Superior State (WCHA) signs, with Rapid City (ECHL).

The Poehling twins, Nick and Jack graduate from St. Cloud State (NCHC) and sign with the Ontario Reign. They will likely be assigned to the German team, Eisbaeren Berlin, which is owned by the LA Kings and its parent company SMG (formerly AEG) under its umbrella. The pair are both the younger brothers of Montreal’s Ryan Poehling, who split last year between the Laval Rocket and Les Habs.

Jackson Cressey of Princeton (ECACHL) signs with the Reading Royals (ECHL).

Goalie, Devin Cooley, leaves the University of Denver (NCHC) after his junior season and signs a standard two-year, two-way, entry-level deal ($925K-NHL/$70K-AHL) with the Nashville Predators and will likely be in Milwaukee whenever the AHL season starts.

Sean Giles departs from Robert Morris University (AHA) and signs with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL).

Dante Hahn od Concordia (WI) College (WIAC) heads to Pyry (Finland Division-I), Kurt Sonne Northland College (NCHA) is off to Courchevel-Meribel-Pralognan (France Division-2) and Lucas Smith of Post University of Waterbury (Northeast-10) has signed with EHC Basel (Switzerland-LNB).

Hockey East has 35 players to have signed North American pro deals, tops in the country. The other conferences totals are NCHC has 30, the WCHA has 27, the Big 10 has 26, the ECACHL has 25, the AHA 20 and Division I independent Arizona State has four.

38 underclassmen who have left school early.

168 Division I and III players have signed North American pro deals. 296 is the number of college players to sign pro deals in the US. 77 players have signed now for Europe.

The NCAA Division III Championships Committee earlier this week proposed selection dates and bracket sizes for the 2021 NCAA winter championships, which include men’s and women’s hockey. It’s likely a trial balloon for Division I whose weighing an option in the hope that season will start after the New Year. All recommendations will move forward through their relative committees and oversee the final draft to be recommended and voted on, where they must be supported by the NCAA Division III Management Council in a scheduled meeting on October 19-20.

For men’s hockey, the selection announcement date and automatic qualification deadline is proposed to be March 14 with a nine-team bracket, down from its usual 12.

For women’s hockey, same deadline, but a bracket size of eight teams instead of 10 is proposed.

RANGERS NHL DRAFT

Tuesday night, the NHL will hold its virtual Entry Draft on Tuesday and Wednesday, when they will select rounds two through seven.

The Rangers have two first round picks. The number one overall will likely take Alexis Lafreniere of Rimouski (QMJHL). They will select again in the 22nd spot. The Blueshirts have no second round pick after trading it last week to the Detroit Red WIngs as part of the Marc Staal deal.

In the third round, the Rangers have picks at 72nd and 92nd (from Dallas) overall.

The 103rd overall pick will be selected by the Rangers in the fourth round. In the fifth round, the team will select 134th. In the sixth round, they will make their pick at 165th spot. In the seventh and final round, the team has three picks with back-to-back choices at the 196th and 197th positions from Nashville and their 206th pick will be from the Vancouver Canucks.

The Rangers announced they have brought out the last year of the contract of goalie Henrik Lundqvist who was a Wolf Pack…for one day. He came to Cromwell on an unannounced conditioning stint and brought the team lunch, then headed back to New York. He did practice in a Wolf Pack jersey.

Lundqvist’s departure sets the franchise’s goaltending for New York and Hartford.

Former Wolf Pack players Alexander Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin will be manning the nets in New York.

Adam Huska (UCONN), entering his second pro season, and rookie Tyler Wall from UMASS-Lowell, after an outstanding senior season, will compete for the starting position in Hartford.

GENERAL HOCKEY NEWS

The de-Whaler-ification of the Carolina Hurricanes is now complete with the announced retirement of the longest serving continuous employee in the franchise’s history dating back to 1972.

After 48 years, Equipment Manager, Skip Cunningham, will no longer be behind the bench working diligently tending to the various equipment needs of players. He started with the WHA New England Whalers and the announcement comes a week after the passing of Jack Kelley, the first head coach and GM in franchise’s history.

Cunningham was at both Boston buildings, the Boston Arena (nee Matthews Arena), the original Boston Garden, the Springfield Exposition Center (the Big E), the Hartford Civic Center, Greensboro Coliseum and the PNC Arena.

In the last three years, the Hurricanes have swept aside their first GM, Ron Francis, who is now Seattle’s first GM. The radio voice of Chuck Kaiton, and recently the TV voice, John Forslund, and now Cunningham. Read about it HERE.

In a side note, the Hurricanes signed a five-year extension with the PNC Bank Arena that will keep the team there with an out-clause in year four, effectively ending the rumors of the team moving to either to Quebec City or Houston.

The current Executive VP/GM of Operations for the building is the last Hartford connection as Pennsylvania native, Davin (Dave) Olson, who was the GM for Hartford Civic Center under Ogden Corporation.

Olson was also the GM for the New Haven Coliseum in the 1980s until the early-1990s. He then headed to Hartford and went with the Whalers to Carolina.

He studied in Danbury’s Western Connecticut State University and when he was living in CT he was a resident of West Haven.

USA hockey has invited 39 players to the initial World Junior Championship evaluation camp.

The only two players with direct CT connections. The first is Darien-native goalie, Spencer Knight, a Boston College (HE) sophomore and Florida Panther first round pick.

Jake Sanderson, the son of former Whaler, Geoff Sanderson, who’s likely to be drafted early in the first round next week. He will be an invitee.

Brett Berard has an indirect link. He is the son of one-time, UCONN assistant coach (AHA years), Dave Berard, who is currently the head boss at Holy Cross (AHA) is also an invitee.

The only other CT connected individual is assistant coach Ted Donato (Harvard ECACHL), who was an ex-Wolf Pack and Bridgeport Sound Tiger.

The QMJHL has adopted another anti-fighting penalty increase taking fighting from five to fifteen minutes and suspensions. Players were not consulted on these rule changes. Read about it HERE.

CONDOLENCES

This writer and Howlings extend our deepest condolences to the Connecticut Whale’s former VP of Operations, and long-time Hartford Whalers employee, Mark Willand on the passing of his mother, Marjorie, who passed away at the age of 93 last week in Worcester, MA.

The post CANTLON: HOCKEY OFF-SEASON NEWS & NOTES VOL 29 first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The NHL playoffs have completed their round-robin and play-in round and are now well into the “first round” of the playoffs. News is coming with increased speed and levels of import.

In Gatineau, Quebec, an interesting development that will have a major effect on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Olympiques team.

The governing agency assembled during the pandemic has announced that their home arena, the Robert Guertin Arena, will be maintained as an emergency COVID-19 shelter for another year which will keep the Olympiques out of the building.

Known by the French acronym CISSSO, the announcement by that authority came as a shock to the QMJHL team.

The authority has scheduled the vacating of the arena this week to accommodate the Olympiques pre-season preparations.

But in a terse release last Friday morning, the agency said the Guertin Arena was “essential to protect (vulnerable) populations … and to provide them with long-term stability,” in a story in the Ottawa Sun.

There are 14 other structures that were under consideration along with the arena to serve as an emergency shelter.

There are initial ongoing discussions between the city, the team and governing health agency seeking an amicable solution.

The city, which owns the arena, supported the decision and “will work with its partners to identify solutions for activities that have normally been held at the Robert-Guertin arena,” CISSSO said.

“We are more than surprised, stunned if you will,” Olympiques president Norman McMillan told the French-language Le Droit newspaper.  McMillan is a businessman who was a MNA (Member of the National Assembly) for the Papineau serving for 23 years,

The Olympiques will start pre-season preparations at Branchaud-Brière on August 30th the opening day of training camp.

However, Branchaud-Brière’s main rink has a seating capacity of only 1,200, so with COVID-19 compared with the Robert Guertin arena that has a 4,000-seat capacity, and that’s before taking the necessary social distancing measures.

On Friday, the QMJHL formally set October 1st as the start for their 2020-21 season which will consist of a 60 game season with three, six-team divisions.

The QMJHL has no US based franchises. The other two Canadian major junior leagues, the OHL and WHL, each have three US based franchises, while two minor pro leagues, the AHL and ECHL, have all set December 4th as a starting date.

The US and Canada mutually agreed on Friday to keep the US-Canada border closed until September 21st.

The situation is complicated by delays in the construction of a new multi-rink complex that is to be the new home of the Olympiques that was originally slated for a December 2020 completion.

The new, four-rink Centre Robert Guertin, on Boulevard de la Cité (City Boulevard), is set to replace the aging Guertin arena, which was built in 1952, but construction was halted in May when the developers, Vision Multisports Outaouais (VMSO), said the costs of the project had escalated they said because of a number of factors.

The project cost was originally set at $78.5 million (Canadian), but has now climbed to the neighborhood of $104 million (Canadian).

Now the complex will cost municipal taxpayers of the the city of Gatineau by contributing $36.5 million and the province of Quebec providing $26 million for a multi-level parking garage and improvements to nearby streets.

VMSO recently pledged the rink will be ready for the Olympiques in the fall of 2021 which will be across the Ottawa river about 15 minutes East of their present arena off Highway 50 and 45 minutes from the Ottawa Senators Canadian Tire arena in Kanata, Ontario via Highway 417.

The USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, and the Class A Midwest League’s Cedar Rapids Kernels (baseball) buildings suffered significant damage in the mid-week Midwest windstorm classified as derecho.

The USHL has not announced a starting date for the season and the Class A team is likely on the chopping block as major league baseball is restructuring minor league baseball and the agreement between MLB and MiLB expires on October 1st, but many cities are already aware of their likely fate.

Affiliation and city switching and swapping is strongly possible at the Double AA and Triple AAA level that will survive the purge, so their farm teams will be like the AHL, closer to the home of their parent clubs.

PLAYER MOVEMENT

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

Former Pack, Tom McCollum was traded last season from Hartford to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for J.F. Berube. He has signed with HC Innsbruck (Austria-EBEL) for next season.

Matt Register, re-signs with the Iowa Wild.

Defenseman, Tommy Hughes, signs a deal with Brampton Beast (ECHL).

Richard Nejezchleb leaves HC Poruba (Czech Republic Division-2) for Krakow (Poland-PZIHL).

Several ex-Pack players have entered the coaching ranks or have taken new positions.

Ryan Hollweg is the new assistant coach for the Coquitlam Express (BCHL) after splitting last season with Vancouver (BCCML) and Simon Fraser University (CIHL) as an assistant.

Peter Skudra is the new Head Coach/GM for Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL).

Tim Kennedy, is the new Head Coach/GM for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL).

Mike Vernace is the new Head Coach for Richmond Hill (ETAHL).

Josh Gratton is the new Assistant Coach for the Collingwood Blues (OJHL).

Vince Pedrie is now the Head Coach for Team Illinois’ U-15 AAA team (HPHL).

Anders Eriksson is the new head coach for the varsity club program for the University of Miami Hurricanes (ACHA Division-3).

Shawn O’Donnell leaves EV Ravensburg (Germany-DEL-2) and signs with the Odense Bulldogs (Demark-DHL).

Evan Jasper (Sacred Heart University/Wolf Pack) leaves KRS-BGU (Russia-VHL) in Beijing and will play for HC Chamonix (France-FREL).

BRIDGEPORT  SOUND TIGERS

A pair of ex-Sound Tigers are on the move.

Kuris McLean heads from SC Csikszereda (Romania-ELHL) to Kiekko-Espoo (Finland Division-1) and Joel Broda leaves HC Innsbruck (Austria-EBEL) and signs EC Graz (Austria-EBEL).

Dustin Friesen, the former defenseman elects not to honor his new deal with Iserlohn (Germany-DEL) and decides to retire instead takes a job as a coach with a Saskatchewan hockey academy near his home in part because of COVID-19 pandemic considerations.

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Spencer Naas joins his old college teammate, Derek Pratt, by signing with the Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL).

Marco Richter goes from Klagenfurter AC (Austria-EBEL/AlpsHL) to the EV Vienna Capitals (EBEL).

Russell Jordan (Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack) re-signs with the Birmingham Bulls (SPHL).

Charles Corcoran (New Canaan) goes from the Coventry Blaze (England-EIHL) to Esbjerg Energy (Denmark-DHL).

After three teams last year, Greg Squires (Brunswick School) moves from HCB Tirino (Switzerland-LNB) and signs with the Magnus League HC Rouen Dragons (France-FREL) for this year. He also played for TPS Turku (Finland-FEL) and EC Graz (Austria-EBEL).

Ivan Nikolishin, the youngest son of former Hartford Whaler, Andrei Nikolishin, has signed a try-out deal with the KHL Kunlun Red Star who will play the 2020-21 season in the old KHL city of Mytischi near Moscow. He played for three teams in two leagues last year Severstal Cherepovets Russia (KHL) and two teams in the VHL Molot-Prikamie Perm and Neftyanik Almetyevsk. The Red Star head coach will be former Ranger, Alexei Kovalev.

Colby Wotton, the son of long-time Sound Tiger captain, and now retired, Mark Wotton, has signed with the Regina Pats (WHL) for this season. He played for Yellowhead Chiefs (MMHL) in Manitoba last season

AHL & PRO PLAYER MOVES

The Vegas Golden Knights are loaning goalie, Jiri Patera, who just completed his junior career with Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) to HC Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic-CEL) for next season.

The AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights signed their second player defenseman Ryan Murphy who played in Russia last season.

Several more players are in loan situations.

Robert Lantosi, who skated with the Providence Bruins last season, just signed a one-year, two-way ($750K-NHL/$70K-AHL) deal, has been loaned to HK Nitra (Slovakia-SLEL), Radim Zohorna of Pittsburgh returns to BK Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic-CEL) and Fredrik Handemark from San Jose will be with IF Malmo Redhawks (Sweden-SHL).

David Kase of Lehigh Valley is loaned by the Philadelphia Flyers to HC Karlove Vary (Czech Republic-CEL).

Lean Berman of the San Jose Barracuda is loaned to Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL).

Martin Pospisil of the Stockton Heat is loaned to HC Kosice (Slovakia-SLEL).

Marian Studenic of the Binghamton Devils (AHL) is loaned out to HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia-SLEL).

Anaheim loaned another goalie overseas to the same team in Roman Durny.

Filip Kral, a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect who just finished his junior career with Spokane (WHL) is being loaned out to HC Prevov (Czech Republic Division-2).

According to his agent, JC Lipon, of the Manitoba Moose, received an offer by an unspecified KHL team but has not signed a contract.

Winnipeg has sent Ville Heinola will stay with Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL) on loan making 67 now former AHL players to be signed or loaned to Europe for next season. 24 of the 31 AHL teams have seen at least one player head to Europe for next season.

COLLEGE NEWS

Plenty of movements in the college ranks.

Lance West, who held the interim head coach tag removed by the University of Alabama-Huntsville (WCHA). In building out his coaching staff, West went to his old haunts for his new assistant coach tapping Latvian-born, Karlis Zirnis, also a UAH alumni, was at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (WCHA) where he has employed as an assistant coach the past three seasons with the Nanooks.

First Harvard has lost a fifth forward early in Reilly Walsh, who leaves a year early and signs a standard three-year ELC deal with the New Jersey Devils. Walsh leaving college hockey for professional hockey makes it 34 underclassmen who have departed college hockey.

Shane Kuzmeski of Clarkson University (ECACHL) graduates and signs with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL).

Kyle Marino, of the University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) signs with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL). Joining him in Boise is Matt Stief of Canisius College (AHA).

Patrick Polino graduated RPI (ECACHL) and signs with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL).

Jacob Hayhurt of the University of Michigan Wolverines (Big 10) signs with the Worcester Railers (ECHL).

North American signings by conference break down as; Hockey East (29), NCHC (25), the Big 10 and the ECACHL each have lost (21), WCHA (19) and the AHA (15).

After completing his sophomore year with the Air Force Academy (AHA), Carter Ekberg transfers to the brand new Long Island University Sharks Division-I independent program where he will play in 2021-22 making 28 college transfers and 18 grad school transfers.

Martin Mellberg of AIC (AHA) signs with Almtuna IS (Sweden-Allsvenskan)

Adrian Holesinsky of the University of Maine Black Bears (HE), after playing just 17 games in three years, has left. He will play for HK Nitra (Slovakia-KHL).

Tomi Hiekkavirtu leaves the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves (WCHA) and signs with Hermes (Finland Division-1).

In Division III, Daniel Backstrom graduates Westfield State (MASCAC) and signs in Europe with FPS (Finland Division-1) and Georgy Gorodetski of Wentworth Institute of Technology (MASCAC) signs with Yugra-Khanty (Russia-VHL).

Also from D-III, Lucas Smith from Connecticut’s Post University (Northeast-10) signs with HCB Tirino (Switzerland-LNB).

Matthew Cuce of Elmira College (UCHC) signs with Tyringe SoSS (Sweden Division-1),

59 skaters from Division I and III have signed in Europe, 239 total players Division I and III have signed pro deals 130 in North America.

RANGERS WIN THE DRAFT LOTTERY

It’s been 54 years since the Rangers garnered the number one overall selection in the NHL Draft,, but back then, it was a much different hockey world.

Back in 1965, there were only six teams. The Rangers drafted a Quebec-born player, center Andre Veilleux, from the Trois-Rivières Reds of the Quebec Junior A Hockey League (QJAHL).

Veilleux played the following year, just 16 games, for the Rosemont Bombers (MMJHL), but never played pro hockey in the NHL or the AHL and  he never left Quebec.

It’s highly doubtful that will happen this time.

The Rangers, eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the qualifying round, along with eight other teams, had an equal 12.5% chance to come up the winner of the top pick in the NHL Draft which will be held virtually on October 9 & 10.

It’s almost a sure thing that The Rangers will draft the 6’1, 195lb. left wing, Alexis Lafreniere, of the QMJHL Rimouski Oceanic. Rimouski is located in the Gaspe region of Northern Quebec and was also the junior team of future Hall-of-Famer, , Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Lafreniere helped Canada win the WJC Gold back in January in the Czech Republic. He was named the tournament MVP and earned his selection on the Tournament’s first team.

Last season, in just 53 games, he had 35 goals, a league-best 77 assists, for 112 points for the Oceanic. He won his second consecutive Jean Beliveau Trophy and crossed the century mark for the second consecutive season of his three-year major junior career.

His trophy room has a slew of additions as he was named the best player in all of Canadian junior hockey for a second season in a row, as well as earning the QMJHL Michel Briere MVP Trophy and was a first team All-Star selection.

In his first junior year, after being the Q’s number one overall selection from the St. Eustache Vikings, he had 80 points in 60 games and was on the All-Rookie team. He captured the Silver Medal on the Canadian team at World Hockey U-17 tournament and was the QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year (Michel Bergeron Trophy) winner.

The esteemed and now semi-retired, Bob Mckenzie of TSN, announced mid-week on Twitter, that Lafreniere’s junior career is over.

“Alexis Lafreniere will not be reporting to Rimouski training camp this fall and will not be going to Europe to play. He’s training in Boisbriand (home of the QMJHL Blaineville-Boisbrand Armada), and plans to be drafted and report to his NHL team in November and play 20-21 in the NHL.”

Lafreniere is a St. Eustache, Quebec native which is 25 miles northwest of Montreal.

The drafting of Lafreniere will likely mark the end of the failed Lias Andersson experiment, who was the number seven overall selection in 2017.

The Rangers hope Andersson plays well at HV71 (Sweden-SHL) next season, where he’s on a loan on his original Entry-Level Contract, so his trade value will increase.

Lafreniere spending any time with the Wolf Pack is highly unlikely.

The Rangers did have another Lafreniere in team history. In 1988-89, Jason Lafreniere (no relation) played half of a season (38 games) after playing with the Denver Rangers (IHL), their farm team for the first half of the year.

That Lafreniere was traded by the Quebec Nordiques to the Rangers on August 1, 1989 along with defenseman Normand Rochefort for Bruce Bell, Jari Gronstrand, Walt Poddubny and a fourth-round draft choice that became former Nighthawk, Eric Dubois, whose son Pierre-Luc plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets,

IN MEMORIAM

The writing fraternity has lost one of it’s best.

Chip Malafronte, 48, passed away on Thursday after a valiant two-year battle against esophageal cancer.

Over a 24-year splendid career, Malafronte was always smiling, writing accurate stories in which he took great care to present the subject honestly. He was among the state’s best college hockey writers covering both Yale University and Quinnipiac University for the New Haven Register.

Malafronte was a private person and kept his issue under wraps. He had that quiet aura and respect about him.

He has left his treasured son, JP (John Paul), of whom he was immensely proud, who he brought him with around while covering stories. The glow and pride he had simply could not be missed.

Cantlon’s Corner has lost a friend and colleague, but young JP has lost his Dad. In the coming days of sadness and sorrow, hopefully his father’s love and pride will take a permanent residence in his heart.

Rest In peace, Chip. You’ve earned it.

The post CANTLON: HOCKEY OFF-SEASON NEWS & NOTES – Vol. 22 first appeared on Howlings.