HARTFORD, CT – Howlings has exclusively learned that New York Rangers will announce on Wednesday that the organization, including The Hartford Wolf Pack, has a new ECHL affiliate after an agreement was reached with the Cincinnati Cyclones to replace the departed Jacksonville Icemen.

In 27 years, the Wolf Pack has now had four affiliate locations. They were with the Charlotte Checkers until they moved up to the AHL. They then moved on to the Greenville Road Warriors (now the Swamp Rabbits) before going to the Maine (Portland) Mariners and finally landing with Jacksonville.

There were strong signs that the professional relationship was ending when no contracted Hartford/Ranger players were on the Icemen’s end-of-season roster.

Jason Payne, the head coach of the Cyclones, is one of the few black head coaches in hockey history. His previous record as an assistant and head coach is 83-48-9-4. They didn’t play in 2020-21.

Last year, the Cyclones’ record of 47-16-6-3 (103 points) was the second-best record in the ECHL.

Payne played on one of the six all-black lines in the entire history of hockey.

He skated with the Flint Generals of the old Colonial Hockey League and is the grandfather of today’s FPHL, as Kahil Thomas, Payne, and Nick Forbes skated together.

His playing time took him to four AHL cities, all defunct places the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, Carolina Monarchs, Worcester IceCats, and Saint John Flames. Seven ECHL markets Dayton, Arkansas (Little Rock), Florida, New Orleans, Idaho, Reading, and Wheeling.

Only three are left, Florida, who just won the ECHL Kelly Cup Idaho; Reading, and Wheeling,

In all, between juniors and in his 11-year minor pro career, he played in 28 cities.

Cincinnati’s season-ending roster features ex-Pack, Justin Vaive.

For his last three years, he has been in Cincinnati, known as “The Queen City” since 1819, the first two as an assistant coach. His assistant, for now, is Chad MacLeod, as of now.

Jacksonville’s head coach/GM is Nick Lukko, son of OVG co-chairman Peter Lukko and his brother Max is the GM of another OVG facility in the Mullett Arena, temporary home to the NHL Arizona Coyotes still searching for a permanent one and NCAA Division I independent, Arizona State University Sun Devils.

Jacksonville’s assistant coach is ex-CT Whale Brandon Mashinter

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

CINCINNATI CYCLONES

HOME

The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK TO ANNOUNCE CINCINNATI CYCLONES AS NEW ECHL AFFILIATE first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The chase for a championship at all levels of hockey starts with roster selection. The number of signings this week picks up to a breakneck pace.

Ex-Hartford Wolf Pack, Greg Chase, the nephew of former Hartford Whaler, Kelly Chase, signs with the Maine Mariners (ECHL).

Ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Yannick Turcotte, signs a one-year, two-way (AHL-ECHL) deal with the Hershey Bears.

Charles Curti (Yale University) departs the Rapid City Rush (ECHL) to sign back with the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL).

AHL TO EUROPE SIGNINGS

Eight more AHL players sign in Europe this week.

Gregor MacLeod leaves the Grand Rapids  Griffins for Nuremberg (Germany-DEL). Tyler Groavac leaves the Manitoba Moose for Dynamo Minsk (Belarus-KHL), becoming the 17th player heading to the KHL.

Then Veini Vehviläinen leaves the Toronto Marlies for Brynas IF (Sweden-SHL). This signing makes seven players going to Sweden.

Jalen Smercek of the Tucson Roadrunners heads to Donbas Donets’k (Ukraine-UHL). He’s the first AHL’er to head to Ukraine. Defenseman Reece Willcox departs the Hershey Bears for HC Val Pusteria (Italy-IceHL), becoming the first player to head to Italy.

Chase Berger of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signs with HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia-SLEL). Nicholas Welsh leaves the Rochester Americans and signs with Nuremberg (Germany-DEL).

Jeremy Roy of the San Diego Gulls signs with HKM Zvolen (Slovakia-SLEL).

56 AHL’ers to date have signed overseas. Additionally, 25 of 31 AHL teams have lost at least one player.

MORE MOVES

Ex-Wolf Pack, Travis Oleksuk, splits from EC Graz (Austria-IceHL) and signs with the Sheffield Steelers (England-EIHL).

Ex-Sound Tiger, Ty Wishart, departs from HC Cszilkscereda (Romania-MOL) and arrives at Unia Oswiecim (Poland-PZIHL) for the 2021-22 season is taking the import spot on the team from another ex-Sound Tiger, Victor Bartley.

Former Yale Bulldog, Denny Keaney, switches French teams from Grenoble to HC Cergy-Pontoise (France-FREL).

Another ex-Sound Tiger, Darren Nowick, who played with Skellefteå AIK (Sweden-SHL), announces his retirement.

Riese Zmolek, the son of former NHL’er Doug Zmolek, finishes at Minnesota State-Mankato (NCHC) signs with the Iowa Wild (AHL). Brandon Schultz of Northern Michigan (WCHA) signs with the Toledo Walleye (ECHL), making 80 Division-I players signing in North America and 113 total college players (Division-I and Division-III) signing pro deals.

The conference breakdown is as follows; Hockey Eart 25, Big 10 has 21, NCHC 15, AHA seven, ECACHL has six, the WCHA now CCHA has four and two from NCAA Division I independent Arizona State.

In NCAA Division III, just three players thus far and 30 skaters have signed in Europe.

EVEN MORE MOVES

Aidan Metcalfe, a defenseman with the NAHL Robertson Cup champion Shreveport (La) Mudbugs, has committed to UCONN (HE) for the fall, the last for the Huskies.

Christian Yersich transfers back home from Colorado College Tigers (NCHC) to the brand-new University of St. Thomas Tommies (CCHA) program.

Zach Pellegrino (Gunnery Prep-Washington) leaves Bentley University (AHA) and transfers to Division-III independent Albertus Magnus College in New Haven who start play this fall, making 66 in-school transfers and 51 grad transfers for 116 college players to move this off season.

A FIRST

In a historic first, the NCAA has granted a major junior player the right to play in the NCAA.

Austen Swankler commits to the Bowling Green University Falcons (CCHA). He played for the Erie Otters (OHL) for two years and didn’t play anywhere last year. He played US junior hockey for the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) three years ago.

In a release, it was stated Swankler petitioned the NCAA directly before making his commit. Usually, one second of play in a major junior regular season game wiped out any chance of playing NCAA hockey. The NCAA has historically considered major junior as a professional league.

This crack in the door likely means petitions will be handled on a case-by-case basis and not lead to a flood of applications.

BACK TO TRANSACTIONS

Sam Anderson of the Philadelphia Hockey Team (NCDC) and the Tim Manning Valley Jr. Warriors (EHL) commits to the Albertus Magnus (New Haven) College Falcons.

After five seasons at Lake Superior State (CCHA), ex-Hartford Wolf Pack and New York Ranger Michael York signs a multi-year extension along with fellow assistant Zack Cisek. Both were given promotions of the title Associate Head Coach.

The Holy Cross Invitational tournament scheduled for October 8-9 to kick off the college hockey season in the Northeast has been moved to the DCU Center in Worcester, MA, from the 1,600-seat renovated Hart Center Arena on the campus of Holy Cross. The Crusaders, the Northeastern Huskies, the Quinnipiac University Bobcats, and Boston College Eagles are slated to participate.

The 56th annual Christmas Holiday Great Lakes tournament between Michigan, Michigan Tech, Michigan State, and Western Michigan will be held at the campus arenas of Michigan (Yost Arena) and Michigan St. (Munn Arena) on December 29-30. The Yost Arena will likely undergo a name change in the fall after an internal review found legendary football coach Ned Yost conducted unfair conduct against black athletes during his tenure as AD.

Munn Arena just received a $1.5 million donation for arena upgrades.

BLANCHETTE RETURNS

Adam Blanchette (Berlin/CT Clippers-MetJHL/Danbury Whalers-FPHL) returns from overseas to become the new assistant coach with the Danbury Hat Tricks (FPHL).

Blanchette spent four years in New Zealand playing and then coaching the Sky City (Queenstown) Stampede (formerly Southern Stampede) of the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL).

The team won three consecutive Birgel Cup titles (2015-2017) in the short-season league. He was also an assistant coach for the New Zealand National Team that took home silver at the IIHF Division 2 Group B Championships held in Grenada, Spain, in 2017.

He also played two years in the Netherlands, a year in Australia, four years in the defunct Central Hockey League with the Rio Grande Valley (TX) Killer Bees, Tulsa Oilers, and New Mexico Scorpions. He also played major junior hockey for the Quebec Remparts, Moncton Wildcats and Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL.

CONNECTICUT CONNECTED PLAYERS

Matt Graham, a former Danbury Titans (FPHL) player, was named the new Head Coach/GM of the Port Huron (MI) Prowlers (FPHL) and had been a playing assistant coach the last three seasons.

Former New Haven Senators Harijs Vitolins was named by the Latvia Hockey Federation (LHF) as the Head Coach for the Latvian National Team a month before their IIHF Group E Olympic qualifying tournament games at the Arena Riga August 27-29.

The teams in that group vying to get an invite to the Beijing Games in February 2022 are France, Italy, Hungary, and Latvia.

Latvia is seeking its sixth Olympic appearance. They took part in the 1936 Games and were then annexed by Nazi Germany and then by the Soviet Union. They made it in their first year back as an independent nation in 2002 and then in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

They missed out on the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Vitolins replaces former NHL coach Bob Hartley, who was with the team for the last five years. He is now the head coach of the defending KHL Gagarin Cup champs Avangard Omsk team. In addition, Vitolins has been an assistant coach with Spartak Moscow (Russia-KHL) for the last two years.

PACIFIC RIM

The ALIH (Asia League Ice Hockey), because of the COVID-19 outbreak over in the Pacific Rim region to decide to move the start of their 2021-22 season to December from September.

NHL

HOME

The post CANTLON: CT HOCKEY OFF SEASON VOL 10 PT 2 first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Michael Kelley, Maine Mariners

PORTLAND, ME – July 28, 2021 – Forward Greg Chase has signed a contract with the Maine Mariners for the 2021-22 season. Chase has been a big part of each of the Mariners’ first two seasons, ranking fourth in career point scoring for the franchise.

Chase originally came to the Mariners from the Allen Americans in a mid-season trade in December of 2018. The Mariners were Chase’s third team that season, after playing for the Wichita Thunder and Allen. He found a home in Maine, registering over a point per game through the end of the season. In 41 games, he scored 21 goals and added 21 assists. His combined 51 points between the three teams ranked him third on the Mariners leaderboard. Late in the season, Chase was loaned to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL, where he appeared in five games.

His strong season earned Chase a contract with the Wolf Pack in the summer of 2019. He played the majority of the season with the Mariners, however. In 42 games in Maine, Chase scored 10 goals and added 18 assists. He also played three games in Hartford.

CHASE COMMENTS

“I’m very excited to be returning to Maine. It was a comfortability thing all along,” said Chase. “The culture that Riley set in Maine from the start was something that I love to be a part of, and the dressing room and the whole experience playing in Portland has been awesome, and it has felt fun. I just wanted that feeling again. It’s something you don’t get outside of hockey.”

Chase, 26, is a native of Sherwood Park, Alberta. He played his junior hockey in the Western Hockey League, primarily for the Calgary Hitmen. He was drafted in 2013 by his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers, in the 7^th round, 188^th overall. In the 2013-14 season, he made his professional debut with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons and has played over 100 games in AHL between OKC, Hartford, the Bakersfield Condors, and the Springfield Thunderbirds. He has also played 166 career ECHL games between Maine, Wichita, Allen, and the Norfolk Admirals.

Greg is the nephew of former NHL winger and tough guy Kelly Chase and did not play during the 2020-21 season. He joins defensemen Brycen Martin and Michael Doherty on the announced roster for 2021-22.

AFFILIATIONS AND TICKETS

The Mariners are now proud affiliates of the Boston Bruins and begin their 2021-22 season, presented by Hannaford To Go on October 22^nd, with the home opener against the Worcester Railers, sponsored by Skowhegan Savings. The full schedule can be found here.

Full season, half-season, 12-game mini-plans, and 10-ticket flex plans, as well as group tickets, are available now. All new and existing full and half-season ticket holders who deposit by August 1^st are eligible to receive an exclusive Mariners jacket (full) or hooded sweatshirt. (half) For a limited time, to commemorate the new affiliation with the Bruins, ticket package deposits are just $19.92. Single-game tickets will go on sale in late September. More information on current ticketing options is available by calling 833-GO-MAINE, emailing mariners-sales@comcastspectacor.com, or visiting MarinersOfMaine.com.

MAINE MARINERS

HOME

The post KEELEY: MARINERS BRING BACK FORWARD GREG CHASE first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – For the first time since March, professional hockey is so close to being played for fans that you can almost reach out and touch it. With that start rapidly approaching, there’s plenty of news escalating as well, starting in Seattle with a much-anticipated announcement.

The Seattle NHL team finally has chosen a name.

General Manager, Ron Francis, the former Hartford Whalers great, announced that the team will be, the Seattle Kraken, at a press conference on Thursday.

The name, “Kraken,” is based on the fictitious sea monster from Scandinavian folklore. The team colors for their home and away jerseys will be a shade of light blue and black as shown above.

The Kraken represents, “the fiercest beast in the world,” and “instills one message in all opponents – abandon all hope.”

The primary S-shaped logo was chosen to honor the Seattle Metropolitans, who were the first American team to win the Stanley Cup and are an “eternal part” of the city’s history.

The logo features a single tentacle wrapped through the “S.” It will symbolize “the deep, dark waters of Puget Sound,” while at the same time recognizing The Giant Pacific Octopus, the largest in the world, which lives in the region’s waters.

Seattle’s secondary logo is an anchor that’s shaped at the top like the city’s iconic Space Needle.

The club also provided a sneak peek (see it HERE) of its home jersey (above).

The building’s naming rights were announced last week as Amazon gained the rights which will be called, “The Climate Pledge Arena.”

Up next, naming Kraken’s first head coach followed by finding a hockey operations staff as well as scouts that were named late last September.

ISLANDERS’ ARENA NAMED

The New York Islanders announced that the naming rights for their new arena in Belmont Park being built in Elmont, New York was purchased by a financial services company, UBS.

The new building will be called, “The UBS Arena.” Even with the shutdown for COVID-19, the building is scheduled to be ready for play for the 2021-22 season.

The Islanders’ PR Director, Kimber Auerbach, said, (via text message) the team still has no comment on the Nassau Coliseum’s decision to close its door and put the building up for sale. The Islanders were planning to use the building for two seasons until the UBS Arena was ready for occupancy.

The smaller 7,500 seat arena that has been talked about to hopefully be built in Lake Ronkonkoma has gone very silent.

The JJL Group was granted a second extension in December until the end of March so that its consultant, the former Islanders, and New York Rangers great, Pat LaFontaine, could secure commitments for main tenants to operate there. The plan is for primarily an AHL, college, or junior team.

After the pandemic hit no new news has been forthcoming about any progress.

The Long Island University Sharks, who announced in the spring the school was forming a Division I independent program starting in the fall,  would seem a likely candidate. Eventually, they will land in a conference, with the AHA (Atlantic Hockey Association) seeming to be the most logical choice.

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders’ top AHL farm team, will see its original, 20-year lease with the Webster Bank Arena expire at the end of the 2020-21 season

The XL Center is still on hold.  There are no events that are still scheduled and no hockey schedule available for either the Hartford Wolf Pack or UCONN ready to be announced.

The $64-million-dollar approved bonding package to start the very long-overdue renovations, done literally a week before the pandemic hit, still has yet to be completed and was not on last week’s docket.

CRDA Executive Director, Michael W. Freimuth, said he’s not sure at this time when it will be done.

The work on the new chiller system continues at a pace that is to be expected to be completed in the fall as scheduled.

Sports fans decrying how the MLB Toronto Blue Jays could be left homeless in their truncated 60-game schedule because the Canadian government rejected their Return to Play plan at Rogers Center.

The prospect of playing the whole season on the road was real, but on Friday they finally reached a deal to play at the home of their Triple AAA affiliate in Buffalo, home of the Bisons and Sahlen Field.

There is a precedent for not playing from home from hockey.

The original Central Hockey League’s 1983-84 Tulsa Oilers, then the Rangers top affiliate after leaving New Haven the season before.

The team was owned locally went bankrupt mid-season and was taken over by the CHL and the team played the rest of the season and nine playoff games on the road and captured the last Bud Adams championship trophy with a four-game sweep of the Indianapolis Checkers. It was the Oilers’ third title and the CHL’s last title. The team even practiced in a mall rink in Denver.

The team leading scorer was ex-Whaler Dave Barr (assistant coach San Jose), former New Haven Nighthawk George McPhee (President Vegas Golden Knights), goalies included former Ranger great John Vanbiesbrouck (USA Hockey U-20 team GM) and former New Haven Nighthawk Ron Scott plus former Nighthawks and Rangers Robbie Ftorek, Grant Ledyard (head coach University of Buffalo ACHA Division I) and Cam Connor.

Another Ranger and Nighthawk alumnus, Rick Chartraw (traded mid-season to Edmonton), former Nighthawk, Mike Backman, the father-in-law of LA Kings and Hamden native, Jonathan Quick, and the head coach was, the late New England Whalers great, Tom Webster.

The league was down to just five teams and folded after the season was over.

The CHL lasted from (1963-1984) two of the final five teams going to the IHL who folded in 2000 with six of their team merging with the AHL. The CHL re-formed from (1992-2015) incorporating the Western Professional Hockey League (1996-2001) and then six of its last 10 teams merged with the ECHL when they went out of business.

PLAYER  & COACHING MOVEMENT

The Wolf Pack have re-signed forward Shawn McBride to a one-year AHL contract for next season.

He split last season playing for the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) because the Maine Mariners didn’t have an available roster spot for him to start the season. In 20 games with the Admirals, he had seven assists but was recalled on Boxing Day after the holiday roster freeze ended.

McBride became an integral part of the Wolf Pack’s fourth line at the end of the season where he centered Ty Ronning and Greg Chase. Before that, he was with Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme), who was elevated to the first line. McBride tallied six points with two goals in 30 games in Hartford.

He played his college hockey in Springfield, MA for the American International College (AIC) Yellow Jackets (AHA). He was the team captain in his senior season for the regular-season-conference-playoff-champion that upset St, Cloud State in their first-ever NCAA Regional tournament appearance.

McBride joins Vincent LoVerde and Mason Geersten as the first three d-men signed for the 2020-21 Wolf Pack season.

The Lias Andersson saga has reached its likely final turn.

On Friday, the Rangers formally loaned Andersson to HV71 for the 2020-21 season, the last year of his ELC.

“I am very grateful that it was possible to solve a continuation with HV71, which I feel extremely comfortable with,” stated Andersson via a team-issued, translated, press release announcing the transaction.

“I want to thank Rangers for understanding my situation and my desire to play in HV71. I found my way back to the game I want to play at the end of last season and look forward to a sequel in HV71. During the years in HV71 and Jönköping, I have acquired many good memories and positive feelings that I will build on when we reunite at the end of July.”

The Rangers would like to find a trading partner that would bring a solid return for Andersson, which would be possible if he plays well in Sweden.

Andersson posted 12 points in 15 games for HV71 after he demanded a trade and abandoned the Wolf Pack on December 19th after returning from a road trip for a pair of games in Charlotte just before the annual holiday roster freeze.

He was initially suspended by the Rangers organization before a loan agreement was reached with HV71 on January 26th. He was offered an opportunity to come to the playoff camp for the Rangers playoff series with the Carolina Hurricanes beginning August 1st, but he declined that opportunity and likely sealed his fate of a likely trade.

Andersson was sent down to Hartford on November 17th and played just 13 games. He missed one game due to injury. He amassed just four goals and five points, three of which came in one game against the Binghamton Devils on December 7th, meaning he had just two points over the other twelve games and was scoreless in his last six with the Wolf Pack.

Over three seasons, Andersson played 74 games in Hartford adding a total of 15 goals, 24 assists (39 points).

With the Rangers, he played just 66 games registering a mere three goals and nine points. In the past two years, he had just four multi-point games in his brief tenure with the Wolf Pack.

A natural center, at times, Andersson played wing in New York, but when he was reassigned to Hartford, he was used strictly as a center.

Brett Sutter, the 12th member of the Sutter clan to play pro hockey, signed another one-year deal with the Ontario Reign. He has been the team’s captain for the last four years. He’s played 838 AHL games in nine seasons.

Matt Abt of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signs a free-agent deal with the Colorado Eagles.

Former UCONN Husky defenseman, Joe Masonius, signs with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL) for next season.

Ryan Cook Niagara University (AHA) signs with the Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL).

Philip Beaulieu, of Northern Michigan University (WCHA), signs with the Iowa Wild (AHL). Ian Scheid of the Minnesota State-Mankato (WCHA) signs with Colorado (AHL).

Ray Brice Michigan Tech (WCHA) signed with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) and Jarod Hilderman of Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA) signing with the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL).

These signings raise the number to 117 Division-I college players to sign pro contracts. 202 Division I and II athletes have signed pro deals in the US and Europe.

By conference, Hockey East (26), NCHC (23), Big 10 (20), WCHA (18), ECACHL (16), AHA (13). NCAA D1 Independent, Arizona State, has two.

Goalie, Will McEwan, (North Branford/Xavier HS) leaves Northland College (NCHA) early (first one in Division III) and signs with the Mentor (OH) Ice Breakers (FPHL).

Two players from Post University in Waterbury (Northeast-10) sign pro deals Tyler Hackett (Branford) with the Danbury Hat Tricks (FPHL) and teammate Noah Wild with the Delaware Thunder (FPHL).

Andrew Romano of SUNY-Geneseo (SUNYAC) signs with Maine (ECHL). Then a pair of Adrian College (NCHA) players, Dean Balsamo and Joey Colatarci, both signed with the Tulsa Oilers (ECHL).

The number of Division III players signing pro deals stands at 50.

Evan Weinger, a swift skating winger, according to ex-Pack, Derek Armstrong, who’s skated with him, was loaned to TPS Turku (Finland-FEL) by the San Jose Barracuda. It’s only the third time he has been out of California to play hockey.  He played Canadian major junior hockey with the Portland (OR) Winter Hawks and the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL). The Los Angeles native played his youth hockey for the LA Junior Kings AAA program and now of course in San Jose the last two years.

Julian Melchiori of Binghamton signs with Neftekhmik (Russia-KHL).

Jordan Szwarz leaves the Belleville Senators for Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL).

The Wolf Pack’s, Danny O’Regan is in camp with the Rangers. He’s reportedly in discussions with the Fischtown Penguins (Germany-DEL) for the 2020-21 season. He will be Group 6 free agent under the CBA making him an unrestricted free agent once the 2019-20 season is formally ended.

Ex-Pack/Ranger, Dale Weise, who split last season with the Laval Rocket and Montreal Canadians, is with Les Habs playoff camp in Brossard, QC, but is making his plans for the 2020-21 season. He has had preliminary conversations with teams in Switzerland and Germany.

That makes for 44 players from the AHL to sign in Europe.

The Wolf Pack has two other group 6 free agents. Nick Ebert already signed with Orebro HK (Sweden-SHL) for two years, Vinni Lettieri, once the playoffs end, will be on the market. The same is the case with team captain, Steven Fogarty, who will be a UFA.

Landon Ferraro, the son of former Hartford Whaler great, Ray Ferraro, who’s now a TSN analyst, signs with Eisbaren Berlin (Germany-DEL) for another year.

Another son of an ex-Whaler, Philip Samuelsson, the eldest son of Ulf Samuelsson, the former Whalers great and Rangers player, and assistant coach with the Rangers, Wolf Pack, and Avon Old Farms, has signed with IF Oskarshamn (Sweden-SHL). Ulf is still the head coach of Leksands IF (Sweden-SHL) and a scout for the Seattle Kraken (NHL).

Brandon Salerno of Alabama-Huntsville (WCHA) signs with HC Cholet (France-FFFG Division-2).

Goalie, Roman Bengert, becomes just the fifth college player to transfer to Canadian college hockey. Bengert played just five games in three years and leaves as an underclassman at the age of 24 from the Lake Superior State Lakers (WCHA). He will play for the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers (AUAA). He is a native of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but was born in Kyoto, Japan moving at age seven.

Steve Bergin was hired as the new assistant coach for Sacred Heart University Pioneers (AHA) to replace Paul Kirtland who went to Yale University (ECACHL). He was voted ECHL Coach of the Year last year with the South Carolina Stingrays.

Washington renewed its affiliation with South Carolina for another three years. They will continue to be the secondary farm team of the Hershey Bears. Ryan Blair was moved from Assistant Coach to be the new head coach.

Former Ranger, Daniel Lacroix, was named the new head coach with the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL).

Celeste Brown, former Connecticut Whale (NWHL) and Connecticut College (NESCAC-W) assistant coach is named the new head coach at her alma mater R.I.T. (AHA-W)

Four Division III conferences the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) featuring Trinity College (Hartford), Connecticut College (New London) and Wesleyan University (Middletown), Northeast-10, CCC (Coastal Commonwealth conference) and SUNYAC (State University New York Athletic Conference) announced they are canceling all fall sports programs and hockey is to start on January 1st.

The Tier I USA junior league the USHL has announced it will start its season on time in October and two Canadian major junior leagues, the QMJHL (October 1st) and the WHL (October 2nd) are starting a month later, but the OHL with two teams in Michigan (Flint & Saginaw) and one in PA (Erie) have not made the call when the season will start.

With the exception of the ECACHL none of the other Division I conferences (HE, NCHC, WCHA, AHA, and Big 10) have not made an official announcement on the 2020-21 schedule, but in the next two weeks as campuses begin to open expect an announcement will be forthcoming.

The Friendship Four Tourney to Belfast, Northern Ireland has been postponed this year.

A NEW ECHL TEAM

The brand new $60 million (Canadian) Le Colisee de Trois-Rivieres is nearing completion, but like everything else had been affected by COVID-19 and will be completed by December not September as originally planned.

The ECHL will likely have a team in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec for the 2021-22 season as Deacon Sports and Entertainment (DSE) has concluded an initial five-year lease arrangement with two five years options with the city and the mayor Jean Lamarche two weeks ago, to play in the brand new 4,000 plus seat (initially 4,390 seats) Coliseum.

The new building will have 18 all-important corporate loge seats, two loge areas with universal access, and two VIP lounges according to Le Nouvelliste Trois Rivieres.

The new building will be replacing the aging Trois-Rivieres Coliseum which was built in 1938 and holds only 2,700 spectators and was home to the QMJHL Trois Rivieres Ducs (1969-1974) and the Draveurs (1974-1992), several LNAH named teams from the Caron and Guay, Vikings, Blizzard and Draveurs (2003-2017) and the Canadian college team, the University Trois-Rivieres Patriots (1970-2020).

Deacon Sports and Entertainment (DSE) and its principal owners are Glenn Stanford and Dean MacDonald, also own the ECHL Newfoundland (St. John’s) Growlers.

It will be the third ECHL team in Canada. Currently, there are the Brampton (Ontario) Beast, and the aforementioned Newfoundland (St. John’s) Growlers. The league had a fourth in the Victoria  (B.C.) Salmon Kings (2003-2011).

Among the architects are former NHL’er and Trois-Rivieres native Marc-Andre Bergeron, and Michael Weightman, a former long time CFL Montreal Alouettes executive and a Laval Rocket President for a period of time.

Weightman helped finalize the deal after being brought in as a consultant. He is fluently bilingual and with COVID-19 travel restrictions from Newfoundland to Quebec, he also brings a strong sports management background.

The team will likely have an affiliation with the Montreal Canadiens and the Laval Rocket (AHL).

The answer in Laval is quiet at the moment.

“We know the city (Trois-Rivieres) has reached an agreement in principle with a group (DSE). As far as an affiliation, we don’t have any real comment at this point,” said Laval PR Director, Charles-Saindon Courtois.

The lease will now go to the ECHL Board of Governors for approval review before an affiliation is announced along with the team name and colors.

The city will be demolishing the old Jean-Guy Talbot Arena named for the one-time Rangers coach and long-time Montreal Canadiens defenseman who played for 10 years from 1955-1967 and over 1,000 NHL games that were used for local minor hockey.

It’s no secret the Canadiens are looking to extend their brand throughout Quebec, and have all their hockey operations in the province of Quebec. Appeal to the francophone fanbase is solid for an affiliation arrangement.

With their practice rink in Brossard, on the South Shore of Montreal, and their AHL team in Laval on the North Shore at Place Bell, extending it so close to Quebec City (129 kilometers/80 miles) with a population of 135,000 it would stamp the CH further north.

The one hitch is they don’t want ECHL Newfoundland Growlers owner Dean MacDonald involved, who helped run their two AHL affiliates, the Hamilton Bulldogs and St. John’s IceCaps.

“The Canadiens are willing to commit to becoming the principal associate for an ECHL team franchise,” said Montreal VP of Hockey Ops and Legal Affairs, John Sedgwick in a letter to the Trois-Rivieres Mayor Jean Lamarche that was published in the French language Le Nouvelliste Trois-Rivieres on January 16th.

In the same piece, France-Margaret Belanger, Executive VP of Commercial Affairs for the Canadiens, made remarks according to Mayor Lamarche, that the Canadiens wanted to be involved, but the team wanted no affiliation with MacDonald, was with Glenn Stanford when Montreal was in St. John’s before they moved their AHL team to Laval.

Marc-Andre Bergeron is the current owner of the local independent Frontier League (formerly the Can-AM league) minor league baseball team, the Trois-Rivieres Aigles (Eagles), and is a part NASCAR owner. He was hired by MacDonald’s group to work with the city to become the main tenant.

The group is intending however to submit an application for an expansion franchise.

Lamarche also wants the local college team at UQTR (the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres) Patriotes to play in the building, but the 14-game home Canadian college hockey home games won’t be a suitable enough of a schedule, so a major hockey tenant is needed.

The QMJHL is available, but the league has said it’s not interested in expanding. The arena is located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from another nearby QMJHL team the, Shawinigan Cataractes.

That Cataractes currently are coached by former Wolf Pack and Ranger Gordie Dwyer, had a great rivalry with the former Q team in the city, the Draveurs (Loggers) who in their first four years were called the Duc (Duke) from (1969-1992) would need to be paid a territorial compensation fee, if they went the junior route.

The QMJHL Commissioner of 30-plus-years Gilles Courteau is an avid proponent of the ECHL team in Trois-Rivieres. Courteau believes as it will allow a first pro step in Quebec for Q players and for those who want to take the collegiate route after juniors, they would have UQTR there to use their Q collegiate scholarship program as well remarked Courteau to the Le Nouvelliste Trois-Rivieres on January 26th.

The city of Montreal is 140 kilometers (87 miles) away from Trois-Rivieres and it makes perfects sense to have a team close enough for Laval for movement of several Canadiens prospects and for injury recalls.

Finding several regional owners for an ECHL team in Trois- Rivieres to help share the burden of operations and business expenses, primarily player salaries should be fairly easy. In the COVID-19 business climate, however, nothing is simple anymore.

The hope is the Canadiens with their vast fortune might be amenable to chipping in to make up the difference for say maybe minority ownership rights.

IN MEMORIAM

Former Hartford Whaler Jack McIllhargey 68, who ended his playing career as a Whaler playing 98 games with two goals and 13 points and 202 PM passed away over the weekend in Vancouver after a lengthy battle with cancer.

He was a player, a coach plus a scout with the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks. He played 393 NHL games total with 1,102 PM with 11 goals and 47 points and one of the toughest players in his era.

He played a little over two years in the AHL with the Richmond Robins after that with the original Jersey Devils in the old Eastern Hockey League’s last year started his pro career and literally battled his way to play in the NHL.

In his post-playing-career, he was an assistant coach in Vancouver a total of 14 years on two different occasions and a pro scout for one year. He was the head coach for the Canucks minor league affiliates in Milwaukee (then in the old IHL), and AHL with the Hamilton Canucks and Syracuse Crunch for eight years.

He was with the Flyers for the last 12 years as an assistant coach for three years and his last nine as an amateur scout.

The post CANTLON’S CORNER: NHL RETURN IMMINENT AND OTHER HOCKEY NEWS first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners

PORTLAND, ME: Here is a recap of key dates and events from the 2019-2020 season.

Mar. 24, 2020 – Regardless of the hockey team one played, worked, or rooted for in 2019-20, it will be a season they’ll never forget. An abrupt end to the ECHL season cut down the Maine Mariners schedule to 62 games and took away what looked to be the first postseason appearance in franchise history. While we’ll never know how the 2019-20 season would have turned out in the end, the second season of Mariners hockey brought many exciting moments to the Cross Insurance Arena and the great hockey fans of Maine. Here are some significant moments that marked the shortened, but a memory-filled season that was.

October 11^th, 2019 vs. ADK: The Mariners open the season at home against the Adirondack Thunder, just as they did in their inaugural campaign. Unfortunately, history repeats itself and the Mariners suffered a 5-2 loss. Taylor Cammarata scores both Maine goals, attempting to bring them back from a 3-0 deficit late.

October 19^th, 2019 @ REA: The Mariners get their first win of the season, spoiling the Reading Royals home opener. Tom McCollum(who would ironically become a Royal later in the season), makes 44 saves, and the Mariners put up 5 goals in a 5-3 victory. This would turn out to be their lone win in Reading for the season.

November 9^th, 2019 vs. ADK: In front of the largest crowd of the season (4,588) on Military Appreciation Night, Jake Elmer nets the first of four Mariners hat tricks, leading the Mariners to a 5-1 win over Adirondack.

November 11^th, 2019 vs. REA: With Gritty in the building, the Mariners defeat the Reading Royals, 4-3 in overtime. Alex Kile scores the game-winning goal just 23 seconds into the extra period, his first goal of the season. Kile would prove to be a clutch OT player for the Mariners all season long.

November 15^th, 2019 vs. BRM: The Mariners honor NHL refereeing great, Maine Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and South Portland resident Wes McCauley, as they defeat the Brampton Beast, 6-3 despite letting a 3-0 lead slip away quickly late in the 2^nd period. The win is the Mariners’ fourth in a row.

November 26^th, 2019 vs. WOR: After losing two of three in Norfolk, the Mariners return home before Thanksgiving to win a wild one in overtime, 5-4 in their first home meeting of the season with the Worcester Railers. Ryan Gropp scores two goals while Kile gets his second overtime winner in the span of 15 days. This turns out to be the final game for Railers head coach Jamie Russell, who is relieved of his duties the following day.

December 6^th, 2019 @ ADK: Jake Elmer registers his second hat trick against Adirondack in less than a month, capping it with the overtime winner to rescue the Mariners, who had blown a 4-1 lead. It was only Maine’s second-ever win at the Cool Insuring Arena but would turn out to be the start of a remarkable Mariners run in Glens Falls.

December 7^th, 2019 vs. ADK: Elmer continues his dominance of the Thunder, scoring the Teddy Bear Toss goal early, and adding his fifth goal of the weekend to later tie the game at 4 in the third period. Ty Ronning’s shorthanded goal is the game-winner and Elmer goes on to win ECHL Player of the Week honors.

December 10^th, 2019 vs. ADK: Francois Brassard makes his season debut and gets the win as Dillan Fox tips home a Brandon Crawley pass in the final minute of overtime to give the Mariners a 3-2 win and a three-game sweep of Adirondack.

December 21^st, 2019 @ ADK: The Mariners finish off back-to-back pre-Christmas 4-3 shootout wins in Adirondack when Taylor Cammarata scores in the fifth round to end it. Each game featured the Thunder tying it up late, but the Mariners getting the shootout bonus point. Maine goes into holiday break in sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division and a season-high four games above .500.

January 3^rd, 2020 vs. JAX: The Mariners and the Jacksonville IceMen meet for the first time ever, and Maine rallies from down 3-2 late in the 2^nd to get a 5-3 win. Terrence Wallin’s first career hat trick leads the way as he scores one in each period, including the game-winner in the third.

January 14^th, 2020 vs. WOR: The Mariners snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over Worcester at home. Rookie forward Mikael Robidoux enters the scene, stirring up physical play and drawing the Railers into penalties, ultimately allowing the Mariners to score back-to-back power play goals late in the 3^rd to flip the score in their favor.

January 24^th, 2020 vs. WOR: Returning from the All-Star break after playing eight games in ten days, the Mariners explode for a franchise-best eight goals – three by Ty Ronning. They score three goals in a 58-second span in the 2^nd period to pull away. Adam Huska makes his Mariners debut in between the pipes and makes 43 saves.

January 29^th, 2020 @ ADK: The Mariners win yet again in Glens Falls 3-0, as Connor LaCouvee picks up his third shutout in a span of 10 starts and his second in a row. Their win two nights later makes it six consecutive road victories over Adirondack. The streak goes to seven with another win in mid-February.

February 1^st, 2020 vs. ADK: In a partnership with Agren and Make-A-Wish Maine, the Mariners wear jerseys designed by 11-year-old “Wish Kid” Ellie LaBree, and take down the Thunder, 3-2 in OT. Michael McNicholas scores the golden goal, which improves the franchise’s all-time “extra time” record to 20-3-2 (W-OTL-SOL).

February 7^th, 2020 vs. WOR: LaCouvee makes 45 stops to lead the Mariners to a season-high five wins in a row, squeezing out a 2-1 victory over Worcester. The streak ends the following night, with a 3-2 OT loss to Brampton, but the point streak gets to six.

February 11^th, 2020 vs. BRM: The Mariners salvage the last of a three-game home set with the Brampton Beast when Alex Kile gets his third OT winner of the season with less than a minute remaining. This would turn out to be the final win on home ice for the Mariners in 2019-20.

February 14^th, 2020 @ NFL: The Mariners are on the wrong side of some ECHL history when the Newfoundland Growlers win their 19^th consecutive home game, 5-1. The Mariners fall to 0-5-0-0 all-time at Mile One Centre, but the best is yet to come.

February 15^th, 2020 @ NFL: Morgan Adams-Moisan scores a late power play goal to break a 1-1 tie and end the Growlers’ streak before it can reach 20. Francois Brassard gets his first of consecutive wins in between the pipes as the Mariners go on to take three in a row in St. John’s, becoming the first team to ever do so against the Growlers.

February 26^th, 2020 @ REA: The Royals crush the Mariners, 8-0, the largest margin of defeat in franchise history. The Mariners play the game with just four defensemen due to injuries and the last moment illness to captain Zach Tolkinen.

February 28^th, 2020 @ WHE: The franchise’s first trip to Wheeling marks a homecoming for Mariners Head Coach Riley Armstrong, who was an assistant for the Nailers from 2016-18. Terrence Wallin scores a pair – including the beneficiary of a Nailers’ “own goal,” and Greg Chase scores the game-winner in the 3^rd. This becomes Maine’s final victory of the season.

March 10^th, 2020 vs. NOR: The fateful final game of the season, unbeknownst to anyone. The Mariners battled back from a pair of one-goal deficits but Norfolk’s J.C. Campagna scores on a breakaway with 2:05 left to hand the Mariners a 3-2 loss. The final goal of the Mariners’ season belongs to Cumberland native, Ted Hart.

The Mariners’ final record will read 32-26-3-1. They went 16-15-2-0 on home ice and 16-11-1-1 on the road (they had only 15 road wins in all of 2018-19). When the season halted, the Mariners were 11 points ahead of Adirondack for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division, and three points behind Brampton for third place. They had seven games remaining with Worcester, two with Adirondack, and one with Reading.

CLICK HERE for a video recap of the 2019-20 season!

2019-20 Records:

Overall: 32-26-3-1
Home: 16-15-2-0
Road: 16-11-1-1
vs. ADK: 12-4-0-0
vs. WOR: 7-2-1-1
vs. NFL: 5-6-0-0
vs. BRM: 3-2-2-0
vs. REA: 2-6-0-0

The Mariners used 42 different players this season: 23 forwards, 15 defensemen, and 4 goaltenders.

2019-20 Team Leaders:
Points: Alex Kile (51)
Goals: Terrence Wallin/Dillan Fox (23)

Assists: Alex Kile (35)
Games Played: Michael McNicholas (60)
PIM: Mikael Robidoux (80)
PPG: Terrence Wallin/Dillan Fox (5)
SHG: Michael McNicholas (2)
GWG: Terrence Wallin (7)
Wins: Connor LaCouvee (20)
GAA: Connor LaCouvee (2.75)
SV%: Connor LaCouvee (.915)

Notable League Ranks (Individual):
Terrence Wallin – T-2^nd, game-winning goals (7)
Alex Kile – T-2^nd, longest road point streak (12 games, 11/22/19-1/7/20)
Connor LaCouvee – 4^th, saves (1060), 4^th, shootout SV% (.833), 13^th, GAA (2.75)
Ryan Culkin – 16^th, points by a defenseman (33)

Notable League Ranks (Team):

Team, shorthanded goals against – T-3^rd (4)
Team, penalty kill – 6^th (83.7%)
Team, road penalty kill – 6^th (85.5%)

The post KEELEY: MARINERS WEEKLY: 2019-20 SEASON RECAP first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howling

SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Hartford Wolf Pack’s weekend of hope turned into a sea of problems as they dropped their fourth straight game, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon to the Springfield Thunderbirds.

The win snapped a four-game skid for the T-Birds.

Springfield tallied two late goals to pull away in a tight game. Hartford played two-men short for a majority of the game and lost steam in the engine at the end of the game.

Hartford’s record drops to 31-19-6-5 (73 points) while Springfield keeps its playoff flame alive 31-27-3-0 (65 points).

On the bad side, the Hershey Bears lost 3-2 in a shootout. They have 81 points while the second-place Providence Bruins have 80. The Charlotte Checkers were idle and remain four points behind the Wolf Pack.

“We’re going through some adversity right now. We’ll get out of it. We’re relying on our guys and sticking with them. It’s the team we have,” said Pack head coach, Kris Knoblauch.

The offensive production has been an issue tallying just four goals in the last four games. The Pack is talking to themselves.

“We haven’t faced this type of adversity all year and every team goes through it. We’re going through it now. It’s not the time you want it, but we can flip this back with three wins next weekend,” remarked veteran forward Matt Beleskey.

It was old-time hockey at Mass Mutual Center with the first period taking close to an hour to play out.

At 6:50 on Sunday afternoon, three-in-three erupted into a line brawl that resulted in 67 minutes worth of penalties that included three game misconducts.

It all started with a seemingly minor push-and-shove in the right-wing corner of the Wolf Pack zone. Nothing out of the ordinary as things were starting to cool down.

Mason Geersten and Springfield’s Brady Keeper, who each are their respective team’s policeman, were doing some pushing-and-jawing when Danick Martel swung at Greg Chase that prolonged the event. The Pack’s Darren Raddysh was in there and it seemingly was all under wraps as Geersten was being escorted off to the penalty box by the linesman.

Behind the play, things got ugly rapidly and turned into a wild scene.

Keeper not being held by the linesman inexplicably somehow wound up with Vinni Lettieri at the Springfield blue line in front of the Thunderbirds bench.

Keeper let loose with a gloved left hook to the head of Lettieri and the fuse was lit. Matt Beleskey came to his aid and had a spirited fight in front of the Springfield bench with Keeper.

“I know they’re trying to do their best job out there (refs and linesman) it’s hard in a situation like that when you have guys everywhere. I just wish they had gotten him (Keeper) off the ice. When a guy sucker-punches Vinni like that. It’s not right,” said Beleskey who has had three fighting majors in the last two games.

Lettieri ended-up grappling with the Thunderbirds, Ryan Haggerty, an ex-Pack player, who was deep in the Springfield-end of the ice.

Both players kept throwing punches, While Lettieri was on his back on the ice and eventually a referee had to get involved to separate them.

Several other fights almost started. Martel and Chase looked like they were ready to drop them before order was eventually restored.

Lettieri was tagged with a game misconduct for leaving the bench while Geersten was tagged with a game misconduct for leaving the penalty box. Keeper was hit with a game misconduct for abuse of officials.

Knoblauch said Lettieri was on a line change as they were anticipating getting a power play.

Ironically, after the melee, they were shorthanded and lost two players.

“I couldn’t tell if he (Lettieri) was out there before or after. He was out at that end of the ice because we were going to get a power play.“

The team will look to challenge the game misconduct to Lettieri. “Yes. We’re going to look at everything,” said Knoblauch.

Incredibly, neither Lettieri or Haggerty got fighting majors though they could have.

Geersten left the box when he saw Keeper’s cheap shot to Lettieri, one he wouldn’t be penalized for. He earned the game misconduct trying to wrestle away from the linesman to get at Geersten, who was standing at center ice but did not get physically involved.

This kind of moment was out of character for this team. “We’re the least penalized team in the league. You’re not gonna see that too often from us,” Knoblauch stated.

Hockey play was resumed and the Thunderbirds got the only goal of the period as Joel Lowry in front took Rodrigo Abols pass in the chest at 6:13 and smacked it past Adam Huska for his eighth of the season.

Huska would face several quality chances especially stopping Jack Rodewald on a shorthanded breakaway at 12:40.

Daniel Audette followed with back-to-back chances and the Pack countered with Libor Hajek and Raddysh.

“I was pleased with Adam and other players stepped up Chase played well. Gropp played our so-called fourth line, played a lot of minutes and helped out with a goal.”

After a strong mid-ice hit on Lowry, Beleskey nailed him behind the Thunderbirds net.

Beleskey was given a major for boarding Lowry with 1:55 left in the period.

Pack captain, Steven Fogarty, had a shorthanded bid from off the left-wing stopped. His second whack at the puck drew a crowd led by Martel with 14.6 seconds to go.

The Pack had 35 shots for the game and tallied just two goals in nine periods and game up empty in the win column.

“The old adage of gripping your stick too tight, worrying too much just try to relax and enjoy playing hockey,” said Knoblauch.

Down two players, the Wolf Pack battled back in the second period, just 48 seconds after Belesky’s major expired, the Wolf Pack struck for their first goal.

Nick Ebert with a good short pass to Ty Ronning as they broke across the Springfield blue line. Then Ronning put a short pass in the middle from the left-wing past Springfield’s Chase Priskie. Ryan Dmowski stepped into the shot and beat the Thunderbirds Philip Desrosiers at 3:53 for his fourth of the season tied the game at one.

“Ronning made a nice play there and so did Ebert. They create scoring chances by working hard it allows them to force turnovers and strike quick like they did.”

Ice time was aplenty and the Wolf Pack kept working to keep themselves in the game.

Then the best chance of the period came as Chase, off of a perfect stretch pass sent by Beleskey, was on a breakaway, but missed the net.

Desrosiers stopped Fogarty, with a game-high seven shots, twice, Ronning’s backhand wraparound attempt and Nick Jones on a bang-bang play.

Huska was a rock in net stopping Ethan Prow on successive chances and Rodrigo Abols late in the period and Haggerty as well.

“He was outstanding. It was Huska’s best game of the season. He made huge saves for us and kept us in this game to have a chance,” remarked Beleskey.

Desrosiers denied Nick Jones on the right-wing rush with 2:03 left in the period.

In the third period, the toll of skating two men down on the third day of a three in three gave way as the Thunderbirds scored three times in the third period the last two 1:11 apart.

The game-winner for Springfield came off the stick of former QU Bobcat Chase Priskie just acquired from Charlotte in the last two weeks.

As he took Audette’s pass on the right-wing and fired it top shelf right side high for his eighth of the season.

Then like a fighter in the 11th round, the Thunderbirds went up 3-1 as Abols was coming hard on the left-wing whistled off where the post and crossbar meet and that popped in the air hit Ebert and went into the net at 18:15.

Then the sniper Martel bagged his 20th of the season on the backhand in front of the net off a pass from the net by Haggerty to close out the scoring at 4-1.

“We’re down a goal we’re trying to cheat a little bit late in the game you have to. If your cheating and your tired it’s a tough combo to handle,” noted Knoblauch.

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:

Yale University won its ECACHL quarterfinal meeting at Ingalls Rink as Graham Lillibridge scored at 3:10 of double overtime eliminating Union College. Next week the Bulldogs travel seven miles down Whitney Avenue to meet Quinnipiac University.

In the NEPSAC hockey championships held at Trinity College (Hartford) at Koeppel Community Center saw Salisbury Prep with a 4-0 shutout over Dexter Academy captured the Open Division title.

Loomis Chaffe (Windsor) won Large Division also in shutout fashion 2-0 over Cushing Academy.

In the Small Division, Gunnery (Washington) outlasted Pomfret 5-3.

The CT public school playoffs start on Wednesday.

The post CANTLON: PACK DROP FOURTH IN 4-1 LOSS IN SPRINGFIELD 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.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack deserved a better fate.

Ed Wittchow’s goal with 5:48 remaining in regulation would prove to be the only goal either goalie surrendered in a playoff-type atmosphere as the Hershey Bears tripped up the Wolf Pack in a 1-0 Friday night battle at the XL Center before 4.489 fans.

Left winger Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme/Gunnery) had the puck along the left wing boards,but couldn’t get it past Shane Gersich who won the one on one battle and gained possession.

He got the puck to Brian Pinho who found Wittchow open coming off the left point top of the left wing circle he one timed wired a shot off the far post for his fifth of the season.

The perfect shot nothing Wolf Pack goalie J.F. Berube could do about it.

“It was tough for us it was two huge points we wanted and we know how big games are at this time of the year. We just gotta try to take a positive out of it there were a lot of good things we did tonight,” noted Berube played his fifth game as a member of the Wolf Pack

The Pack threw a barrage of 17 shots at Hershey’s Vanacek in the third period and he stopped them all and they came from everywhere and everyone.

From Mason Geersten low bullet at 1:21 to Matt Beleskey two minutes later the red light stayed off.

Danny O’Regan at 4:25 was denied and then Dmowski on a left wing rush at 5:31 the Wolf Pack were in constant forward motion.

Patrick Newell at 12:28 off a smart rush into the Hershey end of the ice was stifled and Nick Jones screaming in off the right wing lost his edge at the last second for his shot attempt.

Boo Nieves back in the lineup after 13 games filling in for Tim Gettinger with a high wrister at 10:04 that couldn’t crack the wall Vancek was building around the Hershey net.

“We deserved a better outcome. Forget about tonight, move onto to tomorrow and get back at it,” remarked Berube.

With a tripping penalty in the final minute of regulation on recently acquired Daniel Sprong it was golden chance for the Wolf Pack, but a six on four advantage couldn’t produce a goal for Hartford.

Steven Fogarty had two chances one right on the Bears doorstep,but no room to maneuver to shoot on Vanacek was available.

Matt Beleskey backhander missed the target and then Darren Raddysh with the last of his four shots for the game with 11.4 seconds was the last chance that was repelled by the Bears netminder.

A last second faceoff win and the found its way to Vinni Lettieri saw his big blast blocked by the Bears Beck Malenstyn went all the way back behind the Wolf Pack net ending the game.

The two teams meet again tomorrow at 7pm at the XL Center,but the Bears (36-18-3-3, 78 points) have a five point lead on the Wolf Pack (31-17-6-5) in the Atlantic Division.

Utica kept Charlotte five points behind the Wolf Pack with a 2-1 win over Checkers, but Providence moved three points ahead of Hartford with a 2-1 overtime win at home against Springfield.

For head coach Kris Knoblauch there is not much you can find fault in a game like this.

“Besides the first 10 minutes I thought we played a pretty good game. Give a lot of credit to Hershey they’re a good hockey team.”

In the second period only nine shots were registered between the two teams and the Berube an stopped former teammate Matt Moulson’s bid with 2:56 left in the period.

Then Philippe Maillet, a fellow Quebecer tried his luck from the right wing as time expired at the end of the second period with the two chatting in French likely about Berube’s snatching his attempt away.

“He is friend from back home we chatted a bit nothing too dangerous,” chuckled Berube about a light moment in this intense game.

The Pack had two big chances by Vinni Lettieri with just officially counting.

Lettieri in his garden spot top of the left wing circle, but on his back foot let one go that hit the post and few minutes later darting off the right wing was stopped by Vanacek with 5:52 left in the period.

“It’s a matter time before those go in Vinni had the right spot just hit post there,” remarked Berube.

The Pack also weather an intense Bears shift in which they kept Hartford in their zone for almost two minutes

The first period was a chess match as each team sought to see where they could create chances, but the period still saw an early momentum swing.

Big Mason Geersten nailed Bears forward Shane Gersich with a clean, thunderous check at their blue line in front of the Hershey bench. Wittchow made a bee line from the left defensive side in the Hershey zone to battle Geersten in a spirited heavyweight fight at 6:33 with Wittchow getting the instigator on the play.

The Wolf Pack 27th ranked powerplay stalled on that chance and one right afterwards as well.

Berube made a superb stop on a two on one break denying Daniel Sprong on his attempt to score early.

Berube is familiar with Hershey from his time in Lehigh Valley.

“I’m sure there some pre-scouting done on their part, but some on my part too. I know they like to go East-West they like to find those seams, it something they do real well,”.

Saturday will be a major test for the Wolf Pack.

LINES:

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

LoVerde-Hajek
Ebert-Geersten
Raddysh-Crawley

SCRATCHES:

Tim Gettinger – Upper Body – Day-To-day.
Yegor Rykov – Healthy
Greg Chase – Healthy
Gabriel Fontaine – Shoulder Surgery – Season-ending

NOTES:

Knoblauch was non-committal about his starting goalie for Saturday’s night rematch.

UCONN lost Friday night in their regular season finale in Lowell 3-1 to UMASS-Lowell to finish at .500 overall at (15-15-4 and 12-10-2 in HE). The loss took away any chance of a home playoff game and will finish 5th or 6th and might play with Boston University or Northeastern next weekend.

Yale University lost Game 1 of their ECACHL opening round playoff game series 3-0 to Union College.

Big off ice changes, the Springfield Thunderbirds announced on Friday they have signed a standard five year affiliation/partnership agreement with the St. Louis Blues starting next season. Blues needed a new home after the San Antonio Rampage their present AHL farm team was sold to the Vegas Golden Knights last month.

The team will be moved there to play in the fall at the Orleans Arena in the fall as likely the Las Vegas Silver Knights until their new arena, the Lifeguard Arena presently under construction is completed.

The current parent team, the Florida Panthers who never wanted to be in Springfield in the first place will be heading a little closer to home to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Where they will surprisingly take the place of the nearby Carolina Hurricanes who we first reported three weeks ago are moving their farm team prospects to Chicago to hook up with the Wolves to save money.

We learned from an NHL source they did try to buy the Wolves,but owner Donald Levin’s price tag was a tad steep for the team.

Stockton and Calgary have extended their agreement by another year to tidy up all the AHL off ice business for the year.

The hockey world lost one of its best players today as Henri “The Pocket Rocket” Richard passed away at the age of 84 have battled Alzheimer’s the past several years.

His career numbers were simply stupendous for a player who stood in the shadow of a legendary brother, Maurice “The Rocket” Richard.

Richard was captain of the Canadiens from 1971 to his retirement in 1975, succeeding the legendary Jean Beliveau, with whom he shares the record of playing 20 seasons for the NHL club.

He was nicknamed the Pocket Rocket for his five-foot-seven, 160-pound frame.

Despite his small stature, Henri Richard was a giant in the game playing 1,256 regular-season games, another Canadiens record that he still holds. He scored 358 goals and had 1,046 points, third in team history behind Guy Lafleur (1,246) and Beliveau (1,219).

He also amassed 129 points in 180 playoff games.

His 11 Stanley Cups, one more than Beliveau and another former Canadiens captain Yvon Cournoyer, is unlikely ever to be surpassed. Seven were won when the NHL had only six teams.

He was known for his playmaking skills and determination with and without the puck, Richards twice led the NHL in assists, with 52 in 1957-58 and 50 in 1962-63. He had nine 20-goal seasons, including a high of 30 in 1959-60.

He won the Bill Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship and perseverance in 1974 and was selected to four league all-star teams.

The Canadiens retired his number 16 on December 10, 1975, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.

The post CANTLON: (FRI) HERSHEY WINS ONE-GOAL BATTLE WITH WOLF PACK first appeared on Howlings.

Hershey Bears 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 1

By Bryce Grundy, Hartford Wolf Pack

Hartford, CT, March 7, 2020 – The Hershey Bears completed a sweep of a two-game set with the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday night, defeating the Wolf Pack by a score of 4-1 at the XL Center.

Hershey goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who shut the Wolf Pack out in a 1-0 Bear win Friday night in Hartford, followed that up with an impressive 26-save performance on Saturday.  Brian Pinho had a goal and an assist for Hershey, and Bobby Nardella contributed three assists.  Nick Jones scored the only Wolf Pack goal.

“I thought the first period went as planned,” said Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. “I thought we played really well. Almost had a goal on the power play, had some other good opportunities. J-F (starting goaltender J-F Berube) came up with some huge saves.”

“They’re a good team,” said Wolf Pack captain Steven Fogarty. “They’re 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.”

Hartford and Hershey refused to budge in the first period yet again. The first twenty minutes were a 0-0 stalemate, but Hershey broke the scoring drought in the second period, erupting for three goals in a span of fewer than nine minutes.

Matt Moulson buried a rebound of a Pinho shot to give the Bears a 1-0 lead just 52 seconds into the second frame.

“We let [up] that first goal and it took a lot of momentum away from us,” said Knoblauch.

“Once they got that first one it’s like we combusted, we weren’t doing the right things,” mentioned Fogarty. “The things that we can control, our effort and attitude, just weren’t there.”

Philippe Maillet followed up with a power play goal 2:56 later, at 3:48, to double the lead to 2-0. Nardella slid the puck along the blue line to Daniel Sprong, and Sprong’s shot would find Maillet’s stick for a deflection past Berube.

Hershey’s third goal came at 9:05, as Pinho ripped the puck past the catching glove a screened Berube.  Adam Huska replaced Berube (15 saves) after that goal and would stop all 14 shots he faced.

“In the second period, we got away from what we needed to do,” said Knoblauch. “It started with that first goal against. It was tough for us to recover from that.”

Hartford would not go down without a fight. After Sprong blew a tire in the Hershey offensive zone, a line of Patrick Newell, Jones, and Greg Chase quickly transitioned into their offensive zone. Continuous pressure opened up the slot for Jones, and his one-timer would cut the deficit to 3-1 at 12:03 of the third period. Newell and Chase both assisted on the play.

“We gave a little push at the end of the third there but obviously it was not enough,” said Fogarty.

“We need to be better,” stated Knoblauch. “We need to be more direct, be around the net a little more, and good things will happen.”

Hershey’s Tyler Lewington scored an empty-net goal with one second remaining in the game to seal the 4-1 victory.

The Wolf Pack visit the Springfield Thunderbirds Sunday, for a 3:05 game.  All of the action can be heard live on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming is available at theahl.com/AHLTV.

The next home action for the Wolf Pack is this Wednesday night, March 11, a 7:00 battle with the Providence Bruins.  That is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”.  The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and one large popcorn, all for just $40.

Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at  hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com.

Hershey Bears 4 at Hartford Wolf Pack 1
Saturday, March 7, 2020 – XL Center

Hershey  0 3 1 – 4
Hartford 0 0 1 – 1

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Lewington Her (holding), 4:54; Jones Hfd (holding), 12:19.

2nd Period-1, Hershey, Moulson 21 (Pinho, Nardella), 0:52. 2, Hershey, Maillet 16 (Sprong, Nardella), 3:48 (PP). 3, Hershey, Pinho 20 (Nardella, Burgdoerfer), 9:05. Penalties-Ronning Hfd (slashing), 3:29; Lewington Her (fighting), 8:35; Beleskey Hfd (fighting), 8:35.

3rd Period-4, Hartford, Jones 9 (Newell, Chase), 12:03. 5, Hershey, Lewington 4   19:59 (EN). Penalties-Burgdoerfer Her (fighting), 0:13; Beleskey Hfd (fighting, game misconduct – third major/second fight), 0:13; Fogarty Hfd (slashing), 7:16; Maillet Her (tripping), 8:07; Crawley Hfd (boarding), 13:32.

Shots on Goal-Hershey 6-18-9-33. Hartford 9-9-9-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Hershey 1 / 4; Hartford 0 / 2.
Goalies-Hershey, Vanecek 19-10-1 (27 shots-26 saves). Hartford, Berube 13-16-4 (18 shots-15 saves); Huska 11-7-6 (14 shots-14 saves).
A-4,814
Referees-Alex Garon (64), Olivier Gouin (54).
Linesmen-Ben O’Quinn (92), Kevin Briganti (39)

The post GRUNDY: HERSHEY DOMINATES HARTFORD 4-1 first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack

HARTFORD, CT – The Wolf Pack (31-16-6-5, 73 pts.) sit three points off the lead in the Atlantic Division, coming off of a 1-2-0-0 week.  The Wolf Pack began their second straight three-game weekend with a 5-3 loss at Binghamton on Friday night but then rebounded for a 3-1 victory Saturday night in Bridgeport, putting a season-high 43 shots on the Sound Tiger net.  On Sunday at home against Providence, the Wolf Pack battled back from a 2-0 first-period deficit to tie the game but ultimately fell by a score of 3-2.  Tim Gettinger scored twice, including the game-winner, in Saturday’s triumph and tallied again on Sunday.

For the latest AHL standings, click here.

This week:

The Wolf Pack has three games on their docket for a third consecutive weekend, including a back-to-back set with the Atlantic Division-leading Hershey Bears Friday (7:15) and Saturday (7:00) nights at the XL Center.  The slate concludes with a 3:05 visit to Springfield on Sunday.

Friday, March 6 vs. the Hershey Bears (Washington) at the XL Center, 7:15 PM

• This game, like every Friday-night Wolf Pack home game, features $1 hot dogs, and $2 draft beers and fountain sodas, through the start of the second period, presented by Nomads Adventure Quest.
• The first-place Bears come into the week three points ahead of the third-place Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division standings, with a record of 35-18-3-3 for 76 points.  Head Coach Spencer Carbery’s club had a three-game winning streak snapped in its last action, a 6-3 home loss to Charlotte Sunday, only Hershey’s third regulation defeat in its last 11 outings (7-3-1-0).
• The Wolf Pack are unbeaten in regulation in four previous meetings with the Bears this season, with a record of 2-0-2-0, and scored a 2-1 win November 8 in Hershey’s only previous visit to the XL Center.
• Forward Daniel Sprong, who led AHL rookies in goals in 2017-18 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, with 32-33-65 in 65 GP, has 1-3-4 in two games with the Bears since being acquired by the parent Washington Capitals from Anaheim February 24.
• At this game and every Wolf Pack Friday or Saturday home game, fans are encouraged to come early for “Hockey Happy Hour” in the XL Center’s Coliseum Club.  From 5:15 PM until puck drop, a $5 wrist band gives fans access to the “Chill Zone” of the Coliseum Club, which features an appetizer buffet and $2 beers, presented by Minuteman Press.
• Tickets for this game, and all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games, are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.
• Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV.

Saturday, March 7 vs. the Hershey Bears (Washington) at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

• This is Military Appreciation Night at the XL Center.  The Wolf Pack will be paying tribute to all veterans and active-duty military for their service to our country, and the team will wear specialty military jerseys. Those will be auctioned off during the second intermission, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting local veteran and military organizations.
• The first 2,000 fans into this game will take home a free Wolf Pack reversible drink koozie, courtesy of CT-DOT.
• Despite a 1-2-1-0 record in their last four home games, the Wolf Pack still has the best home-ice points percentage in the league, at .833 (21-3-1-2).  The Bears are 14-10-2-1 on the road.
• At this game and every Wolf Pack Friday or Saturday home game, fans are encouraged to come early for “Hockey Happy Hour” in the XL Center’s Coliseum Club.  From 5:00 PM until puck drop, a $5 wrist band gives fans access to the “Chill Zone” of the Coliseum Club, which features an appetizer buffet and $2 beers, presented by Minuteman Press.
• Tickets for this game, and all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games, are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.
• Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV.

Sunday, March 8 at the Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at the MassMutual Center, 3:05 PM

• The Wolf Pack are 5-2-0-0 in head-to-head competition with the Thunderbirds this year but have lost two of the last three, including both of their last two trips to Springfield, where they are 1-2-0-0 on the season.
• The Thunderbirds received defenseman Chase Priskie and forward Eetu Luostarinen as a result of the parent Florida Panthers’ trade deadline swap of Vincent Trocheck to the Carolina Hurricanes.
• Springfield (30-26-2-0, 62 pts.) enters the week having lost back-to-back games and three of its last four, and stands six points out of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
• Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV.

Wolf Pack Community Appearances:

The Wolf Pack have the following appearances scheduled this week.  For further information on these, or any other Wolf Pack community initiatives, contact Wolf Pack community relations manager Frank Berrian, at (860) 541-4728:

• Thursday, March 5, 11:30 AM – 12 noon, Kensington Nursery School, 185 Sheldon St., Berlin, CT

Wolf Pack forward Gabriel Fontaine is scheduled to join Sonar, the Wolf Pack’s lovable mascot, in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

• Friday, March 6, 10:00 AM, Hatton Elementary School, 50 Spring Lake Rd., Southington, CT

Sonar and members of the Wolf Pack’s “Promo Pack” read to students as part of Read Across America.

Recent Transactions:

Greg Chase – recalled by the Wolf Pack from Maine (ECHL) February 29.

Jake Elmer – reassigned from the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers to Maine (ECHL) February 29.

Pack Tracks:

Saturday, March 28, when the Wolf Pack host the Utica Comets at 7:00, is “Heroes Night” at the XL Center, as the Wolf Pack celebrates the heroes in everyone’s lives.  The night includes a “Battle of the Badges” pregame tilt between local police personnel and firefighters, plus free Wolf Pack baseball hats to the first 2,000 fans, presented by CT-DOT.

Each of the Wolf Pack’s Sunday and Wednesday home games feature the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”.  The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and a large popcorn, all for just $40.  The next Hat Trick Pack game is Wednesday, March 11, a 7:00 battle with the Providence Bruins.

In partnership with the Hartford Chamber of Commerce, the Wolf Pack is offering “Suit to Sweater Wednesdays”, to wash away the mid-week work blues.  Any fan showing a company ID at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket office can purchase Blue-Level tickets to Wolf Pack Wednesday home games for only $15 each (limit two tickets per ID).  The Wolf Pack’s next Wednesday home date is March 11, when the Providence Bruins invade the XL Center for a 7:00 game.

Once again this season, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, and $2 draft beers and fountain sodas, at every Friday Wolf Pack home game, through the start of the second period, presented by Nomads Adventure Quest.  After this Friday, the Wolf Pack’s next Friday-night home outing is March 20, when they entertain the Charlotte Checkers in a 7:15 PM game.

Wolf Pack home game tickets can be purchased at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com.

TRACK THE PACK ONLINE AT HARTFORDWOLFPACK.COM

The post CRAWFORD: WOLF PACK WEEKLY: March 2-8, 2020 first appeared on Howlings.