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mitchbeck · 5 years

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CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF-SEASON - Volume 9

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - In spite of the fact that the prevailing news of the day centers on the precipice of a new era for the New York Rangers, as the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is about to occur in Vancouver, more news is going in professional hockey. PACK NEWS Clearly, the NHL Draft tomorrow in Vancouver (NBCSN Round 1 at 8 pm. Saturday Rounds 2-7 NHL Network 1 pm) will be important to the Wolf Pack roster for this and next year. The Rangers have nine picks second only to host Vancouver with 10 picks in the seven rounds. The Rangers had two in the first the second overall pick in which either they get Kappo Kakko or Jack Hughes they had a second one at 20th slot from Winnipeg from the Kevin Hayes deal which they dealt back to the Jets Monday night in the Jacob Trouba deal for ex-Pack Neal Pionk. Trouba, a right-handed shot like Pionk is a big sturdy two-way defenseman who will command serious playing time at age 25 is an RFA (restricted free agent). Part of the Trouba Factor is that his wife is studying to become a doctor and clearly wants to do so in the US rather than Canada so a long term deal is in the offing. The deal will be dependent on the salary cap for next year (no final figure yet) and future contracts that will expire for the Rangers, especially the slew of ELC deals they have signed the last two-three years and future ones coming after tomorrow’s draft and the unknown of a new CBA structure. GM Jeff Gorton told the media in a conference call Monday that he has a deal number in mind for Trouba which means one or two of the other four defensemen in New York making $4 million plus Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal, Brady Skeij or Brenden Smith will either be traded, brought out or buried in Hartford next season. Some of the first roster shoes dropped late Thursday night with the announcement that defenseman’s Frederick Claesson of the Rangers and the Wolf Pack’s Chris Bigras’s were not given qualifying offers to make them UFA’s. Claesson, despite his role as the seventh defenseman in NY, was very good, the current roster didn’t give him a spot, Bigras was a slight surprise he played well for most of the year and was one of the last cuts at Rangers training camp plus was Libor Hajek's primary defense partner through the 25 games or so, but had his season cut short with a severe high ankle sprain. Julius Bergman, acquired from Columbus is a UFA has already signed a two year deal with the defending Swedish Hockey League champion Frolunda HC. That leaves two other defensemen, John Gilmour and assistant captain Rob O’ Gara as Group 6 UFA’s on July 1st who will be clearly getting new addresses. Goalie Dustin Tokarski is also a UFA was reassigned to Charlotte on February 28th where he never lost a game and they captured the Calder Cup title. Tokarski won’t be offered a deal and is likely to be playing in Sweden next year. To nobody’s surprise goalie Brandon Halverson was not given a qualifying offer either. Just two Wolf Pack roster players left as RFA’s are winger Vinni Lettieri and the organization’s last goalie Chris Nell their status has not been announced yet. The rest of the draft selections look like this; in the second round, the Rangers have two picks 49th from Dallas and 59th from Tampa Bay via the Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh/JT Miller trade respectively. They have as of now then one selection in each of the remaining five rounds. In the third round 68th overall, in the 4th round they go 112th from Columbus, in the 5th round 130th, the 6th round they select 161st and in the 7th and last round 205th from Columbus. CALLAHAN TO RETIRE In some sad and late-breaking news, last night on the Tampa Bay Lightning website former Ranger and ex-Pack Ryan Callahan announced his NHL career has come to a screeching and sudden end and is being placed on their LTI (Long Term Injury) list protecting Tampa Bay on the salary cap. He has been diagnosed with a degenerative disc disease in his back that has limited him the past three NHL seasons and now forces him to leave the game he played with so much passion. He was limited to just 52 games last season with seven goals and 17 points His trade over five years ago from the Rangers after eight years on Broadway assuming the captaincy after Chris Drury’s retirement to Tampa Bay and Martin St. Louis, was highly unpopular at the time but saw him compete in one Stanley Cup Final. His NHL career spanned 757 games with 186 goals, 200 assists, and 386 points. He was originally selected by the Rangers in the 4th round in 2004 NHL Draft (124th overall). He came off a strong four-year junior career with the Guelph Storm 249 games with 130 goals and 237 points leading them in scoring his last two seasons play under former Hartford Whaler, Dave Barr. He was named as OHL Overage Player (Leo Lalonde Trophy) of the year in his fourth and last season and won an OHL championship in 2003-04. He played for two US Olympic Teams getting the silver medal in 2010 in Vancouver. He was a member of the Wolf Pack for just 71 games scoring 42 goals and adding 28 assists for 70 points. He was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team and played in the AHL All-Star Star Game. In his last Wolf Pack game on February 1, 2008, he scored one of the prettiest breakaway goals in Wolf Pack history against the then Springfield Falcons in a 6-2 romp. He left Devan Dubnyk’s goalie equipment still hanging from the ceiling of the XL Center. PLAYERS & COACHING MOVEMENT Ex-CT Whale and Ranger, Carl Hagelin signed a four year deal with Washington. Former Beast of New Haven Dallas Eakins was hired as the new head coach for Anaheim elevating him from San Diego (AHL). Former UCONN Husky (Division II era), New Haven Nighthawk and Hartford Whaler, Todd Krygier, keeps climbing another rung of the coaching ladder. After three years with Western Michigan Broncos (NCHC), three with Muskegon (USHL), and seven with Novi HS (MIPUB), he was hired by the Detroit Red Wings to be an assistant coach in Grand Rapids (AHL) starting in the fall. Columbus made Chris Clark (South Windsor) the new GM for the Cleveland Monsters plus Director of Player Development for the Blue Jackets. Clark played 175 AHL games. He won a Calder Cup with the Saint John Flames (2001) and 607 NHL games with Calgary, Washington, and Columbus. He has been a scout and the last seven years as a development coach for Columbus and Cleveland. Cleveland also hired a very experienced new head coach in Mike Eaves 63, to guide them next season. Eaves was the head coach at Division III St. Olaf College (MIAC) the last three years after spending 14 years at his alma mater University of Wisconsin (Big 10) where he helped the Badgers to seven NCAA tournament and one national championship in 2006. He had prior AHL experience with Hershey for three years (1990-1993) and was an assistant coach for three NHL teams Calgary, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. His other coaching stints included Division III Wisconsin-Eau Claire (WIAC), Shattuck’s St. Mary’s (MNPREP), two years with the US National Development Team (USNDTP) and a season with HIFK Helsinki (Finland--FEL). He helped coach the 2004 US WJC team to a gold medal. He played eight years in the NHL with Minnesota and Calgary and while at Wisconsin won the NCAA title in 1977 making him one of the few players to coach and play to win an NCAA title. His brother Murray was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame last year. -Bridgeport’s John Stevens Jr. was the only New York Islander, or Bridgeport Sound Tiger not given a qualifying offer. That makes him a UFA as of July 1st. He is the son of former Whaler and NHL head coach, John Stevens, Sr. -Ex-Sound Tiger Andrew MacDonald has been placed on unconditional waivers by the Flyers with the intention of buying him out the last year of his contract. -Brett Sutter winner of the AHL Fred T. Hunt Award this year has re-signed for another season with Ontario. -The Wolf Pack’s second affiliate, the Maine Mariners (ECHL) signed five players for the upcoming season and two of them have CT ties. Terrence Wallin (Gunnery Prep) has 30 points in 41 games with the Mariners, but just one assist in 23 games in Hartford. Defenseman Derek Pratt, a former UCONN Husky captain, had a solid first pro season with 63 games and finished with a plus-eight and 16 assists and 18 points signed a one year deal. He got in his first AHL game with Utica on the last weekend of the regular season and was recalled to Hartford, but never played. -AHL to Europe list adds Brooks Macek leaves Chicago to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (Russia-KHL) making it 43 AHL’ers that have signed in Europe so far. -Ex-Pack captain Mat Bodie leaves Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) to Vaxjo HC (Sweden-SEL). =Former Wolf pack Brodie Dupont goes from Dornbirner EC (Austria-ECEL) to the Herning Blue Fox (Denmark-DHL) -Ex-Sound Tiger Mark Flood leaves Ilves Tampere (Finland-FEL) to play for Vienna (Austria-EBEL). -Former Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) goalie Michael Garteig fresh off an ECHL Kelly Cup championship with the Newfoundland Growler’s has signed with Tappara (Finland-FEL) for next season. -Former New Haven Nighthawk and 1980 Rangers 4th round draft pick, Kurt Kleinendorst signs to be the head coach of Nuremberg (Germany-DEL) next year. His brother Scot was drafted by the Rangers in the 5th round that year played 53 games in New York and then five years for the Whalers before ending his career in Washington. -The two-time defending national champion University Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (NCHC) rewarded head coach Scott Sandelin with a four-year contract extension. -Goalie Max Prawdzik is a graduate transfer from Boston University (HE) to Arizona State Sun Devils (NCAA Division-1 Independent) -Five more collegians head overseas, led by former UCONN (HE) player Max Kalter who signed with HC Cergy (France Division-1), University of Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC) goalie Matej Tomek leaves and heads back to his homeland and play for HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia-SLEL). Lucas Benedet from Division III Northland College (NCHA) signs with HC Meudon (France Division-2) and Ryker Leer from the University Alaska-Fairbanks (WCHA) signs with Visby/Roma (Sweden Division-I). The latest is Thomas Stahlhuth goes from Colby College (NESCAC) to Melbourne (Australia-AIHL). That makes 41 collegians have signed in Europe and a total of 243 have signed pro deals in North America and Europe. -Jay O’ Brien, Providence College (HE) will play at Penticton (BCHL) this year to preserve his NCAA eligibility and transferring to another school seems a strong likelihood for the Flyers draft pick. -College hockey at the University of Illinois is closer to becoming a reality and joining the Big 10, but a few issues need to get resolved before making a formal announcement. See it HERE -Zach Malik, son of ex-Whaler, Ranger, and Beast of New Haven defenseman, Marek Malik, has left North Bay (OHL) where he was traded to last year from Sudbury. He has joined HC Plzen (Pilsener) (Czech Republic-CEL) during summer offseason workouts on a tryout basis but has not yet signed a playing deal. He was drafted by Muskegon (USHL) in April along with younger brother Nick. He is draft eligible for this week’s NHL draft in Vancouver which may determine where he plays in 2019-20 in either the OHL, USHL or CEL. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HOCKEY While hockey in North America is put to bed shots, saves and slapshots are in full swing in Australia and New Zealand. In the Land Down Under, the Newcastle Northstars and CBR (Canberra) Brave are battling the top of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) through its first 12 games tied at 33 points and identical 11-1 records and will meet in a big clash Saturday in Newcastle at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium (5:00pm Australian local time). The Northstars second-leading scorer (4th overall in the AIHL) is Francis Drolet (Salisbury Prep) with 11 goals and 25 points in 12 games and its captain Robert “Bert” Malloy (Cheshire/Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack) is off to a strong start in 10 games 11 assists and 15 points in his ninth AIHL campaign and fourth straight as Newcastle’s captain. The Sydney Ice Dogs second-leading scorer (6th overall in the league) is ex-Pack Paul Crowder with nine goals, 18 assists and 23 points in nine games and their goaltender is former UCONN goalie Garrett Bartus is struggling with a 2-5 record and a 4.32 GAA and .889 save percentage. The Melbourne Ice leading scorer is another ex-UCONN Husky in Jesse Schwartz with 12 points in 10 games. Last weekend the AIHL All-Star Game was held in Sydney at the International Convention Centre and Malloy’s Team North triumphed over Team South 11-9. His North teammates included Drolet, Crowder (and his brother Tim) and Schwartz. As part of the two-day event, they held a skills competition on Friday evening. Over in New Zealand, the five-team short season NZIHL (New Zealand Ice Hockey League) is underway and one US player of note is Corey Morgan (Avon Old Farms) fresh from Skidmore College (NEHC) is playing for the Botany Swarm with three goals, five points, and a plus-five in the first four games. 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mitchbeck · 5 years

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CANTLON'S CORNER: WOLF PACK OFF-SEASON VOLUME 4

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Calder Cup playoffs have their final four teams set to battle to for an opportunity to win the 2018-19 AHL Championship. On Friday, the Charlotte Checkers and Toronto Marlies will do battle in the East while out West, the San Diego Gulls and Chicago Wolves will each meet in a 2-3-2 format. Charlotte hosts Games One and Two against Toronto on Friday and Saturday before the series switches over the Canadian border to Toronto on Tuesday. Charlotte, the AHL's regular-season best team, winners of seven of their eight postseason matchups face the Toronto Marlies, who are a perfect 7-0 since the season ended. Toronto features ex-Pack, Chris Mueller, who has nine points in seven playoff games. Mason Marchment, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler Bryan Marchment, and ex-Sound Tiger, Steve Olesky, and former New York Ranger, Josh Jooris. Charlotte features a pair of ex-Pack members from different era’s in Bobby Sanguinetti, who has seven points in six games, and goaltender, Dustin Tokarski. Chicago hosts the Gulls before they head out West from the Windy City for Game 3 on Wednesday. San Diego has former Wolf Pack center, Adam Cracknell, who's third in AHL post-season scoring race with 12 points in nine games. He's having a strong playoff as is Max Jones, the son of former Nighthawk, Brad Jones. Behind the bench is former Beast of New Haven alumni, Dallas Eakins. He's the head man and his assistants are ex-Wolf Pack players in Sylvain Lefebvre and David Urquhart. The Chicago Wolves have defenseman ex-Sound Tiger, Griffin Reinhart, and Jake Leschyshyn, the son of ex-Whaler, Curtis Leschyshyn. ECHL MONARCHS FOLD Sad hockey new to report the ECHL Manchester Monarchs are no more after 18 years in New Hampshire. The team announced Wednesday there ceasing operations after four years at the ECHL level after the NHL LA Kings moved their AHL affiliate to Ontario, CA to help build the new AHL West Coast-based Pacific Division and flip-flopped the teams and leagues. There many great Wolf Pack-Manchester meetings over the years and the SNHU Arena (formerly Verizon Wireless Arena) was sterling hit with many a packed house, but the drop down in league levels met with a corresponding reduction in attendance and Kings sold the team to a private group in Boston three years ago. Read it HERE MEMORIAL CUP The quartet is all set as the Prince Albert Raiders scoring late in the first overtime edged the Vancouver Giants 3-2 to advance to the championship tournament for the first time since 1985. They will kick off the Memorial Cup playing the host team the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday night (8 pm NHL Network). The other teams are the OHL champion Guelph Storm and the QMJHL postseason champs, the Rouyn Noranda Huskies. Guelph features two assistant coaches with CT connections. Ex-Pack Chad Wiseman and ex-New Haven Senator Jake Grimes and the Huskies have former New Haven Senator teammate of Grimes in Claude Savoie on their scouting staff. The Raiders feature two former Springfield players as coaches in Marc Habscheid (Springfield Indians) and Jeff Truitt (head coach with the Springfield Falcons) and have former Whaler, Dallas Guame as one of the senior scouts. NEWEST CT JUNIOR HOCKEY TEAM The Danbury Ice Arena added a second hockey tenant within two days. The Danbury Colonials announced their birth as the 31st team in the Tier 3 NA3HL that spreads across the US from Wyoming to Maine. The team’s managing partner is none other than former Ranger and NHL enforcer, Colton Orr. He is a part of the ownership for both squads. Orr played 13 NHL season with 477 games with 12 goals and 24 points and 1,186 well-earned PM and was one of the fiercest fighters in NHL history. His total career including the AHL and junior WHL career is 817 games with 34 goals and 31 assists and 2,364 in the penalty box. The FHL announced a third return to Danbury with Danbury Hat Tricks for 2019-20 earlier in the week. PLAYER MOVEMENTS -Ex-Wolf Pack and CT Whale Jordan Owens who played with the Sheffield Steelers (England-EIHL) this season signs for some summer hockey with the Melbourne Ice (Australia-AIHL). Ex-Pack Caleb Herbert signs with HC Innsbruck (Austria-EBEL). -Some AHL players to Europe has begun to pick up the latest is Bridgeport Connor Jones is joining his twin brother Kellen as both have signed with HC Thurgau (Switzerland-LNB) for next season. Kellen played on Sweden last year leading Vasterviks VIK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) in scoring. Connor played 300 AHL games all with Bridgeport. Both played for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats (ECACHL). The two are grandsons of former New Haven Blades player, Terry Jones. Jens Looke heads from Tucson to Timra IK (Sweden-SHL), goalie Anthony Peters from Wilkes Barre/Scranton to Iserlohn (Germany-DEL) and Springfield’s Vincent Praplan currently playing for the Swiss World Hockey championship team will stay in is Switzerland and play for NLA league SC Bern squad next season. Adam Ollas Mattsson of Stockton is in talks with Malmo IF (Sweden-SHL) a city on the Norway-Sweden border to return home to play according to Swedish Hockey News.se As we reported last month is now official Ludwig Bystrom is leaving Springfield for Karpat Oulu (Finland-FEL). That makes now 16 AHL’ers to sign for Europe. -Three more college players have signed North American pro deals Jack Ramsay from the University of Minnesota (Big 10) who played a few games for Indy (ECHL) at the end of the regular season signs with the Rockford for 2019-20. Joining him in Rockford is Liam Coughlin from the University of Vermont (HE). Kasper Bjorkqvist, Providence College (HE) signs with the Pittsburgh Penguins. -The first player to go from college to Canadian major junior has happened as Sean Comrie leaves University Denver (NCHC) to the Kelowna Rockets (WHL). -The college players to Europe has picked up as UCONN Husky rearguard Philip Nyberg 22, heads home after his junior season to play for Mora IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) which is the second highest league in Sweden. -The college players heading to France continues at Division 1 level as Michael Babcock son of the Maple Leafs head coach Mike completed his four years at Merrimack (HE) and has signed with Amiens (France–FREL) and Michael Floodstrand Harvard University (ECACHL) to Marseille (France Division-1). Then two players from Division III Hobart College Tanner Shaw and Matt Pizzo signed with Strasbourg (France Division-1) and Alex Corvi Nazareth College (UCHC) signs with HC Brest (France Division-1). That makes it 171 Division I players that have and a total of 204 collegians who have signed North American and European pro deals. -Several prep school players are off to the Canadian Junior A ranks in Moe Acee from Avon Old Farms to Alberni Valley (BCHL) and Noah de la Durantaye from Deerfield Academy to Coquitlam (BCHL). -Chase Stillman, grandson of ex-Nighthawk Bud Stefanski who was drafted by the Sudbury Wolves in the 2nd round in last month’s OHL’s Priority Draft. His father Cory is the head coach and grandfather is the assistant coach of the team has signed a commitment letter with the Wolves. That also makes him ineligible to play NCAA hockey and he gave a verbal commit Providence College (HE) for 2022-23. -Dan Petric makes a commit to Sacred Heart University (AHA) from Madison (USHL) for the upcoming season. Read the full article

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