#ColeKehler

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CANTLON: CT HOCKEY 2021 OFFSEASON VOL 1

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT -The offseason has begun for the Hartford Wolf Pack and the rest of the AHL, except for the Pacific division, which has a playoff. Teams are very busy planning and signing players and coaches for the upcoming 2021-22 season.

PLAYER AND COACHING MOVEMENT

All of the AHL teams not in the Pacific Division have begun to send players to their respective ECHL teams for some post-season experience. The Toronto Marlies sent four players, Bobby McMann, Jeremy McKenna, Noel Hoefenmayer, and Gordie Green, to the Wichita Thunder. The Colorado Eagles sent Sasha Matala to the Utah Grizzlies. The Ontario Reign sent Nick Boka to the Ft. Wayne Komets while Josh Ingham and Jack Sadek packed their bags for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Doyle Somerby of the Tucson Roadrunners heads to the South Carolina Stingrays. The Manitoba Moose sent Peter Kreiger to the Indy Fuel, while the Rochester Americans sent Brendan Warren to the Jacksonville Icemen. Nelson Nogier, Cole Kehler, and C.J. Suess were sent to the Tulsa Oilers.

MORE MOVES

Henderson heading to the Pacific Division after eliminating  San Jose on the strength of a two-goal and three-point effort from ex-Pack Danny O’ Regan has sent three players to the Vegas taxi squad in Dylan Sikura and Cody Glass. Henderson will play with the Bakersfield Condors for the Pacific Division post-season title and the John Chick Trophy. The Condors eliminated the San Diego Gulls in OT Monday. Brad Malone, the nephew of former Hartford Whaler, Greg Malone, and the cousin of ex-Pack, Ryan Malone, scored the game-winner. The first AHL player to Europe, David Kase of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, signs with HC Sparta Prague (Czech Republic-CEL). A former Quinnipiac Bobcat, Karlis Cukste, who played with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) and the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) this past year, heads home to Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL). According to the Swedish hockey website, SportsExpressen.se, ex-Pack Dale Weise has signed a deal to be announced shortly with IK Oskarshamn (Sweden-Allsvenskan). Ex-Pack/New York Ranger, Tim Erixon, goes from Växjö HC to  Timrå IK (Sweden-SHL) for next season. Ryan McKiernan (Brunswick School), fresh off winning the  German DEL championship, leaves Eisbaren Berlin to Rogle BK (Sweden-SHL).

COLLEGE NEWS

Former UCONN Husky, Ruslan Iskhakov, moved from TPS Turku (Finland-FEL) to Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL). Also, in UCONN news, the University announced a new five-year extension for its head coach Mike Cavanaugh and had the groundbreaking for the new 2,600 seats $70 million arena-ready between September 2022-January 2023. The Maine Black Bears selected Ben Barr, the assistant coach from the national champion, UMASS-Amherst, to replace the late Dennis “Red” Gendron over the ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger (now Islanders) and Maine associate coach for the last six years, Ben Guite. Replacing Barr at UMASS-Amherst is Penn State's assistant coach for the last 10 years, Matt Lindsay. Previously, he was an assistant at Princeton and was a volunteer assistant at Colorado College. He started at Division-III at Hobart College (SUNYAC) and Utica College. Lake Superior St. (NCHC) Damon Whitten’s contract was extended six years. Former Sound Tiger, Peter Mannino, gives up his head coaching job with the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) and signs on as an assistant coach with Colorado College (NCHC).

MORE INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Jamie Arniel, the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk player and Rangers Assistant Coach,  Scott Arniel, leaves EC Bad Nauheim (Germany-DEL-2) and heads to HC Bratislava (Slovakia-IceHL). A trio of ex-Sound Tigers finds themselves on the move. Joey Martin departs Stavanger (Norway-NEL) and will skate next season for EC Graz (Austria-IceHL). Matt Mangene leaves ESV Villacher SV (Austria-iceHL) for EHC Wolfsburg (Germany-DEL). The new head coach there is a former Rangers draft pick, Mike Stewart. Sebastian Collberg exits Löwen Frankfurt (Germany-DEL-2) and returns home to BIK Karlskoga (Sweden-Allsvenskan). Former Wolf Pack and Ranger Steven Kampfer heads from the Boston Bruins to AK Bars Kazan (Russia-KHL). Former QU Bobcat goalie Michael Garteig leaves ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL) and returns to HIFK Helsinki (Finland-FEL). Ex-Wolf Pack, Ville Meskanen, departs Illves Tampere (Finland-FEL) to go to KooKoo (Finland-FEL) next season. Ex-Wolf Pack and Sound Tiger Chris Bourque signs with ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL) for next season, leaving EHC Munich.

ALL KINDS OF NEWS

Nick Dineen (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep), who played with the Amarillo Bulls (NAHL), commits to Stevenson University (UCHC) for next fall. In the fall, the return of the CCHA conference names its regular season and playoff trophy names they will be handing out to the winners in the spring. The playoff title will honor the late CCHA great coach of Michigan State, Ron Mason, with the Mason Cup. The regular season title winner will be awarded the McNaughton Cup. USA Hockey let several coaches go, including Kenny Rausch (Danbury/Immaculate High), the Director of USA Youth Hockey.

TRANSFERS

Goaltender Evan Fear departs Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) and transfers to Northeastern (HE), making 57 school transfers this collegiate off-season and 47 grad transfers. Tobias Fladeby finishes at AIC (AHA) and signs with Tingryds AIF (Sweden-Allsvenskan), making 80 college players sign pro deals in North America and Europe. Emil Öhrvall departs Sacred Heart University (AHA) for BIK Karlskoga (Sweden-Allsvenskan). The Pioneers were his third school in three separate conferences in his collegiate career. Nick Rheaume, the son of ex-Pack/Ranger, Pascal Rhéaume, has committed to UMASS-Lowell (HE) for 2022-23. Rhéaume played with the Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) this year. His cousin is Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) transfer goalie Dylan St. Cyr, the son of former New Haven Senators player Gerry. St. Cyr.

COMMITS

Two CT Division-III commits as William Pond (Wilton/CT Roughriders-EHL) heads to Western New England College (CCC). Ponds' Roughrider teammate Connor Sullivan (Brunswick School/CT Jr. Rangers - NCDC) heads to Lake Forest College (NCHA). Joining him at Lake Forest is Mattias Derraugh (Danbury-NAHL), who committed to the Illinois-based school.

IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The IIHF World Championships are underway in Latvia. There are many familiar names dotting the roster landscape. In Group A, the 3-0 Slovakian team has current Wolf Pack goalie Adam Huska and ex-Pack/Ranger Marek Hrivik. Huska has yet to play, and Hrivik has four points in three games. Slovakia engineered an early upset beating Russia 3-1 on Monday. Denmark has ex-Pack Niklas Jensen, who scored a hat trick in their first game and had a goal and two assists against Great Britain in a 3-2 overtime win Tuesday. Sweden had ex-Pack/Ranger player Oscar Lindberg and ex-Wolf Pack Carl Klingberg. The Czech Republic has ex-Pack and current Rangers defenseman Libor Hajek. They also have Adam, and David Musil, the nephews of former Whalers and Rangers player Bobby Holik. Ex-Pack and current Ranger Filip Chytil and former Beast of New Haven Jaroslav Spacek are the assistant coaches, plus former UCONN Husky recruit Matej Blumel. Belarus has an ex-Sound Tiger, Shane Prince, who has citizenship. Switzerland has a pair of ex-Wolf Pack players in Andres Ambuhl and Raphael Diaz; Great Britain has goalie Jackson Whistle, nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk, Rob Whistle, plus Ben Lake (Sacred Heart University-AHA).

MORE IIHF

In Group B, the US squad features Ryan Donato, the son of ex-Wolf Pack/Sound Tiger, Ted Donato. They also have a  current Ranger, Kevin Rooney, and the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk, Steve Rooney. Current Ranger, Zac Jones and Tage Thompson (Milford/UCONN), a son of the current Bridgeport Islanders head coach, Brent Thompson. The head coach is former Sound Tigers bench boss Jack Capuano. The team General Manager is current Rangers President/GM, Hartford GM Chris Drury (Trumbull/Fairfield Prep). Canada has shockingly lost its first three games to Latvia, Germany, and the US. Canada has a current Wolf Pack, Braden Schneider, and former Sacred Heart University (AHA)/Sound Tiger product Justin Danforth. Germany has Tom Kuhnhackl of Bridgeport, and Italy has former Ranger Peter Andersson as one of the assistant coaches, and he is the father of ex-Pack, Calle Andersson. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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KUHNS: SWAMP RABBITS DETHRONE MONARCHS

Greenville erases three deficits in second consecutive win BY: Jordan Kuhns, Greenville Swamp Rabbits BOXSCORE MANCHESTER, N.H. — In a game that saw five first period goals and three Manchester leads, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits stuck to the game plan and turned the tides. Greenville struck for four goals in the third period and toppled the Manchester Monarchs 7-3 on Sunday afternoon at SNHU Arena. Austen Brassard struck twice, and Kamerin Nault and Dylan Vander Esch added tallies in the third period to pull away from the Monarchs. Brassard, with help from Brendan Harms and Chris Izmirlian, who scored four points on the day, forced a Manchester turnover and snapped the puck through Cole Kehler to grab their first lead of the day. The key to the game was pressure. All four of the goals were forced by pressure and net-front traffic, with Nault, Vander Esch, and Brassard's second, forced by pressure and traffic. The first period saw five goals scored overall, and four of them scored in the game's first six minutes and three seconds. The Swamp Rabbits were also forced into penalty trouble in the first period, having taken three penalties, but Manchester was unable to convert on any of them. Cory Ward started the scoring for the home club on a rebound opportunity just as a penalty to J.C. Brassard had expired. Under a minute later, Jake Bolton found a way on a drop pass from Izmirlian on the rush, and his slap shot found a way through. Just over a minute later, Spencer Watson scored his first of two goals in the first period with a nifty deke to the backhand to take the lead again. And, like the last time, Izmirlian had an answer with a deflection out in front of the goal. Watson eventually gave Manchester the go-ahead goal late in the first period, but as always, the Swamp Rabbits had a response. A tremendous individual effort from Nault, with assists from Michael Pelech and Johno May, converted on his own rebound and tied the game at three. The Swamp Rabbits held the team who averages the most shots on goal per game, the Manchester Monarchs, to well below their average, and pumped 39 shots on goal in a constant barrage, all at even strength. The Swamp Rabbits were only granted one chance on the power play. 11 players scored points in the game, and six of them posted multi-point efforts. The win cemented four out of a possible six standings points in the books for Greenville. The Swamp Rabbits will have the rest of the week to prepare for a rematch with the Atlanta Gladiators on Friday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m. Catch all of the action on the Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network, or on ECHL.TV.

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Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team’s official Facebook and Twitter pages! Contact a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive at 864.674.PUCK (7825) for information on 2018–19 ticket plans, special group rates, and hospitality opportunities and secure your seats today! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear by visiting the “Hop Shop” online at Shop.SwampRabbits.com to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties! Read the full article

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KEELEY: (SAT) KILE, MCNICHOLAS, ADAMS-MOISAN LEAD CHARGE IN ROAD WIN OVER MONARCHS

One line scores all five goals as Mariners drop Manchester BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners MANCHESTER, NH – December 1, 2018 – Riley Armstrong put together a line of Alex Kile, Michael McNicholas and Morgan Adams-Moisan for Saturday night’s game in Manchester. They may stay together for a while. The three each had multi-point nights, as Kile lead the way with four points and Connor LaCouvee made 37 saves in a 5-2 Mariners win. McNicholas got the scoring started early when his shot from just above the goal line at 2:28 of the first made its way over Monarchs netminder Cole Kehler. The Mariners added two goals late in the frame to make it 3-0 and did so in short order. Kile found the net at 18:16 and Adams-Moisan at 18:50. Kile had a point on all three goals. Neither team scored in the 2nd period as the Mariners continued their penalty kill streak, ultimately reaching 31 straight killed by the end of the game. Connor LaCouvee, making his first Mariners start since October 24th, kept the Monarchs off the board through two periods on their Teddy Bear Toss night. At 10:14 of the third, Adams-Moisan got loose in front of a net and beat Kehler with a backhand for his second goal of the night and fourth of the week. Manchester finally beat LaCouvee at 11:37 when Cory Ward deflected David Kolomatis’ feed home. Things got a little more interesting when Kolomatis scored shorthanded at 15:31, but Kile hit the empty net at 16:53 to put the game away. It was also shorthanded, marking the seventh Mariners shorthanded goal in 10 games. Kile finished with two goals and two assists, McNicholas with one goal and two assists, and Adams-Moisan with two goals. Scott Savage and Vince Pedrie also had helpers. LaCouvee stopped 37 of 39 to improve to 3-0-0 while Kehler turned aside 33 of 37. The Mariners have a quick turnaround, traveling to Worcester for a 3:05 Sunday afternoon affair at the DCU Center. After wrapping up the three-game road trip in Glens Falls on Wednesday, Maine returns home to take on Adirondack next Friday, December 7th at 7:15 PM. Tickets can be purchased at MarinersOfMaine.com or by calling 207-775-3458. Read the full article