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mitchbeck · 2 years

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CANTLON: HARTFORD WOLF PACK OFFSEASON VOL 4

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in a dramatic first-round playoff series and now face an elimination game with the Carolina Hurricanes (nee Hartford Whalers) who lead the series three games to two in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Meanwhile, back in the American Hockey League (AHL), the two teams in the Atlantic Division, the Springfield Thunderbirds and the Charlotte Checkers, are meeting in a 2-3-2 format. Springfield dominated from start to finish in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon at the Mass Mutual Center, crushing the Checkers 6-0. Sam Anas had two goals and an assist, while Joel Hofer, the game's First Star, had a 35-shot shutout. (GAME SHEET) EX- HARTFORD WOLF PACK PLAYERS MOVING Ex-Hartford Wolf Pack forward Brodie Dupont has officially retired and becomes the full-time head coach for the Cardiff Devils (Wales-EIHL). Under Dupont's leadership behind the bench, Cardiff won the EIHL championship. He is the 96th ex-Wolf Pack/CT Whale player to enter coaching. Dupont played as a Wolf Pack and CT Whale member and was weighing an offer to return to Connecticut. Ex-Wolf Pack, Ryan Gropp departs IF Björklöven (Sweden Allvenskan). Another ex-Pack, Nick Ebert, leaves Örebro HK (Sweden-SHL) for HV 71 (Sweden-SHL) next year. In his tenth year of Polish hockey, New Britain's Mike Cichy leaves GKS Tychy (Poland-PZIHL) and signs with Unia Oswiecim. Rayen Petrovicky, the son of former Hartford Whaler Róbert Petrovicky, moves from TUTO (Finland-Mestis) home to HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia-SLEL). Brooklyn Kalmikov, the son of former Sound Tiger Konstantin Kalmikov, saw his Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) eliminated. So he's now heading from "The Q" and signs with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for next season. MORE MOVES Closer to home, following his sophomore year, Ryan Doolin (Westminster Prep) left Sacred Heart University (AHA) and transferred to D3 Colby College (ME) (NESCAC). Travis Turnbull, the younger cousin of former New Haven Nighthawk Randy Turnbull, heads from Schwenniger (Germany-DEL) to EHC Straubing (German-DEL). Jack Marottollo (North Haven), the son of Sacred Heart University (AHA) head coach C.J. Marottollo, goes from South Shore (NCDC) and enrolls at Wesleyan University (Middletown) (NESCAC) in the fall. THOSE STILL PLAYING MEANINGFUL HOCKEY... In June, the major junior playoffs continue in Canada, leading to a later-than-planned Memorial Cup in an old AHL city, Saint John, New Brunswick. In the WHL, current Ranger's prospect Matt Rempe, who's playing with the Seattle Thunderbirds, has four goals and five points in ten games, won their Game 7 finale against the Portland Winterhawks to advance to the next round. Goalie Dylan Garand, heading to Hartford on his Entry-Level Contract (ELC) in the fall, moves on. Garland's Kamloops Blazers (48-17-3-0) will play against Rempe's Thunderbirds (44-18-4-2) in the WHL Western Conference championship beginning Friday. Garand's 1.51 Goals-Against-Average (GAA) is the WHL's second-best in the post-season. The Red Wing's 6'6 prospect, Sebastian Cossa of the Edmonton Oil Kings, is slightly better at 1.48. Both have three shutouts. OTHER HARTFORD WOLF PACK PROSPECTS Another fall training camp player is winger Ryder Korczak of the Moose Jaw Warriors. Korczak was last week's WHL Player of the Week with ten points in ten games. Unfortunately, the Winnipeg Ice eliminated the Warriors. In the WHL Bantam Draft, Lochlan Tetarenko, the son of Joey Tetarenko (Beast of New Haven), was selected in the third round (62nd overall) by the Saskatoon Blades. In the US Priority portion of the draft, the son of Whaler Grant Jennings, forward Gordon Jennings, was taken in the second round (35th overall) by the Prince Albert Raiders. The Alaskan native played last season for the U-14 Alaska Oilers AA team. California had the most players taken, with 44 drafted at 17, followed by Minnesota with 13 and Texas with nine. WESTERN CONFERENCE Over in the OHL, two top Rangers prospects will compete against one another in the Western Conference Championship. Will Cullye of the Windsor Spitfires has eight points in eleven games. That's good for second-best on the team. Their opponent, Brennan Othmann of the Flint Firebirds, has a team-best 17 points on eight goals in 12 games. Othmann had three assists in a series-clinching Game 5 with a big 7-1 clincher over Sault Ste. Marie. Each of these players is the captain of their respective team. They met in February in a wild 7-6 overtime game, with each recording a hat trick. Cullye wears #13 and Othmann #78. The Spitfires won seven of the eight games in the regular season, and they will play for the Wayne Gretzky Conference trophy. The series started on Saturday in Windsor. Cullye had an assist and game-high eight shots while Othmann went pointless and had one shot. Game two is on Monday. WINDSOR SERIES Listen to the Windsor series on old school over-the-air radio on CKLW-AM 800 (Windsor-Detroit) and online. The Eastern Conference series begins on Friday between Hamilton and North Bay. The game can also be heard on CHML-AM 900 (Hamilton). There were no Ranger prospects in the QMJHL, but former Wolf Pack, Ranger, and Springfield Falcon, and now a head coach, Gordie Dwyer, saw his Saint John Sea Dogs eliminated in the first round of the President Cup playoffs. However, the team does get an automatic Memorial Cup cup berth as the host city. ANOTHER RANGERS SIGNEE Centerman Gustav Ryhahl signed a one-year, one-way, free-agent deal with the Rangers paying him $750K in the NHL and AHL. Rydahl, 27, is a 6'3 and 201-pounds physical player from the LeMat Trophy Swedish Hockey League champs Färjestad BK (Sweden-SHL), where he amassed 30 points in 44 games. In the Clark Cup (USHL) best-of-five series final, the Sioux City Musketeers are tied at one game apiece with the Madison (WI) Capitols. A few CT names dot the rosters of both teams. Jake Percival (Avon) plays for Sioux City and is a UCONN recruit for the fall. Madison has Ohio State (Big 10), Richard (DJ) Hart (Stamford), and Westport's and QU-bound in the fall Matt McGroarty (Brunswick School). Hart, who played at UCONN in Hartford twice this year, is a fall commit. COLLEGE HOCKEY The changes at Storrs keep coming. According to sources heading to Boston University will be UCONN's associate head coach West Haven's Joe Pereira, an ex-Sound Tiger, also formerly of South Kent Prep. He played as an undergraduate for 139 games. He was a captain his senior season, as one of the new assistant coaches for Jay Pandolfo's staff after his nine-year run as an assistant to the Huskies Mike Cavanaugh. He began his college coaching career at Sacred Heart University (ACHA Division-2) as the head coach of their D2 club team, winning the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League championship in 2012-13. As a player, he spent two years as a minor league professional. Augustana (SD) University Vikings, the 62nd and newest NCAA D1 program, has been accepted as a new conference member for the CCHA, bringing the league to eight teams. TRANSFERS ACCEPTED One way for a team to improve its roster is to dip into the transfer portal. NCAA D1 Independent, the Long Island University Sharks, announced seven transfers on Thursday. The transfers are of all types, undergraduate, grad, inter-conference, non-conference, several Division-3s to Division-1, and even several cross-continent moves. As of this week, the total jumps to a staggering 157, comprised of 88 grad transfers and 69 school transfers. The Sacred Heart Pioneers (AHA) gets Julian Kislin from Northeastern (HE). The Quinnipiac Bobcats lose sophomore winger Ty Smilanic to Wisconsin (Big 10). Smilanic's NHL rights were traded from Minnesota to Arizona. Meanwhile, the Bobcats received three grad transfers. Over at Yale, they saw a grad transfer in goalie Justin Pearson who heads to UCONN (HE) next year. UCONN's Cassidy Bowes has yet to declare his next destination. Still, according to several sources, he's likely to play Canadian college hockey out in Western Canada, which is closer to his home in either the CWUAA, ACAC, or the BCIHL. MORE MOVES Rangers prospect Simon Kjellberg has left RPI (ECACHL) for the greener pastures of Northern Michigan (CCHA). A laundry list of players remains uncommitted, including Kyle Johnson of Yale and John Fusco of Harvard. Eric Gotz, the nephew of former Hartford Wolf Pack player and Head Coach Ken Gernander, heads from Michigan Tech (CCHA) to Vermont (HE), where his twin uncles matriculated as young men, Jim and Jerry Gernander. John Emmons Jr. commits to Miami (OH) (NCHC) from the Oakland (MI) Grizzlies (HPHL). IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS US had a close call winning 3-2 in OT over defensive-minded Austria. Ex-Sound Tiger Kieffer Bellows scored in the game. Unfortunately, the US dropped their second game 4-1 to Finland. Next was a battle with Great Britain, which had Jackson Whistle in the net. He is the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk Rob Whistle. Bellows scored twice in a 3-0 win. The US knocked off Sweden on Adam Gaudette's hat trick as ex-Springfield Falcon TJ Tynan, the two-time reigning AHL MVP, set him up with his second helper of the game. Canada saw Pierre-Luc Dubois score twice in an opening 5-1 win. In other games, the Czechs fell to Sweden 4-3 as ex-Pack Tomáš Kundrátek, and ex-UCONN recruit Matej Blümel scored in a comeback bid, but a 5-3 loss and then lost to Austria in their second game. Michael Spacek scored in a 5-1 win over Latvia. HUSKA Current Wolf Pack Adam Húska was in net for Slovakia's 5-1 loss to Canada and 5-3 loss to Switzerland. Huska gave up a goal to ex-Springfield Falcon Denis Malgin (one of five ex-Falcons playing in the tourney). Even though he made some acrobatic diving saves, the lack of goal support followed him to Finland from Hartford. The Slovaks did make the quarterfinals with a 4-3 win over Kazakhstan. Húska faced little work (11 shots), and all three goals resulted from direct rebounds. Huska picked up a secondary assist on the third goal. The Slovak team capitalized with three power play goals on Pavel Akolzin's ill-advised major for charging in center ice right in front of the Kazakhstan bench. The Slovaks secured their chance to continue to play by beating Italy 5-2, with Húska manning the cage. Surefire top draft pick in July, Jaroslav Slafkovky, scored again. Ex-Pack Andres Ambühl was the hero setting up the game-winning goal with 4:21 left for Switzerland in a 3-2 win over Kazakhstan. Sweden has played ex-Pack Magnus Hellberg in the net for three of their four games. One of them was winning a championship-level-like final, a 3-2 shootout win over Finland. Former QU Bobcat Latvian Kārlis Čukste earned the secondary assist on the game-winner with 6:19 left to play as Latvia rallied for a late 4-3 win over the British. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 3 years

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CANTLON: CT HOCKEY OFF-SEASON VOLUME 3

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The NHL Draft is set for July 23-24, with the Buffalo Sabres holding the first overall pick. The expansion Seattle Kraken, with their General Manager being the former Hartford Whaler great, Ron Francis, picking from the number two spot in Wednesday’s NHL Lottery drawing. The New York Rangers, who had the first overall pick last season, will select 15th this year. The Rangers inked the highly-touted and regarded defenseman Nils Lundkvist to a standard NHL three-year entry-level deal of $925K-NHL/$70K-AHL. Lundqvist played last year with Lulea HF (Sweden-SHL) and played in 52 games registering 14 goals and 18 assists (32 points) won the Borje Salming award as the league’s best defenseman. He will get a very long look by the Blueshirts in training camp for a top-six position. Should he be ready for that, he will play in Hartford with the Wolf Pack.

HARTFORD SCHEDULING

The Wolf Pack secured five home dates for the 2021-22 season. They will start on Friday, October 15th, and end on April 24, 2022, the latest the AHL regular season has ever ended. The team announced on Twitter other dates, Friday, December 17th, Saturday, January 29th, Saturday, February 12th, Saturday, February 19th, and Saturday, March 29th. Other dates, starting times, and opponents will be announced in July when the league releases the 2021-22 schedule. As reported by Cantlon's Corner, a unified 72 game schedule has been agreed to but will start with the 2022-23 season when the league's 32nd team, Palm Springs, debuts. The yet-to-be-named team has trademarked six names: Firebirds, Dragons, Sun, Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons. This season's Atlantic Division will comprise Hartford, the recently renamed Bridgeport Islanders, the Charlotte Checkers, and the Providence Bruins. They'll play a 72 game schedule.

76 GAMERS

The remainder of the division will play a 76 game schedule. Those teams are the Hershey Bears, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Springfield Thunderbirds, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Seventy-six games will be played by the Chicago Wolves, Cleveland Monsters, Grand Rapids Griffins, Milwaukee Admirals, Rochester Americans, and the Syracuse Crunch. The other teams playing 72 games will be the Belleville Senators, Laval Rocket, Manitoba Moose, Rockford, Texas, Toronto, and the new Utica Comets affiliated with New Jersey. The teams playing 68 games in 2021-22 all in the Pacific Division are Abbotsford (no name yet) returning to the AHL as the Vancouver Canucks affiliate, Bakersfield, Colorado, Henderson, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose, Stockton, Tucson. The Wolf Pack has hired two new front office people out of nearby Springfield College, the new marketing Manager is Emily Vance, and the new Ticket Manager is Brendan Halloran.

USHL DRAFT

Phase I of the Draft is ten rounds of “Futures” age players only, U-17 players for next year’s season (2005 birth year players only for the 2021 Draft). Phase II of the Draft is open to players of all ages eligible to play junior hockey and are not currently protected by another USHL team. Teams will fill their roster to a total of 45 players on this date; this includes players that were previously on a team’s Affiliate List. The total number of players that a team will draft will vary depending on the number of Affiliate players a team may have. All veteran roster players from the 2020-21 season are automatically protected by their current team, separate from 45 players. This year it was 21 rounds. The following are the CT connected draftees;

PHASE 1

Lucas St. Louis (Riverside/Brunswick School) went in the second round (20th overall) by the Dubuque (IA) Fighting Saints. He is the youngest son of former Ranger and NHL Hall-of-Famer, Marty St. Louis. Ben Poitras (Salisbury School) went in the ninth round (121st overall) by the Youngstown (OH) Phantoms. Brendan Giles (Ridgefield/ Mid-Fairfield U-16) went in the ninth round (134th overall) to the Madison (WI) Capitols.

PHASE II

Liam Lesakowski (Salisbury School) went in the fourth round (60th overall) Cedar Rapids (IA) Roughriders, Dean Bauchiero (Southington/Salisbury School), who also played at Cheshire High two years ago, was taken by the Sioux City (IA) Musketeers. He is a Brown University (ECACHL) commit for 2022-23. He was taken 23rd by the Wichita Falls (TX) Warriors in Wednesday’s NAHL Supplemental Draft. Goalie Gibson Homer was the first selection of the sixth round (77th overall), and he is the son of former New Haven Knights Kenzie Homer. He was taken by the Chicago Steel and is a commit to Miami (OH) for 2022-23. Homer was taken first in the seventh round (93rd overall) was another goalie with Connecticut lineage on Sutter Muzzatti, the son of ex-Whaler and Wolf Pack, and current Carolina Hurricanes goalie coach Jason Muzzatti. He is an RPI (ECACHL) commit for 2022-23 and played this year for the Austin (MN) Bruins (NAHL). He went in the eighth round (113th overall). Brendan Holahan (New Canaan/Brunswick School) and selected by the Des Moines (IA) Buccaneers. Staying in the eighth round, five picks later, goalie Austin McNicholas (Salisbury School) was taken by the Green Bay (WI) Gamblers.

MORE PICKS

In the ninth round (131st overall), forward Chase Dafoe, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk and NHL’er Byron Dafoe, was taken by the Omaha (NE) Lancers and skated last year for Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL). In the 11th round (195th overall), the oft-drafted Jason Marsella (Stamford) was taken by the Chicago Steel for the second year in a row. Marsella is a Yale University (ECACHL) commit scheduled for this fall that could be pushed back a year. He was drafted by Kansas City Scouts (NAHL) (formerly Topeka Scarecrows) last year and by the QMJHL Halifax Mooseheads in 2018. He was the first overall selection by the expansion El Paso (TX) Rhinos in Wednesday’s NAHL Supplemental Draft. Ryan Sanborn (Brookfield/Mid-Fairfield U-15) was taken in the sixteenth round (225th overall) by the Youngstown Phantoms. Then in the sixteenth round (232nd overall), Gabe Dombrowski Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (NAHL) was taken by Dubuque (IA) Fighting Saints. In the 18th round, 263rd Chase Ramsay (Avon Old Farms/Mid-Fairfield U-18) was selected by Des Moines.

EVEN MORE PICKS

In the NAHL Supplemental Draft, he was selected 50th by Wichita Falls (TX) Warriors. The 18th round (264th overall) saw Mikael Petersen (Stamford/CT Jr. Rangers-NCDC) selected by the Muskegon (MI) Lumberjacks. When the 21st round (314th overall) came around, Joe Connor (Avon Old Farms) was taken by Muskegon. One of the last three players in the entire draft was Luke Drury (Brunswick School-CTPREP), taken in the 22nd round (323rd overall) by Des Moines. He is the son of current Rangers President/GM, Hartford GM, Chris Drury (Trumbull/Fairfield Prep). Other selections in the NAHL Supplemental Draft include two picks by the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks 12th overall Roberts Anderson from HS Riga (Latvia-LHL) and 53rd Fredrik Schlyter from Sollentuna HC (Sweden HockeyEttan Division-1) and AIK J-20 (Sweden J-20 League). Going 62nd was John “J.P.” Turner from Avon Old Farms (CTPREP) by the New Jersey Titans. The 77th pick by the Corpus Christi (TX) IceRays, who return to play, took Springfield, MA native Kennedy O’Connor from Loomis Chaffe School (Windsor), who played last year for Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL). He was drafted by two other NAHL teams, the Minnesota Magicians (Richfield, MN), in 2020, now coached by ex-Wolf Pack/Ranger, Stu Bickel, and in 2019 by the Shreveport (LA) Mudbugs. He is committed to national champion UMASS-Amherst (HE) for the fall.

NAHL

The NAHL Draft will be held the week before the NHL Draft, on July 14th. The WHL announced their draft order, which won‘t be held until December 9th, with their US player draft coming the next day. The OHL Priority Draft will be held on June 4th with rounds 1-thru-3. On Saturday, June 5 will see rounds 4-thru-15. The QMJHL has set June 25-26, with its US player selections on the 27th. The Q did release their final Central Scouting List, and a few CT players made a list and are eligible to be drafted. Charles Andriole-(Branford/Loomis Chaffe School) Ryan Bradley-Darien John Burdett-(Greenwich/Brunswick School) Nick Capasso-(Northford/Avon Old Farms) Ben Carfora-(West Haven/ND-WH) Tanner Duncan-Ridgefield Sloan Farmer-(Greenwich/Brunswick School) Brandon Giles-(Ridgefield/Mid-Fairfield U-16) Kurt Gurkan-Darien Brendan Hill-Woodstock Academy (CT) Nicholas LeClaire-Colchester Noah Melanson-(West Simsbury/Danbury-NAHL) Patrick (P.J.) Neal-(Fairfield/Avon Old Farms) Ronan O’ Donnell-Fairfield Alex Pelletier-Manchester William Richards-(Stamford/Deerfield Academy) Ryan Sanborn-(Brookfield/Mid-Fairfield U-16) Hunter Spiess-(Old Greenwich/Brunswick School/Mid-Fairfield U-15) Lucas St. Louis-(Riverside/Brunswick School) Wesley Zolin-Greenwich

PLAYER & COACHING MOVEMENT

The Vegas Golden Knights have evened their series with Colorado in the Stanley Cup playoffs because of some important CT connections. In-Game 4, former CT Whale Jonathan-Audy Marchessault recorded his first playoff hat trick in a 5-1 win. The game's first goal was scored was tallied by Max Pacioretty (New Canaan/Taft Prep). In-game 3, they scored two goals 45 seconds apart late in the game, first by Marchessault and the game-winner by Pacioretty. The winner will likely face the Montreal Canadiens up amazingly 3-0 on the Winnipeg Jets. The best in-season hire was former Whaler Marc Bergevin, the Canadiens GM making his Western pro scout his goalie coach in former teammate Sean Burke who has revitalized goalie Carey Price.

PACK RELATED

Expected incoming Wolf Pack defenseman Braden Schneider, who played the first two games with the Wolf Pack and went back to the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), was named to the East Division All-Star team. He is now eligible to be in the mix for the WHL Defenseman of the Year Award. Ex-Pack Adam Cracknell, a UFA this year, has signed a one-year AHL deal with the Bakersfield Condors for the 2021-22 season. His deal last year was to be $350K-AHL. Former UCONN Husky captain of two years ago, Wyatt Newpower, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Detroit Red Wings ($800K-NHL/$70K-AHL). The AHL’s 32nd team is underway. After a tumultuous two years, Palm Springs broke ground on their $250 million nearly 10,000 seat Coachella Valley Arena scheduled to open in October 2022. The team will likely now start to be a part of the AHL league affairs, beginning with the BOG and then assembling a staff. Then get sponsorships and starting a season-ticket drive to coincide with an unveiling of the team’s name and colors for the AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken. Read a superb piece from the Palm Springs Desert Sun about all that has transpired to bring the arena and team to life.

BRIDGEPORT

Bridgeport sent goalie C.J. Motte back to the Allen Americans (ECHL) to get some playoff time in. Joining him from the Iowa Wild is Tyler Sheehy. Ken Agostino (Yale University) leaves the Toronto Marlies and signs with Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL). Ex-Sound Tiger and QU Bobcat, Travis St. Denis, leaves Binghamton (AHL) for EHC Straubing (Germany-DEL). Now 15 AHL players have signed for Europe for next season. Ex-Pack, Vinny Saponari, gets an upgrade going from EC Kassel (Germany DEL-2) to Augsburger (Germany-DEL). Now former Wolf Pack defenseman Yegor Rykov, as expected, will stay in Russia. He departs CSKA Moscow (Russia-KHL) to Severstal Cherepovets for next season. Another ex-Pack defenseman, Julius Bergman, leaves Lahti (Finland-FEL) and returns home to IF Bjorkloven (Sweden-Allsvenskan). Former UCONN Husky, Max Kalter, retires after playing with HC Cergy-Pontoise (France-FREL) for the last two years.

MORE MOVES

In the college ranks, two more grad transfers. Cory Thomas Vermont (HE) heads to Canisius College (AHA), and Christopher Berger graduates from Brown University (ECACHL) and heads to the Michigan State Spartans (Big 10), making 49 college grad transfers this offseason. Nick Gravina, Castleton College (NEHC), signs with HC Reims (France FFHG Division-2) for the fall. He is the 12th college player to sign overseas, and 89 college players total Division-I and Division-III have signed North American and European deals for next season. Forward Sasha Teleguine of the Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) has committed to UCONN (HE) for 2022-23.

IIHF CHAMPIONSHIP

In the IIHF World Championship, Canada captured gold with a 3-2 overtime win over Finland. It was their third title in five years, but easily the most improbable. They lost their first three games and scored just two goals. They then lost a fourth in overtime but won seven of their last eight games to become the first team to win gold with four losses. The US captured the bronze medal with a 6-1 over Germany. Tage Thompson (Milford/UCONN) had three assists aiding Connor Garland, who had a goal and two assists. Ryan Donato, the son of former Wolf Pack/Sound Tiger, Ted Donato, had a goal and an assist.

DRURY

Jack Drury, the son of former Whaler Ted Drury and the nephew of current Hartford GM, the Rangers President/GM, Chirs Drury, the Team USA GM, scored a nifty backhander in a three-goal second period for the US. Drury was originally a Carolina Hurricanes draft choice. He was low-balled by the team when he left Harvard and went to Sweden. His Växjö Lakers HC team won the LeMat trophy as champions. He could become a free agent, so don’t be surprised his uncle offers him a deal or makes a deal a la Adam Fox when he was a Carolina prospect. Fox played with Drury at Harvard. Brady Shaw, the son of former Whaler, Brad Shaw, departs Esbjerg (Denmark-DHL) and signs with Fehérvár AV19 (Hungary-IceHL). Logan Roe (Kent School), a Florida native, who played for the Florida Everblades (ECHL) signs with Västerås IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan). Derek Army (Hotchkiss Prep) was upgraded from interim to the new head coach for the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL). Ex-Pack Matt Register (Allen-ECHL) was named to the ECHL Second team All-Star team.

NEWS APLENTY

Former Wolf Pack Jeff Toms' son, Connor, signed his junior tender contract with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) and joining him is another offspring of Wolf Pack, Tyler Savard, the son of Marc Savard. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 5 years

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CANTLON: WOLF PACK ANNOUNCE THEIR PRESEASON GAMES AND CHANGES TO HOCKEY OPS AND ADDITIONS

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The 2019-20 Hartford Wolf Pack hockey season is rapidly approaching. In fact, the season starts in just over a month, and the parent New York Rangers have made some important moves to get the team ready to play as they've made plenty of announcements over the past couple of days. The Wolf Pack's three-game slate of action starts on Wednesday, September 25th, at the Danbury Ice Arena in a game against the Springfield Thunderbirds, the top farm of Florida Panthers. The game will start at 7 pm. Danbury is the hometown of the Wolf Pack's long-time Assistant GM, Pat Boller. The Danbury Ice Arena will house three teams this coming season. Former Ranger enforcer, Colton Orr, is a part-owner of the brand-new Federal Hockey League team, the Danbury Hat Tricks, as well as, the NA3HL junior Danbury Colonials and NWHL Connecticut Whale. Part of the proceeds of the game will go to the Danbury Colonials youth hockey development program. There will also be a pair of 1 pm back-to-back exhibition tilts against the Pack's in-state and division rival, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Friday, September 25th at the Koeppel Community Center at Trinity College and then on Saturday, the 26th at the Webster Bank Arena. Admission on Friday night will be given as a donation to the Ryan Gordon Foundation Wolf Pack Scholarship Fund. Both teams will conclude and their preseason activity will be followed by their parent teams, the Rangers and Islanders battling it out later that night at 7 pm in an NHL exhibition tilt. PLAYER, COACHING AND NEW STAFF MOVEMENT David Cunniff was announced by The Rangers as the Wolf Pack's second assistant coach. It’s the first time that the team had two assistant coaches since Keith McCambridge was an assistant to Ken Gernander in the former captain's last season as head coach. In addition, to the Cunniff signing, the Rangers also announced several major additions to both the Wolf Pack staff and the Rangers' organizational scouting department for both amateurs and professionals. Cunniff has plenty of experience as an Assistant Coach over the last five years he's been with the Iowa Wild, the Minnesota Wild’s top farm team. He also spent 12 years in the San Jose organization and four with the poorly-attended, Cleveland Barons. He spent eight years with the Worcester Sharks but didn’t migrate with the team when they relocated the franchise to San Jose when the Pacific Division and San Jose Barracuda were created, instead, Cunniff went to Albany for a year before going to Iowa. As a player, Cunniff had five years of minor pro hockey experience including two years with Albany and was once as a member of the band, The Doors, inspired team name, the Jacksonville Lizard Kings (ECHL). Cunniff’s late father, John Cunniff, played for the very first Whaler teams, the New England Whalers (1972-1974) back when the team played at the Boston Arena (nee Matthews Arena) and the original Boston Garden. He was a Whalers head coach (1981-1983), a scout, and he was a coach in Albany with the River Rats/Devils (1996-2001). He was the franchise’s all-time winningest coach compiling a 187-179-39 record. During his playing days, Cunniff played for the first (and only), AHL team in Florida, the Jacksonville Barons in 1973-1974. His father passed away in 2002 (May 9) after a courageous battle against throat cancer. The David Cunniff hiring was first reported by Rick Carpinello of The Athletic. Rangers President, John Davidson, promised additions to the hockey ops side of the team and they were named as well. Tanner Glass and Tuomo Ruutu, as reported here earlier this summer, were hired by Rangers with their official titles being Assistant Director of Player Development. In their roles, Glass and Ruutu will work with Jed Ortmeyer, the Director of Player Development, to assist in preparing Rangers prospects, both on and off the ice. Glass will primarily work with Rangers prospects in North America and will be based out of Seattle, WA, while Ruutu will primarily work with Rangers prospects in Europe and be based out of Finland. Glass, the Craik, Saskatchewan native, played three seasons for the Rangers (2014–2017) and skated in 134 career games. He registered six goals and nine assists for 15 points, along with 181 penalty minutes during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the game-winning goal in Game 1 of the Rangers’ first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens on Apr. 12, 2017. He played 74 games across two seasons with the Wolf Pack tallying 8 goals, and 12 assists and 109 PM. Prior to beginning his professional career, Glass played four seasons of collegiate hockey at Dartmouth College (2003-07). He served as Dartmouth’s captain during the 2006-07 season. In addition, Glass played 186 games over six seasons in the AHL with 20 goals and 50 points. He had 101 points in 107 games in junior in the BCHL. Glass concluded his playing career last year with GHC Bordeaux (France-FREL) which is located in the southwest part of the country. Ruutu skated in 735 career NHL games over a 12-season career (2003-2016) with Chicago, Carolina, and New Jersey, where he compiled a record consisting of 148 goals, 198 assists (346 points), along with 596 penalty minutes. Ruutu was selected by Chicago in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. In addition to his NHL career, Ruutu played professional hockey in Finland and Switzerland. The Vantaa, Finland native represented his country in several international tournaments throughout his career. Ruutu played with Finland in 12 major international tournaments during his career, including the Winter Olympics twice, the World Cup of Hockey once, the IIHF World Championship five times, the IIHF World Junior Championship three times, and the IIHF U18 World Championship once. He helped Finland earn 10 medals in those 12 tournaments, including two bronze medals at the Olympics (2010 and 2014) and gold medals at the 2011 IIHF World Championship and the 2000 IIHF U18 World Championship. Ruutu also helped Finland finish as the runner-up at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In addition, he served as an Assistant Coach for Finland’s gold medal-winning team at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. His two brothers are involved in pro hockey. Mikko is the Director of European Scouting for Ottawa while Jarrko is a development coach for Columbus (NHL)/Cleveland (AHL). Chris Morehouse has been named the team’s Director of North American Scouting, and Marshall Davidson and Derek Ginnell have been named Amateur Scouts. Steve Konowalchuk will transition from the team’s amateur scouting staff to the team’s professional scouting staff and they also named Chris Hoeler as the Wolf Pack’s Video Coach. Morehouse joins the Rangers organization after spending the previous seven seasons in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization (2012-2019). He spent the past three seasons as the Blue Jackets’ Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting last year. Morehouse joined Columbus as an Amateur Scout in 2012, and he served as both an Amateur Scout and a Professional Scout over four seasons before being named the team’s Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting on July 6, 2016. Prior to beginning his front office career, the Saint John, New Brunswick native played two seasons at St. Thomas University (AUAA) (2011-13) while earning his degree. Morehouse also played parts of two seasons in professional hockey with the Alaska Aces, Cincinnati Cyclones and the Greenville Road Warriors all in the ECHL, and Tulsa Oilers then in the defunct Central Hockey League. He also played three seasons of junior hockey with the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) from 2005-2008. Morehouse served as Moncton’s captain in 2007-08, and he was also named the QMJHL Humanitarian of the Year and the Canadian Hockey League Humanitarian of the Year during the season. Marshall Davidson joins the Rangers organization after spending the previous six seasons in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization as an Amateur Scout (2013-2019). He also served five seasons in the St. Louis Blues organization as an Amateur Scout (2008-2013). Prior to serving as a scout in the NHL for over a decade, the Calgary, Alberta native coached several teams in Bantam and Midget AAA programs in Western Canada for over 25 years. Davidson coached with Tom Renney, a Rangers’ former Head Coach and presently is the President and CEO of Hockey Canada, with the Columbia Valley Rockies (KIJHL) for several years. During his tenure with the Rockies, Davidson helped guide the team to back-to-back Keystone Cup Championships. And yes, Marshall is Rangers' President John's brother. Ginnell joins the Rangers organization after spending the last five seasons as an Amateur Scout with the Columbus Blue Jackets (2014-2019). Prior to becoming a scout, he played with the Medicine Hat Cubs of the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL), and he served as the team's captain. Ginnell also played in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), and North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL). Konowalchuk served one season as an Amateur Scout with the Rangers in 2018-19. In his role as an Amateur Scout, he was primarily responsible for scouting players in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Konowalchuk joined the Rangers organization after serving as an Assistant Coach with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2017-18 season. He was the Head Coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL for six seasons (2011-2017), and he helped Seattle win the WHL Championship and advanced to the Memorial Cup in 2016-17. Konowalchuk began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach with the Colorado Avalanche for two seasons (2009-2011). Konowalchuk skated in 790 career NHL games over parts of 14 seasons (1991-2006) with the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche, registering 171 goals and 225 assists for 396 points. A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, he became the first player born in Utah to play in the NHL. Konowalchuk represented the United States in several international tournaments during his playing career, and he helped Team USA win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Hoeler joins the Rangers organization after spending last season as the Director of Hockey Operations for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Prior to working with the Steel, he worked one season with Harvard University’s women’s hockey team as the team’s Video & Analytics Coordinator. Hoeler has also worked with the Danbury Titans in the Federal Hockey League (FHL) in his career. The Wolf Pack have added a ninth defenseman for the Pack roster inking Jeff Taylor to a one-year AHL deal. Taylor, a Union College (ECACHL) grad played the last two years splitting time with Wilkes Barre/Scranton and Wheeling (ECHL) and is a lefthanded shot. Ex-Pack defenseman, and assistant captain last year, Rob O’Gara signed a one-year AHL deal with the San Antonio Rampage he missed the final third of the regular season with a back injury (back spasms) and joins ex-Pack Josh Wesley who signed with the Rampage last week. (Portions of a Rangers Press release were used in the formation of this story) Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 5 years

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RANGERS ANNOUNCE ADDITIONS TO HOCKEY OPERATIONS STAFF

BY: The New York Rangers NEW YORK, August 21, 2019 – The New York Rangers announced today that the team has made several additions to its hockey operations staff. Tanner Glass and Tuomo Ruutu have been named Assistant Directors of Player Development. Chris Morehouse has been named the team’s Director of North American Scouting, and Marshall Davidson and Derek Ginnell have been named Amateur Scouts. Steve Konowalchuk will transition from the team’s amateur scouting staff to the team’s professional scouting staff. In addition, the Rangers have named David Cunniff as an Assistant Coach with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, and have also named Chris Hoeler as the Wolf Pack’s Video Coach. In their roles, Glass and Ruutu will work with Director of Player Development Jed Ortmeyer to assist in the development of Rangers prospects, both on and off the ice. Glass will primarily work with Rangers prospects in North America, while Ruutu will primarily work with Rangers prospects in Europe. Glass rejoins the Rangers organization after concluding an 11-season NHL career (2007-08 – 2017-18). He skated in 527 career NHL games with Florida, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, the Rangers, and Calgary, registering 24 goals and 45 assists for 69 points, along with 658 penalty minutes. Glass recorded 100 or more hits in seven of his 11 seasons in the league, including 200 or more hits in four of those seasons. He also helped his team advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven different seasons in his career. Glass skated in 67 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, registering six points (two goals, four assists), and he helped Vancouver advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010-11. He concluded his playing career with Bordeaux in France during the 2018-19 season. The Regina, Saskatchewan native played three seasons with the Rangers (2014-15 – 2016-17) after signing with the Blueshirts on July 1, 2014. Glass skated in 134 career games with the Rangers, registering six goals and nine assists for 15 points, along with 181 penalty minutes. He helped the Blueshirts advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his three seasons with the team. In 2014-15, Glass helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy for having the best regular-season record in the NHL, establish single-season franchise records with 53 wins and 113 points, and advance to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. Glass tallied four points (one goal, three assists) in seven games during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the game-winning goal in Game 1 of the Rangers’ First Round Series against Montreal on Apr. 12, 2017. Prior to beginning his professional career, Glass played four seasons of collegiate hockey at Dartmouth College (2003-04 – 2006-07). He served as Dartmouth’s captain during the 2006-07 season. In addition, Glass played parts of six seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL). Ruutu skated in 735 career NHL games over a 12-season career (2003-04 – 2015-16) with Chicago, Carolina, and New Jersey, registering 148 goals and 198 assists for 346 points, along with 596 penalty minutes. He finished sixth in voting for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2003-04, as he recorded 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists) with the Blackhawks. Ruutu was selected by Chicago in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. In addition to his NHL career, Ruutu played professional hockey in Finland and Switzerland. The Vantaa, Finland native represented his country in several international tournaments throughout his career. Ruutu played with Finland in 12 major international tournaments during his career, including the Winter Olympics twice, the World Cup of Hockey once, the IIHF World Championship five times, the IIHF World Junior Championship three times, and the IIHF U18 World Championship once. He helped Finland earn 10 medals in those 12 tournaments, including two bronze medals at the Olympics (2010 and 2014) and gold medals at the 2011 IIHF World Championship and the 2000 IIHF U18 World Championship, and he also helped Finland finish as the runner-up at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In addition, Ruutu served as an Assistant Coach for Finland’s gold medal-winning team at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. Morehouse joins the Rangers organization after spending the previous seven seasons in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization (2012-13 – 2018-19). He spent the past three seasons as the Blue Jackets’ Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting (2016-17 – 2018-19). Morehouse joined Columbus as an Amateur Scout in 2012, and he served as both an Amateur Scout and a Professional Scout over four seasons before being named the team’s Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting on July 6, 2016. Prior to beginning his front office career, the Saint John, New Brunswick native played two seasons at St. Thomas University (2011-12 and 2012-13) while earning his degree. Morehouse also played parts of two seasons in professional hockey with the Alaska Aces (ECHL), Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL), Greenville Road Warriors (ECHL), and Tulsa Oilers (CHL). He also played three seasons of junior hockey with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2005-06 to 2007-08. Morehouse served as Moncton’s captain in 2007-08, and he was also named the QMJHL Humanitarian of the Year and the Canadian Hockey League Humanitarian of the Year during the season. Davidson joins the Rangers organization after spending the previous six seasons in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization as an Amateur Scout (2013-14 – 2018-19). He also served five seasons in the St. Louis Blues organization as an Amateur Scout (2008-09 – 2012-13). Prior to serving as a scout in the NHL for over a decade, the Calgary, Alberta native coached several teams in Bantam and Midget AAA programs in Western Canada for over 25 years. Davidson coached with Tom Renney, who is the Rangers’ former Head Coach and the President and CEO of Hockey Canada, with the Columbia Valley Rockies of the Kootenay International Jr. Hockey League for several years. During his tenure with the Rockies, Davidson helped guide the team to back-to-back Keystone Cup Championships. Ginnell joins the Rangers organization after spending the last five seasons as an Amateur Scout with the Columbus Blue Jackets (2014-15 - 2018-19). Prior to becoming a scout, he played with the Medicine Hat Cubs of the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL), and he served as the team's captain. Ginnell also played in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), and North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL). Konowalchuk served one season as an Amateur Scout with the Rangers in 2018-19. In his role as an Amateur Scout, he was primarily responsible for scouting players in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Konowalchuk joined the Rangers organization after serving as an Assistant Coach with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2017-18 season. He also served as the Head Coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL for six seasons (2011-12 – 2016-17), and he helped Seattle win the WHL Championship and advance to the Memorial Cup in 2016-17. Konowalchuk began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach with the Colorado Avalanche for two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11). Konowalchuk skated in 790 career NHL games over parts of 14 seasons (1991-92 – 2005-06) with the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche, registering 171 goals and 225 assists for 396 points. A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, he became the first player born in Utah to play in the NHL. Konowalchuk represented the United States in several international tournaments during his playing career, and he helped Team USA win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Cunniff joins the Rangers organization with 17 years of coaching experience in the American Hockey League (2002-03 – 2018-19). Most recently, he was a member of the Iowa Wild’s coaching staff for four seasons (2015-16 – 2018-19). Cunniff served as an Associate Coach with Iowa, as well as the team’s Interim Head Coach for part of the 2015-16 season. In addition, he spent 12 seasons as either the Associate Coach or Assistant Coach with the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, as well as one season with the Albany Devils. Hoeler joins the Rangers organization after spending last season as the Director of Hockey Operations for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Prior to working with the Steel, he worked one season with Harvard University’s women’s hockey team as the team’s Video & Analytics Coordinator. Hoeler has also worked with the Danbury Titans in the Federal Hockey League in his career. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 5 years

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KAKKO LEADS AN INCREDIBLE RANGERS 2019 ENTRY DRAFT

BY: The New York Rangers During the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, the Rangers selected eight players. With their eight picks in the Draft, the Blueshirts selected five forwards and three defensemen. The Rangers entered the 2019 NHL Entry Draft with the second overall pick. The Blueshirts selected second or higher in the Draft for only the third time since the NHL Amateur/Entry Draft's inception in 1963 and for the first time since 1966, when the team chose Brad Park with the second overall pick. On Friday, the Rangers used the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to select forward Kaapo Kakko. Kakko, 18, skated in 45 games with TPS of Liiga (Finnish Elite League) this past season, registering 22 goals and 16 assists for 38 points, along with a plus-one rating and 10 penalty minutes. Kakko's 22 goals in 2018-19 were the most any U18 player has registered in one season in the history of Finland's top league, breaking the record of 21 set by Aleksander Barkov in 2012-13. The 6-2, 194-pounder was named the Rookie of the Year in Liiga in 2018-19. Internationally, the Turku, Finland native has represented his country in several tournaments. In a 13-month span from April of 2018 to May of 2019, Kakko helped Finland win a gold medal at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship, the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, and the 2019 IIHF World Championship. He became the first player in hockey history to win a gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in his U18 season. In addition, Kakko became the youngest player in hockey history to win gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship, the IIHF World Junior Championship, and the IIHF World Championship (18 years, 102 days old; Connor McDavid was previously the youngest player to win a gold medal in all three tournaments - 19 years, 130 days old). The Rangers selected seven players on Saturday. The Blueshirts made two selections in the second round - defenseman Matthew Robertson with the 49th overall pick and forward Karl Henriksson with the 58th overall pick. Robertson, 18, skated in 52 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this past season, registering seven goals and 26 assists for 33 points, along with a plus-18 rating and 26 penalty minutes. He established WHL career-highs in several categories in 2018-19, including assists, points, and plus/minus rating, and he tied his WHL career-high in goals. Robertson ranked second among Edmonton defensemen in points during the past season. He also served as an alternate captain for the Oil Kings in 2018-19. Robertson helped Edmonton advance to the 2019 WHL Playoffs, and he tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in 16 games. The 6-3, 200-pounder has skated in 126 career WHL games over parts of three seasons (2016-17 - 2018-19), all with Edmonton, registering 14 goals and 44 assists for 58 points, along with a plus-two rating and 72 penalty minutes. Internationally, the Edmonton, Alberta native has represented Canada in several tournaments. Robertson helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as he registered four points (two goals, two assists) in five games. He tallied six points (two goals, four assists) in five games with Canada-Black at the 2017 World U17 Hockey Challenge, and he was named to the Tournament All-Star Team, as he led all defensemen in the tournament in points. In addition, Robertson recorded two assists and posted a plus-five rating in five games while representing Canada at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship. Entering the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Robertson was ranked No. 26 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters eligible for this year's Draft. Henriksson, 18, skated in 45 games with Frolunda's junior (J20) team in SuperElit this past season, registering 13 goals and 36 assists for 49 points, along with a plus-35 rating and 26 penalty minutes. He led SuperElit in assists and plus/minus rating and tied for the league lead in points, and he also led all players in their U18 season or younger in points during the season. Henriksson recorded nine points (two goals, seven assists) in six playoff games in SuperElit, as he tied for the league lead in assists and tied for second in the league in points during the playoffs. In addition, he helped Frolunda's U18 team win the gold medal in 2018-19 by recording seven points (two goals, five assists) and a plus-eight rating in seven playoff games. Henriksson skated in two SHL games with Frolunda this past season, and he was one of 17 players in their U18 season or younger who played at least one game in the SHL during the season. The 5-9, 176-pounder has played in Frolunda's organization for the last two seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19). Henriksson tallied 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) and posted a plus-42 rating in 38 games with Frolunda's U18 team in 2017-18, and helped the team win a bronze medal by notching six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games during the playoffs. Internationally, the Malmo, Sweden native has represented his country in several tournaments. Most recently, Henriksson registered nine points (three goals, six assists) in seven games while helping Sweden win a gold medal at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship. He was named one of the Top Three Players on his Team in the tournament, as he led Sweden in assists and points. Henriksson also helped Sweden earn a silver medal at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as he registered two goals in five games during the tournament. Entering the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Henriksson was ranked No. 23 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of European skaters eligible for this year's Draft. With their third-round pick (68th overall), the Rangers selected defenseman Zachary Jones. Jones, 18, skated in 56 games with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL) this past season, registering seven goals and 45 assists for 52 points, along with a plus-38 rating and 38 penalty minutes. He was named the USHL Rookie of the Year in 2018-19, and he was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team, as well as the USHL Second All-Star Team, this past season. Jones led the USHL in power play assists (25) and ranked fourth in the USHL in assists and plus/minus rating in 2018-19, and he led USHL rookies in all three categories. He also led all USHL defensemen in assists and tied for second among USHL defensemen in points during the season. The 5-10, 175-pounder established a single-season Tri-City record for assists by a defenseman in 2018-19, and his 45 assists were the second-most by any Tri-City player in one season in the team's history (Jaden Schwartz registered 50 assists in 2009-10). Jones also played in the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game during the 2018-19 season. He skated in six playoff games Tri-City during the past season and recorded five assists. Prior to playing in the USHL, Jones played with Selects Hockey Academy in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) for three seasons (2015-16 - 2017-18). He helped Selects Hockey Academy to win the USPHL 16U Championship in 2015-16 and the USPHL 18U Championship in 2017-18, and he served as the captain of the Selects 18U Team in 2017-18. Internationally, the Richmond, Virginia native helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge, and he recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in six games in the tournament. Jones has committed to play collegiate hockey at UMass-Amherst beginning with the 2019-20 season. The Rangers used a fourth-round pick (112th overall) to select defenseman Hunter Skinner. Skinner, 18, split this past season between the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He skated in 52 USHL games during the 2018-19 season, registering five goals and 19 assists for 24 points, along with 81 penalty minutes. Skinner established USHL career-highs in several categories this past season, including games played, goals, assists, and points. The 6-2, 176-pounder has skated in 83 career USHL games over parts of two seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19) with Muskegon and Lincoln, registering five goals and 19 assists for 24 points, along with 85 penalty minutes. Prior to beginning his USHL career, Skinner played with Honeybaked U16 in the High-Performance Hockey League (HPHL). The Wyandotte, Michigan native has committed to play collegiate hockey at Western Michigan University beginning with the 2020-21 season. The Blueshirts used their fifth-round pick (130th overall) to select forward Leevi Aaltonen. Aaltonen, 18, skated in 29 games with KalPa's U20 team in Jr. A SM-liiga this past season, registering 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points, along with a plus-nine rating and 28 penalty minutes. Among players in their U18 season or younger in Jr. A SM-liiga, he ranked third in points per game (1.24) in 2018-19. Aaltonen also recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in six playoff games during the season. He tallied one assist in seven games with KalPa in Liiga during the past season, and he was one of 12 players in their U18 season or younger who notched at least one point in Liiga in 2018-19. The 5-9, 177-pounder has played in KalPa's organization for four seasons (2015-16 - 2018-19). Aaltonen helped KalPa's U20 team win the Jr. A SM-liiga Championship in 2017-18 and KalPa's U18 team win the Jr. B SM-sarja Championship in 2016-17. In 2015-16, Aaltonen won the Timo Jutila Award as the Jr. C SM-sarja (Finland's U16 league) Rookie of the Year and he led the league in points during the season (70; 26 goals and 44 assists in 27 games). Internationally, the Mikkeli, Finland native has represented his country in several tournaments. Most recently, Aaltonen registered five points (one goal, four assists) and a plus-four rating in five games while representing Finland at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship. He led Finland in assists and tied for the team lead in points in the tournament. Aaltonen recorded two assists in five games at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and he also registered five points (three goals, two assists) in four games at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He helped Finland win a gold medal at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship, as he tallied two goals and posted a plus-two rating in seven games during the tournament. In addition, Aaltonen was teammates with Kaapo Kakko at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship. Entering the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Aaltonen was ranked No. 29 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of European skaters eligible for this year's Draft. New York used its sixth-round pick (161st overall) to select forward Adam Edstrom. Edstrom, 18, split this past season between Mora in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and Mora's junior (J20) team in SuperElit. He tallied 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 20 games in SuperElit with Mora's junior team during the season, and he also registered four points (two goals, two assists) in two relegation games. In addition, Edstrom recorded one assist in 15 SHL games with Mora in 2018-19. He also notched two goals in two games with Malungs IF in Division 1 (Sweden's third-highest pro league). The 6-6, 209-pounder played in Mora's organization for three seasons (2016-17 - 2018-19). Edstrom registered 47 points (27 goals, 20 assists) in 40 games while playing with Mora's J18 team and 27 points (19 goals, eight assists) in 69 games with Mora's J20 team in SuperElit. He is expected to play in Rogle's organization in the 2019-20 season. The Rangers used a seventh-round pick (205th overall) to select Eric Ciccolini. Ciccolini, 18, skated in 48 games with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) this past season, registering 27 goals and 35 assists for 62 points, along with 58 penalty minutes. Ciccolini won the B.J. Monro Memorial Trophy as the OHA's Top Prospect. He received the OJHL Top Prospect Award, was named an OJHL First Team All-Prospect, and was named to the OJHL Second All-Star Team. Ciccolini also notched five points (one goal, four assists) in five playoff games. The 5-11, 170-pounder played parts of two seasons in the OJHL (2017-18 and 2018-19). A native of Vaughan, Ontario, Ciccolini played with Canada-East at the 2018 World Junior A Hockey Challenge. Ciccolini is committed to begin his collegiate career at the University of Michigan in 2019-20.

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#2019NHLEntryDraft #AleksanderBarkov #ConnorMcDavid #EdmontonOilKings #IIHFWorldChampionship #IIHFWorldJuniorChampionship #Juniorhockeyleague #NewYorkRangers #NHL #RogersArena #SwedishHockeyLeague #Tri-CityStorm #UnitedStatesHockeyLeague #UniversityofMichigan #USHL #WesternHockeyLeague #WesternMichiganUniversity #WHL

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