#TraktorChelyabinsk

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CRAWFORD: CHECKERS DOUBLE JUMP WOLF PACK

Charlotte Checkers 6, Hartford Wolf Pack 3 BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Charlotte, NC, December 17, 2019 – Vinni Lettieri scored the first goal of the game for the Hartford Wolf Pack Tuesday night at Bojangles’ Coliseum, but the Charlotte Checkers would reel off the next five, on the way to a 6-3 win in the first of back-to-back games between the two teams in Charlotte. Julien Gauthier had two goals and an assist for Charlotte, and defensemen Fredrik Claesson added a goal and two assists.  Phil DiGiuseppe and Tim Gettinger also scored for the Wolf Pack, and Joey Keane and Danny O’Regan had two assists apiece. The Wolf Pack were out-shot 19-3 in the first period, but they opened the scoring on a power play at 5:17, just 14 seconds after Clark Bishop was sent off for hooking. Keane worked the puck from the right point to Lettieri just above the opposite face-off dot, and the Wolf Pack’s leading goal-scorer one-timed a rocket past the catching glove of Charlotte goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (19 saves), for Lettieri’s 11th goal of the season. Colin Markison tied the game at 10:22, deflecting a shot from the left point by Claesson past Wolf Pack starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin on the glove side, after Bishop started the play from the side of the net. The Checkers then went ahead on a 4-on-3 power play at 17:07.  Jake Bean shot the puck from high in the slot, and Gauthier, stationed right in front of Shesterkin, re-directed it just inside the goal post to the goaltender’s left. Charlotte maintained the momentum after the intermission, putting up two more goals in the first 1:21 of the second period, 20 seconds apart. Spencer Smallman upped the lead to 3-1 at 1:01 of the second.  David Gust carried the puck into the Wolf Pack zone on the left side and handed off to Claesson, who spun and backhanded a feed across the slot to Smallman, for a forehand finish. Then, at 1:21, Max McCormick made it 4-1 for the Checkers.  Gauthier played the puck towards the middle off of the left-wing boards, just inside the Wolf Pack blue line, and Eetu Luostarinen deflected it to McCormick, who ripped a quick shot past Shesterkin on the stick side. A Claesson goal at 5:28 ended Shesterkin’s night, after 17 saves.  Oliwer Kaski sent Claesson down the left side with a pass, and Claesson’s shot went in off of Shesterkin’s left pad. Adam Huska came on in relief at that point, and he would go on to stop all 19 shots he faced, helping the Wolf Pack get back into the game in the third period. DiGiuseppe, a former Checker, stopped the run of five straight Charlotte goals with his seventh tally of the year at 7:24 of the third frame.  Vitali Kravtsov, in his first game since being reassigned back to the Wolf Pack from Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, set up DiGiuseppe with a cross-slot feed.  DiGiuseppe’s shot from the right side of the slot went off of a sliding Nedeljkovic and trickled inside the post to his left. The Wolf Pack cut the lead to two with 7:30 remaining, as Ryan Gropp jammed the puck across the middle from the right-wing boards, and Gettinger chopped it past Nedeljkovic from just to the left of the goal crease. Gauthier would seal the outcome, though, with an empty-net goal, his second marker of the game, at 18:11.  After Keane had a shot from the middle of the blue line blocked, Gauthier picked up the puck and flipped it over Keane’s head and all the way down into the open cage. The Wolf Pack and Checkers tangle again Wednesday night at Bojangles’ Coliseum, facing off at 7:00 PM.  The next home outing for the Wolf Pack is their last action before Christmas, a battle with the Providence Bruins this Saturday, December 21.  That game also faces off at 7:00. Tickets for  all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack on line, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Charlotte Checkers 6 Tuesday, December 17, 2019 - Bojangles' Coliseum Hartford  1 0 2 - 3 Charlotte 2 3 1 - 6 1st Period-1, Hartford, Lettieri 11 (Keane, O'Regan), 5:17 (PP). 2, Charlotte, Markison 3 (Claesson, Bishop), 10:22. 3, Charlotte, Gauthier 11 (Bean, Kuokkanen), 17:07 (PP). Penalties-Bishop Cha (hooking), 5:03; Ebert Hfd (roughing), 12:50; Sheppard Cha (roughing), 12:50; Ebert Hfd (interference), 15:19; Raddysh Hfd (delay of game), 16:20; Luostarinen Cha (hooking), 16:29. 2nd Period-4, Charlotte, Smallman 1 (Claesson, Gust), 1:01. 5, Charlotte, McCormick 5 (Luostarinen, Gauthier), 1:21. 6, Charlotte, Claesson 1 (Kaski, McCormick), 5:28. Penalties-Sheppard Cha (slashing), 2:01; Priskie Cha (interference), 6:41. 3rd Period-7, Hartford, Di Giuseppe 7 (Kravtsov, O'Regan), 7:24. 8, Hartford, Gettinger 6 (Gropp, Keane), 12:30. 9, Charlotte, Gauthier 12   18:11 (EN). Penalties-Lettieri Hfd (tripping), 4:34; Di Giuseppe Hfd (slashing, roughing, misconduct - continuing altercation), 19:25; Lacroix Cha (roughing, misconduct - continuing altercation), 19:25. Shots on Goal-Hartford 3-8-11-22. Charlotte 19-12-11-42. Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 4; Charlotte 1 / 4. Goalies-Hartford, Shesterkin 11-4-3 (22 shots-17 saves); Huska 5-2-4 (19 shots-19 saves). Charlotte, Nedeljkovic 6-7-1 (22 shots-19 saves). A-4,248 Referees-Troy Paterson (29), Furman South (44). Linesmen-Jesse Marquis (86), Kilian McNamara (31). Read the full article

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CANTLON: WOLF PACK BLANK PHANTOMS

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Igor Shestekin’s 26 saves were good enough to secure his second career AHL shutout while Nick Jones’ two goals paced the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 4-0 victory and extended the team's winning streak to five games. The Wolf Pack has an unblemished record of 12-0-1-2 when leading after two periods. “We're playing good hockey right now. We lost five-in-a-row and that woke us up. We didn’t like the way we were playing. There were some close games, but we tightened things up and over the past five games we have made a great bounce back,” said defenseman Nick Ebert. The Wolf Pack (16-2-4-5) travels to Allentown tomorrow for the completion of the home-and-home with the Phantoms (10-11-1-4). The Wolf Pack remains in first place in the Atlantic Division with 39 points and are now four points ahead of the idle Providence Bruins. “Our passing was so good tonight that it allowed for good puck pressure and you want guys skating and using their legs. That was a good indicator of how well we can play,” Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch remarked. Jones scored twice in the third period with the first coming off a long rebound from a Darren Raddysh blast from 30 feet out. “I got a good rebound there. It was nice to get one of those bounces and get one in,” Jones said of his third goal of the season. Knoblauch has confidence and admitted he had been worried about his lack of points, but he paid him a huge compliment. The fourth line had three goals on the night. “He had been frustrated with his point totals. Sometimes they go in, and sometimes they don’t. Overall, he has been one of the most consistent players on our team. "The (fourth) line played very well tonight. Jonesy has been strong for us all year long. Everyone who plays with him has good games, and that’s a good indicator of how valuable a player he is. He makes his teammates better,” said Knoblauch of his rookie center. His play with Tim Gettinger is a prime example of his benefit to the team. The coach rewarded his play with some late-game power play duty. His standing in front of the net led to a perfect tip of Joey Keane’s low-riding, and hard slapshot at 19:25. It was his second goal of the night and fourth of the season. “It was nice to get out there. I’m usually only out there for the PK,” Jones said with a laugh. “Keane put it right where you want it.” Besides pitching his second shutout, Shesterkin tried to get into the record books attempting to become the fifth goalie in AHL history to score a goal. A Phantoms' glove blocked his shot and was the only thing preventing him from doing so. The Wolf Pack’s second goal was a result of good old-fashioned hard work. Lewis Zerter-Gossage was in on the forecheck and all over Phantoms forward, Isaac Ratcliffe. Zerter-Gossage stripped Ratcliffe of the puck and moved in on and beat goalie, Alex Lyon, to the far side notching his second of the season. The goal came at 6:46. “Lewis adds so much to the team with his size and speed. We could use a little more speed. He’s a very smart hockey player and he doesn’t take risks and made a smart play there." Shesterkin played in back-to-back games for just the second time this season and demonstrated just why he is so highly regarded. He stopped Andy Andeoff to start the second period just as he did at the end of the first. He denied Nicolas Aube-Kubel from off the right-wing side with 5:59 left in the period. Tyler Wotherspoon saw his shot from the right point stopped and then with 3:16 he drilled a shot over Shesterkin's glove hand. The puck went off the post and up the right-wing half wall where ex-Pack Chris Bigras was stationed. Bigras came off the left point and stepped into the shot with a wide-open cage, but Shesterkin slid over with his paddle down and used his blocker to prevent a goal. “That was one of about five-or-six saves that he made that were something else. He makes all look good. We're so lucky to have him,” said Jones. The Pack had some chances before Zerter-Gossage’s goal. Matt Beleskey had a breakaway at 1:58 and then Raddysh came down the right-wing with 14:46. Vinni Lettieri had a chance from the blue-line late at 18:47 and then Patrick Newell took a shot from off the right wing with 37.4 seconds left. The Pack had an early shot advantage of 7-1 and scored their first goal on the seventh shot. Ebert was at the left point and took a pass. The right-handed shot put the puck quickly to his backhand and with an outside position on the Phantoms, German Rubstov. The move got Rubstov turned outside and zipped it past him. He then went to a forehand shot that went off Lyon, a former Yale goalie, and it skittered over the goal line for the 1-0 Wolf Pack lead. “The player got a little aggressive and I was able to get around him and got the puck to the net. The key to the game now is getting pucks to the net and I think I caught their goalie sleeping a little bit,” said Ebert. Rubstov tried to atone for his error with a strong move to the net with 2:05 to go, but Shesterkin was able to come up with a dandy glove save. Andeoff came off the right-wing at a high rate of speed going airborne and was stopped with 1:17 remaining in the period. LINES: Andersson-Fogarty-Beleskey Nieves-Gettinger-Newell O’Regan-Lettieri--DiGiuseppe Jones--Zerter-Gossae-Gropp Raddysh-LoVerde Keane-Geersten Rykov-Ebert SCRATCHES: Jeff Taylor (healthy) Ryan Dmowski (healthy) Gabriel Fontaine (season-ending shoulder surgery) NOTES: The ceremonial face-off prior to the start of the game featured four women from Team USA women’s team. The four were Amanda Kessel, Emily Matheson, Lee Stecklein, and Alex Cavallini. Saturday night, Team USA and Team Canada will face-off in Game 1 of the Rivalry Series at the XL Center at 7 PM. The game will air live on the NBCSN. It was announced that the US roster will include Hilary Knight, a three-time Olympian who won two Silver and a Gold medal. She played at Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford) as well as the CT Polar Bears (Northford). Game 2 of the series to be played Tuesday night in Moncton, New Brunswick and will air live on the NHL Network. Mellissa Samoskevich (Sandy Hook/Quinnipiac University) didn’t make the final cut for the team. Adam Huska will be in net tomorrow for the Wolf Pack. Pack captain, Steven Fogarty, is not 100% after taking a puck off his hand on Wednesday night. “I don’t think he has been healthy since he was nine years old,” Knoblauch said with a laugh. “I have learned already he gets banged up, but just keeps on going, and if he's hurt he isn’t going to tell you about it. He is the captain for a reason in the way he plays and handles himself." Ville Meskanen, who was released on Wednesday, has signed a two-year contract with Ilves Tampere in the Finnish Elite League (FEL). He will play his first game next Friday. Meskanen's release was made to accommodate the return of Vitali Kravtsov, whose KHL contract with the Traktor Chelyabinsk in Russia was terminated. He was officially recalled from his loan by the Rangers and assigned back to Hartford. Kravtsov will not be in the lineup in Allentown, PA on Saturday against Lehigh Valley. He's already there and will meet the team, and skate with them on Sunday and Monday. Knoblauch stated he could play Tuesday in Charlotte. Read the full article

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CANTLON: KRAVTSOV RETURNING TO HARTFORD

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Vitali Kravtsov is coming back to Hartford. The mercurial and enigmatic, Kravtsov, 19, was recalled from his Russian loan by the New York Rangers on Friday. Kravtsov's contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL) was terminated after just eleven games where he scored just two goals and had a lone assist for three points. Traktor then sent Kravtsov to the KHL's version of the AHL, which is called the VHL (Vyassha Hockey League). There he played for Chelmet Chelyabinsk, but that lasted just three games where he contributed just two assists. The Rangers brought back Kravtsov, the seventh overall pick by the Blueshirts in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, and reassigned him to the Hartford Wolf Pack where he returns after having spent just two months back in his native Russia. While in Hartford to start the season, Kravtsov had five listless and very disappointing games where he contributed just a lone secondary assist and was benched in game one. The Rangers' move bringing Kravtsov back explains Wednesday's sudden departure of veteran Ville Meskanen, who was on an NHL contract. Meskanen was placed on unconditional waivers, and will likely be bought out of his deal if another team does not claim him. If he goes unclaimed, expect Meskanen to sign a European contract sometime early next week with a team likely to be in his native Finland. Earlier, Kravtsov posted on his Instagram account that his contract in Russia was ended. The day before, he thanked the Traktor fans and by doing so upstaged the team's official announcement, which is viewed as an unprofessional thing to do by a player. Kravtsov set the bar pretty high coming off his impressive showing prior to the season at the Traverse City Prospect's Tournament. However, since then, the youngster has seemingly fallen off the top prospect map. Reintroducing Kravtsov to the Pack locker room could prove to be tricky and will require diplomacy on the part of team management. At the same time though, returning Kravtsov's play to match the club's (and fan's) expectations may require time and more patience. Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke Read the full article

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CANTLON: HOCKEY OFF-SEASON NEWS & NOTES - VOL. 25

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The NHL has reached the Conference Finals  with the NY Islanders taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning and in the Western Conference, the two combatants are the Dallas Stars and the Las Vegas Golden Knights.  Both series are being played at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. While the excitement is building to a Stanley Cup climax, there is plenty of news going on outside the bubble in Edmonton. HARTFORD WOLF PACK After a troubled first season of North American pro hockey, Vitali Kravtsov is heading back to Russia. Without any fanfare, or even a press release from either the New York Rangers or the KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk, Kravtsov, the Blueshirts' young, first round pick (ninth overall) in 2018 was loaned to his former Russian team once again. As the KHL's 13th season begins, and donning his number 74 jersey, Kravtsov joins Traktor as they play Kunlun on Sunday in their first game. The Beijing-based team will play in Mystichi, Russia (near Moscow) as part of the league's restriction-based COVID rules. Ex-Pack, Danny Kristo, plays for the Red Star. Last year Kravtsov tallied a meager 15 points in 39 games in Hartford. He left for Russia after playing just five games that included his being benched in the first game of the season after the first period. Kravtsov went back to the KHL and under-performed there as well. Read the full article

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CRAWFORD: WOLF PACK WEEKLY: October 28-November 3, 2019

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT - The Wolf Pack (8-0-0-1, 17 pts.) are one point short of the best nine-game start in franchise history, after sweeping their first three-game weekend of the season.  On Friday night at the XL Center, the Wolf Pack trailed the Laval Rocket 1-0 going into the final two minutes of regulation time, before Nick Ebert’s first Wolf Pack goal tied the game with 1:37 left and goaltender Igor Shesterkin headed to the bench for an extra attacker.  Then, Danny O’Regan scored his first goal in a Wolf Pack uniform with 41.4 seconds left in overtime, for a 2-1 win.  On Saturday night the Wolf Pack finished a season-opening stretch of seven out of eight games at home with a 4-1 win over Bridgeport, scoring the last four goals of the game, including three in a span of 2:36 in the second period, after the Sound Tigers had struck first.  O’Regan again led the way, with a goal and an assist.  The Wolf Pack prevailed over their in-state rivals again on Sunday in Bridgeport, in the second half of a home-and-home, with their fourth overtime win of the season, a 2-1 triumph.  Darren Raddysh’s first goal of the season was the winner, at 2:25 of OT.  This week: The Wolf Pack head out on their only Canadian road trip of the season, continuing a run of four straight and six out of eight on the road.  The Laval Rocket will host the Wolf Pack at Place Bell for games Wednesday night (7:00 PM faceoff) and Friday (7:30), and then it’s on to Belleville for a 7:00 date with the Senators on Saturday night. Wednesday, October 30 at the Laval Rocket (Montreal) at Place Bell, 7:00 PM This is the second of four games on the year between the Wolf Pack and the Rocket, and the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams in the Rocket’s three-year history.  After Friday night’s overtime win in Hartford, the Wolf Pack are 2-2-0-1 all-time against Laval, and they have lost both of their previous visits to Place Bell. Rookie forward Ryan Poehling scored the Rocket’s only goal, a second-period power-play tally, in Friday night’s contest at the XL Center.  He is tied for second on the Laval club in goals, with 3-2-5 in ten games. After Friday’s overtime defeat, the Rocket snapped an 0-2-1-0 drought with a 3-2 shootout win at Providence on Saturday night, improving to 4-5-1-0 for nine points. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at ahllive.com.  Friday, November 1 at the Laval Rocket (Montreal) at Place Bell, 7:30 PM The Rocket are 2-3-0-0 through their first five home games on the year, and the Wolf Pack have two overtime wins to show for their two away outings thus far. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at ahllive.com.  Saturday, November 2 at the Belleville Senators (Ottawa) at CAA Arena, 7:00 PM The Senators (3-5-0-0, 6 pts.) have won two of their last three games, after losses in four of their first five. Drake Batherson, an AHL All-Rookie selection last season who led the Senators in points and assists (22-40-62 in 59 GP) in 2018-19, is back atop the team points list this year, with 3-7-10 in seven games. This is the first of two meetings this season between the Wolf Pack and Senators, and the Wolf Pack’s only visit of the year to Belleville.  In 2018-19 the Wolf Pack were 1-0-1-0 in two games vs. the Senators, including a 4-3 win October 19 in their one trip to the CAA Arena. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at ahllive.com. Wolf Pack Community Appearances: The Wolf Pack have the following appearances scheduled this week.  For further information on these, or any other Wolf Pack community initiatives, contact Wolf Pack community relations manager Frank Berrian, at (860) 541-4728: Tuesday, October 29, 9:00 AM, Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, 615 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT Sonar, the Wolf Pack’s iconic mascot, and 11-time Hartford Mascot Marathon champion will join local youngsters in a lap around the Rentschler Field parking complex for the Hartford Marathon Foundation. Thursday, October 31, 11:15 AM, Travelers Insurance Co., 1 Tower Square, Hartford Sonar suits up in his werewolf costume and joins Travelers for a Halloween fundraiser on behalf of United Way. Recent Transactions: Ty Ronning – reassigned to the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers from Maine (ECHL) October 24. Vitali Kravtsov – reassigned from the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers to Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL) October 27. Pack Tracks: The next home game for the Wolf Pack is Friday, November 8, when they entertain the Hershey Bears for a 7:15 PM start.  Once again this season, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, and $2 draft beers and fountain sodas, at every Friday Wolf Pack home game, through the start of the second period, presented by Nomads Adventure Quest. The Wolf Pack’s home game Saturday, November 9, when the Belleville Senators visit the XL Center for a 7:30 PM faceoff, will feature the Wolf Pack’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss”.  Fans are invited to bring soft toys to the game and fling them on to the ice when the Wolf Pack scored their first goal.  All the toys collected will be donated to Operation ELF and Toys for Tots. On Saturday, November 16, when the Wolf Pack battle the Providence Bruins at 7:00 PM, it’s “Hockey Fights Cancer Night” at the XL Center.  The Wolf Pack will be teaming up with Hockey Fights Cancer to support those who are battling cancer, and their families.  Also, the first 2,000 fans will receive a free Wolf Pack lanyard, courtesy of CM Concessions. The Wolf Pack’s annual “Sonar’s Edu-skate” school-day game is coming up Wednesday, November 20 vs. the Syracuse Crunch, with faceoff at 11:00 AM.  Lots of educational fun will be on tap throughout the day, and for information on bringing a school group to the Edu-Skate game, contact the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 722-9426. Each of the Wolf Pack’s Sunday and Wednesday home games will feature the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”.  The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and a large popcorn, all for just $40.  The next Hat Trick Pack game is the “Sonar’s Edu-skate” school-day game Wednesday, November 20 vs. the Syracuse Crunch, with faceoff at 11:00 AM. In partnership with the Hartford Chamber of Commerce, the Wolf Pack this year will be offering “Suit to Sweater Wednesdays”, to wash away the mid-week work blues.  Any fan showing a company ID at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket office can purchase Blue-Level tickets to Wolf Pack Wednesday home games for only $15 each (limit two tickets per ID).  The Wolf Pack’s first Wednesday home date is November 20, the 11:00 AM “Sonar’s Edu-skate” school-day game vs. the Syracuse Crunch. Wolf Pack home game tickets can be purchased at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. TRACK THE PACK ONLINE AT HARTFORDWOLFPACK.COM Read the full article

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CANTLON: NHL DRAFT NIGHT - FIRST ROUND

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The New York Rangers made three first round selections in Dallas in Round One of a made for TV 2018 NHL Entry Draft. It was just the fifth time in Rangers history that they had multiple first round picks. The remaining rounds will be conducted Saturday starting at 11 am (NHL Network). None of these picks are likely to see Hartford any time soon. The Rangers' first pick, Russian right winger, Vitali Kravtsov, was a bit out of the box. There were other higher-rated options waiting to be snatched. Among them was another top scoring forward, the BC-bound, Oliver Wahlstrom. He was selected by the Islanders in the eleventh slot. Also on the board were defensemen Evan Bouchard (Edmonton) and Noah Dobson (Islanders 12th pick). With their highest pick at ninth, the Rangers tabbed the lefty shooting, Kravtsov, who at age 18, stands at 6’4 and weighs 185 lbs.  Kravtsov is from Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL). Kravtsov was the second Russian taken in the Top Ten picks. The Carolina Hurricanes took right winger, Andrei Svechnikov. Kravtsov's regular season numbers with the big club weren’t eye popping. He tallied four goals and seven points in 35 games, but he was a boy playing in a men’s league. His post season numbers however were excellent and very well may be a greater indicator of his talent. He put up 11 points (6 goals - 5 assists) in 16 KHL post season games. Playing against his peers with Chelmet Chelyabinsk (Russia-VHL), Kravtsov tallied seven points with four goals in nine games. In one game in the Russian MHL Junior League with Belye Medvedi, he popped in a goal and had three points. Kravtsov is eligible for the CHL Import Draft to be held next week. He has one year left on his Russian contract. If he plays in the KHL, he could only play in Hartford once his Russian season end under the current CBA. One caveat could be similar to the one with Filip Chytil last year. He played with the Pack as an 18-year-old in part because a formal transfer agreement with the Czech Hockey Federation exists while one does NOT exist with Russia. Kravtsov could play in Hartford if an agreement between the Rangers and Traktor Chelyabinsk could be worked out on his Russian contract. Kravtsov did earn the KHL's Alexei Cherepanov Rookie of the Year Award. Cherepanov, of course, was a Rangers first round pick (17th overall) in 2007. He died tragically at a KHL game on October 13, 2008 while with Avangard Omsk. His team and linemate was one-time Ranger, Jaromir Jagr, who was right next to him on the bench with what was called an undiagnosed heart ailment. Subsequent investigations showed the possibility of blood doping, though it was later stated doctors were treating a heart condition that never showed up in the Rangers pre-draft medical evaluation. The Rangers successfully argued that since he was never under contract with the Rangers they were awarded a compensatory draft pick in the second round in the 2009 Draft. That ruling is now known as, "The Cherepanov Rule." The rule is that if a player was selected and should pass away, the team drafting that player will receive a compensatory draft pick.

The second first round pick was an 18-year-old defenseman who has lots of room to grow into. K’Andre Miller from Minnesota is 6’4 195 lb. He played the last two years for the US Development Team program in the USHL. He played international competition for the US U-17 and U-18 teams. Miller is a left-handed shot who played 22 games this season for the USHL squad. He tallied four goals and 12 assists and is a big, punishing hitter. Later, while with the U-18 squad, Miller played 58 games and had nine goals and 29 points. Miller has played the equivalent of an NHL regular season schedule. The U-18 team garnered a silver medal at the IIHF U-18 World Championships. Miller will be heading to the Big 10, where he will play for the University of Wisconsin Badgers program that's coached by former Ranger, Tony Granato. Miller was selected three years ago in the WHL bantam draft by the Saskatoon Blades in the 9th round, 177th overall. He was two sport (football & hockey) athlete at Minnetonka High. The Rangers thought enough of Miller to move up from the 26th pick to 22nd and gave up their 26th and 48th pick to get him.

The last pick is a 17-year-old, right-handed shooting defenseman. His name is Nils Lundkvist and he's from Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League. He went 28th overall. Lundkvist is 5’11 and just 172 pounds. He played on Lulea’s J-20 team. In 26 games, Lundkvist had three goals and 14 points and was voted best defenseman. He also played with the SHL club for 29 games scoring two goals and had five points. He was 16 for most of the season playing against men. He played on Sweden’s U-18 team that won the bronze medal at the IIHF U-18. championships. All three players are eligible for their national World Junior Championship squads. Expect to see them at the tourney which will be held in Vancouver, and Victoria, BC starting December 26 on Canada's Boxing Day. The aforementioned four sets of Rangers dual first round draft picks were interesting parts of Ranger history. In 1971, Steve Vickers, who had a solid Rangers career playing in 698 games and scoring 241 goals, registered 340 assists (586 points), and the highly combustible, the late Steve Durbano. He never played a game for the Rangers and was traded to St. Louis, but in the words of the late great Ranger broadcaster, Bill “Big Whistle” Chadwick,“ speaking of Durbano he said, "He was suspended in every league he ever played in." The words came during his wild fight with Nick Fotiu at the Garden in 1979 when he was on his second tour with the Blues. It set off a major bench clearing melee after a hat trick goal was scored and he exited the ice surface by bending over and mooning the MSG crowd. In 1972, Al Blanchard, who never played a game with the Rangers but played in the AHL with Providence and Springfield, and Bob MacMillan, who played 22 games with the Rangers, but would have a nice career with St. Louis, Atlanta/Calgary Flames, the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils and Chicago, but not the Rangers. He is presently an amateur scout with Calgary. In 1977 they took Lucien DeBlois and Ron Duguay. They played well in New York. Two years later went the team went to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens where they lost in five games. The Rangers passed on Mike Bossy who would become one of the greatest scoring right wings in NHL history who helped the New York Islanders win four consecutive Stanley Cups. The last set of multiple first round picks came in 1999 at the draft in Boston. The picks that year were Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark. Brendl never played in New York. His lack of conditioning and inflated ego impaled his career in North America. He played in just 77 NHL games with four different teams none of whom were named Rangers. After a stellar junior year with Calgary (WHL), Brendl was assigned to the Wolf Pack for the post season of their Calder Cup winning spring. He ended up being sent home after two games when he tried to instruct head coach John Paddock on how to run the team’s powerplay during practice. Brendl played in Europe last season after taking a year off due to a medical condition. He's rostered to the HC Arlanda Swedish who play in the first division. Lundmark played in 114 games posting 11-19-30 with the Rangers. He had 295 NHL games in total. He played parts of his time with Calgary, Phoenix (nee Arizona) and LA. While with the Wolf Pack, Lundmark played 165 games with 50 goals 68 assists and 118 points Lundmark retired this season after a six year career with Klagenfurter AC in the Austrian Elite League. The first 19 years of the NHL Draft were held in Montreal. 1985 was the first year that it wasn’t. That year the draft was held in Toronto. The first time it was held in the US was in Detroit in 1987. HOCKEY NEWS Late Thursday, Rangers GM, Jeff Gorton, confirmed that Adam Tambellini was not going to receive a qualifying offer. He is free to negotiate a new deal elsewhere. Steven Fogarty was given a qualifying offer and it remains to be seen if he takes it or tries his luck elsewhere. Two more AHL’ers are off to Europe. Miro Aaltonen, from the Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies, heads back to a yet unnamed KHL team. Leland Irving leaves San Diego for HC Bolzano (Italy-AEHL). Read the full article