CANTLON’S CORNER: WOLF PACK GET TWO NEW PIECES FOR 2017-18 SEASON 

Wolf Pack Get Two New Pieces for 2017-18 Season

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Christmas may come in December, but for NHL/AHL free agents signings made last week show that Santa is hard at work in this summer too.

The Hartford Wolf Pack got two critical pieces to the restructure of their team for the 2017-18 season. They did have to open their wallets though and both players have Connecticut connections.

Forward Paul Carey, who was with the Hershey Bears last year, was very strong down the stretch. The now former Bear signed a one-year deal at $650K-NHL/$350K-AHL. Carey finished with 24 goals and 55 points in 55 games. One of his best games came against the Pack in Hershey where he scored four goals. He should have had a fifth, but the referee and goal judge missed it. Carey is a big winger at 6’4 and has good speed and a hard snapshot. He will be a player the Pack hope can lead the charge to the net this coming season.

Carey attended Salisbury Prep for two years (2005-2007) before playing one year in the USHL and then four years at Boston College (HE).

The other signee is forward Cole Schneider who played in Rochester with the Americans last year. Schneider inked a two-year deal.

He was near the top of AHL scoring last season finishing the season with 24 goals and 63 points in 71 games. In four games with the parent Buffalo Sabres Schneider picked up his first NHL point, an assist.

Schneider played two years at UConn (AHA years) from 2010-2012.

The New York Rangers also resolved their backup goalie issue. The team signed now former Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec to a one-year $1.3 million dollar deal.

FORMER WOLF PACK PLAYERS

Lots of former Pack players found many different points of destination.

Chris Summers, who should have been signed again by the team, received a good two-year deal from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Summers will likely be sent to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He received a $650K one-way deal for each year.

Incredibly, Marek Hrivik got himself the biggest pay raise of ex-Pack players jumping from $80K in Hartford to $250K from the Calgary Flames. Hrivik will likely play in Stockton this fall.

Chris Mueller landed well on his skates in Toronto where he’ll play for the Marlies. Like Summers, Mueller got two years and $400K for the first year and $650K the second.

Former Pack captain Mat Bodie heads up north on I-90 going from Rochester to play with the Syracuse Crunch. The terms of his deal are one year at $675K-NHL/$175K-AHL deal.

Brian Gibbons stays with the New Jersey Devils organization and will move from Albany to Binghamton. Gibbons took a pay cut going from $250K to $165K

For many ex-Wolf Pack in the NHL, it was a sweet day for them as well.

Dan Girardi signed a two-year $6 million deal in Tampa Bay with the Lightning after his buyout from the Rangers.

Michael Del Zotto got the same deal going from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Vancouver Canucks.

Dominic Moore goes from the Boston Bruins to the Toronto Maple Leafs and earns $1.1 million for a one-year deal.

Micheal Haley, also an ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, cleaned up well with a two-year, one-way deal with the Florida Panthers. He’ll earn $800K this season and $850K next season after leaving the San Jose Sharks.

Former Sound Tigers on the move include Bracken Kearns, who signed a one-year deal in Binghamton at $650K-NHL/$225K-AHL. Defenseman Steve Olesky, who split last year with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Toronto, signed a two-year, one-way deal with Anaheim/San Diego (AHL) at $650K each season.

Goalie J.F. Berube inks a two-year, one-way deal with the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs (AHL) $750K. Carter Verhaeghe signs with Syracuse at.$750K NHL and standard AHL minimum $70K.

Defenseman Kevin Czuczman went from the Manitoba Moose to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a one-year deal at $650K-NHL/$125K-AHL

The New York Islanders signed two AHL free agents in Seth Helgeson, who was in Albany, for one year at $650K-NHL/$250K-AHL and goalie Kristers Gudlevskis, a Latvian prodigy, at $575K-NHL/$100K-AHL.

Bridgeport also signed Scott Eansor from Seattle (WHL) to a standard AHL contract.

NHL CONNECTIONS FROM CT ALSO FOUND SOME POT OF GOLD.

Greenwich native, and former Brunswick Prep star, Kevin Shattenkirk, a right-handed shooting defenseman replaces Girardi on the Rangers back line. He signed for four years at $26.6 million ($6.55 million per year AAV). He played two years of prep hockey before going to the US National Team Development program for two years. Shattenkirk then spent three years with the Boston University Terriers (HE) before turning pro.

Former Pack/Rangers goalie Chad Johnson said adios to Arizona after being traded there three weeks ago and signed a one-year $2.5 million deal in Buffalo.

The two most recent Stanley Cup winners with the Penguins that are from Connecticut cashed in nicely.

Nick Bonino (Farmington/Avon Old Farms) left the Pens and went to the Nashville Predators on a four-year deal at $16.4 million ($4.1 million per).

Ron Hainsey (Bolton) heads to Toronto with a two-year deal at $6 million ($3 million per).

Former Yale Bulldog Ken Agostino, who led the AHL in scoring with 24 goals, 59 assists and 83 points in 65 games, got a $875K deal one-year, one-way deal from Boston.

Brian Flynn leaves Montreal for Dallas on a one-year, two-way deal paying $700K-NHL /$275K-AHL for the former South Kent Prep player.

Ex-Sound Tiger goalie Anders Nilsson heads to Vancouver on a two-year $5 million deal paying $3 million in year one and two million in year two.

EUROPE

Three more AHL’ers have signed overseas. Darren Dietz leaves Hershey and will skate for Barys Astana (Kazakhstan-KHL). Joining him is Linden Vey from Stockton. Mike Angelidis goes from Stockton to HC Bolzano (Italy-AEHL).

That makes 45 AHL’ers to date to sign for Europe.

Mike Dalhuisen, a former Quinnipiac University Bobcat, re-signs with Torpedo-Ust Kamenogorsk (Russia-VHL)

Former New Haven Nighthawk David Haas, after five years away from coaching in Canadian Junior A, takes the head coaching job with EC Preussen Berlin (Germany Division-3) this year.

SONS OF EX-CT PLAYERS

 Sons of former CT-based players also fared well.

Jarred Tinordi, son of former New Haven Nighthawk and Ranger Mark Tinordi, signs a one-year deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at $225K.

Landon Ferraro, son of former Whaler Ray Ferraro, signs with Minnesota/Iowa (AHL) two years at $700K-NHL/$375K-AHL.

Sam Gagner, son of former Nighthawk Dave Gagner, got a three-year $9.45 million from Vancouver at $3.15 million per year.

Brad Malone, the nephew of former Whaler Greg Malone and cousin to ex-Wolf Pack Ryan Malone, heads from St. Louis to Edmonton/Bakersfield (AHL) after splitting last season with Hershey/Chicago (AHL) signs a one-year deal at $650K-NHL/$225K-AHL.

**All contract info courtesy of Cap Frielndly.com**

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