CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON VOLUME 18 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

Hartford, CT – The second to last look at the summer’s happening in hockey before training camp begins. It was a busy week.

WOLF PACK ROSTER

In a bit of a surprise move, the New York Rangers signed long-time, minor-league goalie, Dustin Tokarski, to a one-year, two-way contract paying him $650K should he be in the NHL and $250K for his time in the AHL.

Tokarski has been between the pipes for 315 AHL games played. Last season Tokarski was with the AHL’s second-best team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he posted a 20-8-7 record and allowed 2.65 goals per game while keeping the puck out of the net .915 percent of the time. He also had five shutouts.

In New York, the Rangers goaltending depth begins with Henrik Lundqvist and his likely backup will be Alexander Georgiev.

Hartford seemed to be set for netminders with Marek Mazanec signed right off the bat in the off-season to a one-year, two-way deal at $200K for his play in the AHL and $650K when he’s playing in the National Hockey League.

The other two goalies in the Ranger system, Brandon Halverson, is the final year of his three-year, entry-level deal. He’s likely going to be assigned to the team’s new ECHL affiliate in Portland, Maine. Chris Nell, also in the last season of his two-year contract, is that he could possibly be reassigned to one of two independent ECHL teams without an affiliation.

So, for the Rangers, it seems competition is the name of the game for training camp next month, even in goal.

Tokarski’s best AHL season was in 2011-12 with the Norfolk Admirals who captured the Calder Cup that year. Tokarski went 12-2 in the playoffs and sported a microscopic 1.46 GAA, and a .944 save percentage with three shutouts.

The Admirals lost only two games in the playoffs that year. Both of them came at the hands of the Connecticut Whale. Over the course of the last four months of the regular season and playoffs, the Admirals were an astounding 43-3 which included a 28-game winning streak that ran from February 10 to April 20.

Tokarski’s career AHL record is 166-109-12. He has a 2.52 GAA, a .911 save percentage and 24 career shutouts.

In over six seasons with four NHL teams, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Philadelphia, and Montreal, Tokarski’s played just 39 games. His career NHL record is 10-12-5 with a 2.84 GAA, and a solid .904 save percentage. He has just one career NHL shutout.

Of the 39 NHL games, 17 of them were played in Montreal where he had a record of 6-7-3 in 2014-15 with a 2.75 GAA, and a .910 save percentage. He also played five post-season games against the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals after Carey Price was injured. The Blueshirts won the series in six games.

COACHING AND PLAYER MOVEMENT

After being dismissed along with the rest of the Hershey coaching staff, ex-Pack, Randy Murphy, lands on his feet with the former Hershey coach, Troy Mann’s staff in Belleville. Former Nighthawk, Paul Boutilier, 55, returns to the bench in Belleville as an assistant coach after leaving mid-season last year for health reasons of which he’s fully recovered.

Ex-New Haven Senator, Tony Cimellaro, who stepped in for Boutilier, will not be back as an assistant coach.

Cimellaro’s brief time with Belleville made him the only player from the first Ottawa farm team – the late, great New Haven Senators – to be still involved in the organization some 25 years later.

Ex-Pack, Jeff Ulmer, has retired as an active player from EHC Lustenau (Austria-AlpsHL). He has taken a job with the NHL Arizona Coyotes as a development skills coach, and Director of Special Projects. Ex-Wolf Pack Mark Bell has been upgraded by the Coyotes from scout to a skills development coach.

After playing with seven different AHL teams, Ryan Parent hangs up the skates to become the second assistant coach with Binghamton.

AHL’ers to Europe

A pair of defenseman both leave the Laval Rocket.

Tom Parisi heads to the defending EIHL champion Cardiff Devils (Wales-EIHL) while Eric Gelinas makes his way to HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia-KHL). However, after just three days of practice with Cardiff, Parisi announced his retirement from pro hockey.

Robin Norell leaves Rockford and on loan to Djurgarden IF (Sweden-SHL) for the entire upcoming season by the Chicago Blackhawks.

The AHL to Euro player count is currently 72. One coach has headed overseas as well. That makes 26 teams who have seen players signed for Europe this season.

Ex-Pack, Jeff Taffe, will join Gelinas. He moves from HC Ambri-Piotta (Switzerland-LNA) to HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia-SLEL).

Ex-CT Whale, Pavel Valentenko, moves down a level of play. He will be going from Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia-KHL) to Yuzhny Ural-Orsk (Russia-VHL).

Ex-Pack, Brendon Nash, leaves Rungstad IK (Denmark) and goes to HC Kladno (Czech Republic Division-2).

Former Sound Tiger and New York Ranger, David Desharnais, had his contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Russia-KHL) dissolved and he signed with Avangard Omsk (Russia-KHL).

Leaving Avangard for a yet unknown destination is ex-Sound Tiger, Johan Sundstrom.

Another AHL free agent signing as the Texas (Austin) Stars signed a Texas native in Colton Hargrove.

Hargrove grew up in Rockwall, Texas, just 20 miles east of Dallas. He played with the Dallas Stars U-16 team in his early hockey years. Hargrove played the last three years in Providence and was a thorn in the side of the Wolf Pack.

Montreal and Calgary conducted a minor league trade of the team’s assets. The Canadians moved the former first-round pick of Columbus, Kerby Rychel, for the Flames’ Hunter Shinkaruk. For Rychel, this will be the third Canadian franchise he has been with, in his young pro career. Toronto dealt him to Montreal at the trade deadline last year.

Calgary then signed Rychel to a one-year, two-way deal paying $650K-NHL/$100K-AHL. The Canadiens signed Shinkaruk to a $650K-NHL/$80K-AHL one-year, two-way deal.

Both will likely be in Stockton and Laval respectively at the start of the season.

Belleville continues rebuilding its roster as they sign 6”5 left-winger, Joseph LaBate, who played the last three years in Utica. In 145 career games for the Comets, he has 22 goals and 47 points and 248 PIM.

After three pro-seasons, Kyle Flanagan has opted to retire rather than sign again with Belleville.

The San Diego Gulls announced an eight-game TV package for this season on San Diego Fox-5. They will broadcast one game each with fellow Pacific Division teams and one non-conference with Iowa .

Drake Rymsha, the son of former Nighthawk, Andy Rymsha, moves from the Sarnia Sting (OHL) to Los Angeles, when he signed a three-year, NHL entry-level deal ($832,500K-NHL/$70K-AHL).

Ex-Pack, Tyler Brown, signs again with the Reading Royals (ECHL) for this season, but he will be a player/assistant coach.

Ex-Pack, Chris McCarthy, re-signs with Reading (ECHL).

Enfield’s Robbie Baillargeon hooks up with Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) again this season.

Steven Whitney, one of two younger brothers of ex-Pack/Sound Tiger, Joe Whitney, re-signs with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL). Their youngest brother, Tyler, played a few games with the Stingrays in the spring after Trinity College’s (NESCAC) season ended.

Ex-Sound Tiger, Tyler Barnes, signs with their AA affiliate the Worcester Railers (ECHL).

The Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Wolves get an ECHL affiliate. It will be with the Ft. Wayne Komets next season. That leaves just two ECHL teams without an NHL/AHL affiliation.

A great read on the evolution of the Komets team name and logo, one of the long-time legendary top minor league hockey teams. Over the years, Komets games could be heard on WOWO-AM (1190) with the legendary voice of the late Bob Chase. Read it HERE.

A whole slew of college players signings professional contracts. The list starts with Jake Linhart of the University of Wisconsin (Big 10). Linhart signs with Adirondack (ECHL). Luke Ripley of Notre Dame signs with Greenville (ECHL). Four players sign with Wheeling (ECHL) including Brien Diffely of Boston University (HE), Josh Couturier of UMASS-Amherst (HE), Tyler Bird of Brown University (ECACHL) and Brian Sienerth of Mercyhurst (AHC).

Terrance Amorosa goes from Clarkson (ECACHL) to sign with San Diego (AHL). Alex Gillies of Michigan Tech Huskies (NCHC) signs with Wichita (ECHL). Avery Peterson goes from the national champion University Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (NCHC) to the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL).

The last signing is Mitch Atkins from Division III Elmira College (UCHC) who signs with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL).

These signings bring the number of Division I players who have signed North American pro deals to 193 and a total of 256 college players in total who have signed in North American and Europe.

Austin Mikesch, the son of former Beast of New Haven, Pat Mikesch, has signed with the NAHL expansion Chippewa Falls (WI) Steel who drafted him in the seventh round, 148^th overall in last spring’s NAHL Draft. Mikesch was on the SJHL champion Nipawin Hawks last year. He had switched to the Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) for this season, but now has elected to head back home to play hockey this winter.

Matt Holmes, who played his first two years of prep level high school hockey at Brunswick Prep (Greenwich) and Salisbury Prep, makes a verbal commit to Brown University (ECACHL) for 2019-20.

Tyler Heidt, the nephew of former Nighthawk, Mike Heidt, de-commits from the University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) and commits to Merrimack College (HE) for this fall. Heidt played with the Melfort Millionaires (SJHL) last season.

Peter Ferraro, (not the ex-Ranger/Wolf Pack), who played at Avon Old Farms and Sacred Heart University (AHC) is now a coach with the CT Jr. Rangers’ U-16 team in the USPHL Premier League.

Lastly, Mitch Beck, the owner, and Editor-In-Chief of Howlings has signed a one-year deal to be the Assistant Coach of the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils under new head coach, Benjamin Cole.