CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF-SEASON – VOL. 8 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The final trophy in professional hockey for the 2018-2019 has been awarded when the Stanley Cup was presented to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. But now the real work begins as every team will start to make their plans to fill their rosters with the best possible talent in search of a championship in 2019-20.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

It was a classic Game 7, and the AHL played had a big role in directing Lord Stanley to St. Louis. It’s been 49 years since the Blues last appeared in a Stanley Cup final (1970) and it was their first win in the franchise’s 52 years in existence.

The Blues’ 4-1 victory was aided by a spectacular performance from goaltender Jordan Binnington. He made 32 saves including 12 superlative stops in the first period. Remember, the Blues were dead last in the NHL on January 3rd. They were 31st out of 31 teams when they fired head coach Mike Yeo and named Craig Berube their interim head coach.

But that wasn’t the only move that turned their franchise around. The first move was to relegate their then-starter, Jake Allen, to his being their backup goalie. They traded away ex-Pack Chad Johnson to the Anaheim Ducks and elevated Binnington from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage.

The Rampage started off just as bad as their parent club. They went 2-8 in October but were able to get back to near .500 with a 16-7-1-0 run that included a seven-game winning streak. Binnington, who was nicknamed Winnington by his Rampage teammates, was summoned to calm the icy waters between the team’s 4 x 6 cage.

What’s truly ironic is that a year ago Binnington was playing for the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence, just 50 miles south of where he hoisted hockey’s Holy Grail on Wednesday. He was assigned there because St. Louis out of Chicago for an affiliate had to assign prospects throughout the AHL before getting their affiliation in San Antonio this year.

Binnington becomes just the fourth rookie goalie to win a Stanley Cup Game 7. The other names on that list are pretty good goalies. They include Ken Dryden (Montreal 1971), Cam Ward (Carolina 2006) and Frank McCool (Toronto 1935).

The AHL is an NHL development league. It would be fitting for the cover of the 2019-20 AHL Media Guide to feature Binnington.

CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS

The Checkers pulled off checkmate in five games and captured their first AHL Calder Cup in team history. The Checkers were the AHL’s best team in the regular season and now post season as well.

The Checkers on the road in Chicago captured the top prize of the AHL with a 5-3 win over the Chicago Wolves.

Andrew Poturlarski scored two goals including the game’s first goal just 1:31 in and the eventual game-winner. He was awarded the Jack Butterfield Playoff MVP trophy registering 12 goals and 23 points in 18 games.

Morgan Geekie also chipped in a goal and assist in the championship-clinching win.

Ex-Pack goalie, Dustin Tokarski, was amazing and earned his second Calder Cup ring. Since his loan reassignment to Charlotte on February 28th, Tokarski didn’t lose a game. While with the Checkers during the regular season he went 7-0-0 with a 1.14 GAA and a .935 save percentage. In the regular season with the Pack, he was 10-6-2-1 with a 3.10 GAA and a .901 save percentage.

Following a 9-1-1-0 hot streak, Tokarski finished by going 1-5-1-1 and was pulled in his last game with the Wolf Pack on February 17th against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. It was the second time he was pulled from a game in two weeks.

In the postseason for Charlotte, Tokarski went 5-0 and posted a 1.74 GAA and a .935 save percentage. He will likely head next year to play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) after having received four offers.

Ex-Whaler Mike Vellucci, who was voted the Louis A. Pieri AHL Coach of the Year, as well as ex-Nighthawk Don Waddell, the team GM, will get Calder Cup rings.

Ex-Pack Bobby Sanguinetti played in ten playoff games leading up to the finals, added a goal and five assists, However, Sanguinetti didn’t play in any of the game’s Calder Cup Finals. Neither did Zach Stortini, who’s one of the toughest guys in AHL history and who’s likely to retire this summer that’s the only blemish on one of the best AHL teams along with Manchester to capture the tile in the last ten years.

The team should send a ring to former Hurricanes GM and Whaler great Ron Francis. The players on that roster are his draft picks and helped fuel this championship run.

Next stop Saturday, October 5th, the Wolf Pack home opener.

PLAYERS & COACHING MOVEMENT

The first of JD’s roving development coaches to work with younger prospects has been hired.

Ex-Pack, Tanner Glass, 35, hung up the player skates after playing for GHC Bordeau (France-FREL) last year. He played 527 NHL games and 186 in the AHL. The Dartmouth grad was a superb blend of hard work, skill, toughness, and brains. It’s a good first choice by JD.

Head coach Jay Woodcroft of the Bakersfield Condors has been given a two-year extension by Edmonton.

The Ontario Reign’s assistant coach, and one-time Springfield Falcon player and assistant coach, David Bell, has left the team. He’s bounced around the last few years between the OHL and AHL.

John Madden, the former NJ Devil, not the Oakland Raider Coach, was let go by the Cleveland Monsters after two seasons. Officially, it was mutually agreed, but it is rumored that Madden and his players didn’t mesh well.

AHL TO EUROPE LIST GROWS

The fourth player lost by The Bridgeport Sound Tigers to heading across the pond is goalie Jeremy Smith. He signed with Kunlun (China-KHL). Joining him in China is Spencer Foo (Stockton), an Asian-Canadian kid who could potentially play for the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

Ex-CT Whale Tim Erixon finally heads back to Sweden. He signed with Vaxjo (Sweden-SHL), Goalie, Eddie Pasquale, goes from Syracuse to Barys Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan-KHL), Emil Petterson Tucson/Milwaukee joins Erixon at Vaxjo HC (Sweden-SHL) and Sam Carrick leaves San Diego to EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA).

Leaving the AHL to Euro number at 43.

Ex-Pack and former captain, Mat Bodie, moves from Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) to Vaxjo HC (Sweden-SHL) on a one year deal.

Ex-Pack Simon Denis leaves the Daemyung Killer Whale (South Korea-ALIH) and signs with Tokohu Free Blades (Japan-ALIH) next season.

Mike Little (Enfield) leaves EC Kassel Huskies (Germany DEL-2) for SonderyskE (Denmark-DHL).

Goalie, Patrick Spano (Yale/Westminster Prep), goes from HC Chambery (France Division-2) to Liege (Belgium-Netherlands BEL-NED) next season.

Chad Staley of the University Alaska-Fairbanks (WCHA) heads to Hamburg (Germany- Division-3).

That makes 34 collegians to sign Euro deals and 219 total US collegians Division I and III to sign pro deals.

Ex-Pack, Garth Murray was named the full-time head coach for Aalborg Pirates (Denmark-DHL). He was the assistant coach for a year-and-a-half and was elevated on February 5th, 2018 to the head spot.

Former Whaler, Robert Petrovicky, was named the coach of Slovakia’s U-20 team that will play in the 2020 World Junior Championship (WJC). The Championships will be held in the Czech Republic in Ostrava and Trinec, which is near the Czech Republic-Slovak Republic border from December 26th to January 5th.

In his playing days, Petrovicky played for the last Czechoslovakia WJC team in 1993 before the country split into two separate republics.

Missed this one from the NAHL Draft. Will Dineen, the son of former Hartford Whaler great, Kevin Dineen, was drafted by the Odessa Jackalopes in the seventh round (162nd overall) and he was also selected in the April USHL Draft by the Omaha Lancers in the seventh round (98th overall).

The younger Dineen played for the prestigious Chicago Mission U-18 program that plays in the HPHL U-18 Division.

Hockey is in this family tree. His daughter, Hannah, finished her college hockey career at Colby (Maine) and his niece, Ashley, finished her D-III career as well at St. Michael’s, VT.

Kevin’s brother, Gord is the assistant coach with Rochester. His brother Shawn is an ex-Nighthawk is a pro scour for Nashville, brother Peter is an assistant coach with Adirondack (ECHL) after 19 years as a scout with Columbus and brother and Jerry has been the Rangers video coach for the last 16 years.

Their late father Bill started the hockey lineage as he played on two Stanley Cup championships back to back with the Detroit Red Wings 1953-1955 with Gordie Howe.

He coached the WHA Houston Aeros all seven years of their existence in the league with his old linemate, Gordie Howe, still playing, winning two Avco Cups. He coached the last WHA New England Whalers team.

He was a scout for the Hartford Whalers their first two NHL seasons.

From the “They-Grow-Up-Up-Quickly” department, after receiving a text from ex-Wolf Pack great, Derek Armstrong, his oldest son, Dawson, now 18, and who was born in Hartford will be trying out in the fall for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL).

The Jr. Sabres assistant coach is one of Army’s old Wolf Pack teammates, Tony Tuzzolino, whose older brother, Nick is the Head Coach). The other assistant is former CT Whale, Tim Kennedy.

Army’s second son, Easton Armstrong, just finished his second junior camp with Regina (WHL), but he will play for the LA Kings AAA U-18 (TIEHL) squad this year.

KEVIN DINEEN

Click HERE for a great article on Kevin Dineen

In addition, a companion video of Dineen’s discussing his favorite hockey memorabilia is HERE.

Dineen would make the perfect next coach for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Dineen fits what the team so badly needs right now, a strong leader. No offense is not meant in a disparaging way the last two head coaches in Keith McCambridge, and Ken Gernander.

A coach with a strong playing background in the NHL 1,188 games with 355 goals, 405 assists for 760 points and 2,229 PIM. He played two stints with the Whalers 1984-1991 and from 1995-1997. He played in that fateful last game in Whalers history and was the captain for the last Whalers team and the Carolina Hurricanes first team.

He played for Philadelphia where he wore the A twice, skated for Ottawa and closed out his playing days the last three years with Columbus.

Dineen has a solid NHL coaching resume. He spent three years as Head Coach of the Florida Panthers. He then spent a little over four years in Chicago with the Blackhawks earning a Stanley Cup ring as the assistant coach with his close friend and former Whaler teammate, Joel Quenneville. Ironically, he just took the head coaching job at Florida last month.

Dineen, Quenneville, and Ulf Samuelsson, the three Whalers amigo’s, were let go by Chicago last November 6th, but their Whaler jersey numbers 5, 10, and 11 remain “retired” in the rafters of the XL Center.

Between his Florida and Chicago gigs, Dineen helped guide the Canadian women to the Gold medal at the Olympics. He was also the Head Coach of the Canadian U-18 team at their WJC tournament.

Dineen is a former Whaler who was highly popular here is second in all the top player categories with 587 games, 235 goals 268 assists and 503 points tops is, of course, Ron Francis (714-264-557-821) and he is second in PIM at 1,237 to Torrie Robertson’s 1,368. and met his wife here and their kids were born here.

When he was in Portland, where he spent six years as the team’s head coach, the players there spoke highly of his motivational value and willingness to work with younger players and incorporate new ideas.

Give him some good new younger assistant coaches seeking to patch the holes in the Wolf Pack ship, and get some energy in the locker room, and maybe jump start the non-existent marketing of this team with that big smile and love of Hartford from Dineen.

It’s worth a shot.

QMHL DRAFT

From a CT point of view Selects Academy of South Kent Prep school was the big winner with eight players selected at the QMJHL Draft last Saturday in Quebec City. The first part is an open-ended draft and there is a second American only draft where three of the eight were taken.

Oscar Plandowski was the first taken in the 1st round (18th overall) by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He is a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) commit for 2020-21.

Cam MacDonald was taken in the 3rd round (51st overall) by the Saint John Sea Dogs. He is scheduled to play for the Sioux City Stampede (USHL) next season but has no current college commit.

Ryan Greene was taken in the 4th round (59th overall) by the Charlottetown Islanders. Greene is a Boston University (HE) commit for 2021-22.

Eli Barnett went in the 11th round (188th overall) by the Quebec Remparts and is a University Vermont (HE) 2021-22 commit.

Cam Miranda went in the 12th round (200th overall) by Saint John and has no college commit.

There had to be some silence when in the 5th round (74th overall) selection was announced…Robert Orr by Saint John. No relation to the great Robert Gordon Orr #4 in Boston.

The second overall pick of the draft, Justin Robidas, by the Val d’Or Foreurs, is the son of former NHL’er, Stephane Robidas. The only other NHL/AHL father/son combo was Zack Morrissette, the son of Dave “Moose” Morrissette was taken in the 3rd round (53rd overall) by his hometown team, Baie Comeau.

In the American-only portion of the draft, a familiar name was a high selection in Ryan St. Louis (Riverside/Brunswick Prep) was taken in the first round (5th overall) by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He is the eldest son of former Rangers and recent NHL Hall of Fame inductee, Martin St. Louis, and is a Northeastern (HE) 2021-22 commit.

Jack Kurrie, another Selects Academy at South Kent Prep product was taken in the 1st round (9th overall) by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Kurrie a Vermont native is a commit to University Vermont (HE) for 2022-23.

Two picks later he saw his teammate Jake Bongo (Ridgefield) selected by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

Then 1st round (13th overall) pick was John P. Turner (Westport/Avon Old Farms) by the Charlottetown (PEI) Islanders. He was also taken by Sioux City (USHL) 6th round (89th overall) in April and is a University New Hampshire (HE) commit for 2021-22

Goalie, Jake Fillion from the Connecticut Chiefs (Newington) U-16 team in the AYHL (Atlantic Youth Hockey League) was taken in the 1st round (15th overall) by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar who just hired a new head coach.

Then in the 1st round (16th overall) Paul Davey (Greenwich/Brunswick Prep) was taken by the Memorial Cup finalist Halifax Mooseheads. He is a Boston College (HE) 2021-22 commit.

The next pick saw Oliver Flynn (Wolcott) of the Connecticut Chiefs U-16 team taken by the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He was also taken by Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) 6th round (89th overall) in April.

Then in the 2nd round (23rd overall) Matt McGroarty (Westport/Brunswick Prep) was taken by Blaineville-Boisbrand and was selected by Madison (USHL) in their draft two months ago. He is a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) 2021-22 commit.

Then in the 2nd round (26th overall) Casey Raffone (Guilford) the last of the Selects Academy at South Kent Prep players was taken by the Quebec Remparts.

Then in the 2nd round (34th overall), Luke Holyfield (Cromwell) of the Connecticut Chiefs U-16 squad was taken by Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

The last players taken went in the 2nd round (36th overall) in Matt Samokevich (Newtown) by the newly-crowned Memorial Cup champion, Rouyn Noranda Huskies. He played this year for nationally-renowned Shattuck’s St. Mary’s program (MNPREP) and few games for the Chicago Steel (USHL) who drafted him in 2018 in the 4th round (63rd overall) and is a University Michigan (Big 10) commit in 2020-21.

POOLSIDE CHATTER

With hockey playing in North America and Europe completed everybody is undefeated and now the business of hockey 2019-20 takes center stage with first the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on the 19th, then the NHL Draft in Vancouver June 21-22, free agent frenzy on July 1st for the NHL and AHL.

Rumblings from the West Coast say that Calgary is likely to move their AHL farm from Stockton after next season and a possible location will be Fresno, a onetime ECHL market. The issue isn’t the building or the fans they like both very much, but the gang violence in Stockton is considered a bad environment for the players and team staff alike.

Any possible changes however will wait until Seattle makes its selection for its AHL team.

The same Western source says that Palm Springs is a possible location for an AHL team for expansion Seattle. It’s not a fantasy and that there is plenty of serious talk going on. The potential team would be centrally located for the Pacific Division for Ontario and San Diego. Easy short, inexpensive flights to the Northern California teams and direct flights to Tucson and Colorado, two other Pacific Division teams.

Keeping the rink viable in the desert in the heat will be an issue, but Arizona and Las Vegas are not Edmonton both in desert climates have rinks and there is an ice rink in Abu Dhabi, and it gets crazy hot there and Palm Springs, maybe it can work.

Rejected the first team suggested name – The Palm Beach Conquistadors. Yes, resurrecting the old ABA name from the San Diego franchise would be great and make a superb logo for merch sales… The AHL could see that team in two years, a truly universal homogenized schedule of 70 or 72 games than the present 76-68 East-West split which everyone agrees is not very professional for the second best league in the world.

The key is whether the teams in the East particularly teams like Hershey, Cleveland and Grand Rapids would give up two lucrative home dates will likely have to be compensated in some other manner and the West wants no three in three-game structure a deal.

This could allow for a compromise and a deal to be struck and once the new Seattle team is finalized.

Staying out West, some early word is that an initial sketch of an NCAA Division I Western conference is taking shape with Arizona State currently, and, independent D-I program being the first school.

The Sun Devils are starting to break ground on their brand new on-campus arena that is expected to be ready by the 2021. Some of the schools being bandied about for such a conference are; USC, UCLA, University of Oregon, University of Washington, Boise State and Stanford.

There could be some wild cards in that mix, possibly UNLV, Portland State, or Montana. Players are not the issue, it’s the lack of a conference.

Once all the details are worked out, like rinks and leases, travel, NCAA compliance issues and regulations for a conference this is going to be another shot in the arm for hockey out West on the heels of Seattle being awarded an NHL expansion franchise.

Speaking of Seattle, the price tag for the renovations for the KeyArena (which will be renamed with a new title sponsor upon reopening) have seen their costs ballooned already to $930 million (take note CT residents) from its original $600 million initial price tag back in October. The completion date has moved to the summer of 2021, four months before their first NHL season is slated to start in 2021-22.

The work has also begun on its brand new training facility that is said to be state of the art and will hopefully meet any new requirements in the next NHL CBA agreement as well as the current one.

Here is an update from KING-TV Channel 5 in Seattle; Watch it HERE.

The name Sockeyes might be one of the finalists for a team name as a logo with salmon colors (thank God no black) is circulating. I’m still partial to Sea Lions and I think a great mascot name, Sammy the Sea Lion could emerge. Seattle has trademarked 13 possible names and Sockeyes and Sea Lions are among them.

Closer to home the Islander new arena at Belmont Park is awaiting three final approvals before putting the shovels in the ground.

The Empire State Development, the Franchise Oversight Board and Public Authority Central Board are slated to sign off on the deal in the next 60 days so the 18,000 seat arena can be built by the 2022 season.