CANTLON’S CORNER: WOLF PACK OFF SEASON VOLUME 11 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT- Meanwhile back in the Connecticut capital, the movement continues sand through the hourglass of summer continue to empty as the 2019-2020 hockey season approaches.

PLAYER AND COACHING MOVEMENT

One of the five new Wolf Pack signees, Danny O’Regan, will be on a one-year deal making $225K-AHL/$700K-NHL next season. He’ll likely be one of the team’s assistant captains. Greg McKegg is also on a one-way deal. His pays $750K. The contracts for a defenseman, Jeff LoVerde, goalie, Thomas McCollum, and centerman, Harry Zolniercyczk, have yet to be posted.

Alexander Nylander, the youngest son of former Hartford Whaler and New York Ranger, Michael Nylander,  and the brother of Toronto’s William Nylander, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks by the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

Matt Cullen, the nephew of former Whaler, John Cullen, after a career lasting 21 years and 1,500 plus NHL games, including a year with the Rangers, announced his retirement from the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won two of his three Stanley Cup titles. Cullen’s final numbers are 1,516 games played, 226 goals, 465 assists, for 731 points. It is very likely that will be in US Hockey Hall-of-Fame someday and there’s a possibility of even the NHL Hockey Hall-of-Fame.

Ex-Hartford Wolf Pack goalie, Dustin Tokarski, who failed miserably while in the Connecticut capital turned aside four offers to play in Sweden to accept a good AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He follows his Charlotte Checkers coach, Mike Vellucci, who left the Calder Cup champions last month. Vellucci was hired by Pittsburgh two weeks ago as the new AHL bench boss for the AHL Penguins.

The AHL signings continue and so do the pay raises.

Ex-Pack, Ryan Graves, signs a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche for $750K-NHL and with the AHL Colorado Eagles $350K.

Gemel Smith, who hit the 80-game NHL mark by exactly age 25 as a UFA, leaves the Providence Bruins for the Syracuse Crunch for a one-year, two-way deal paying him at $250K-AHL/$700K-NHL with the parent Tampa Bay Lightning.

Peter Cehlarik, re-signs with Providence for a puny increase in this years signing bazaar going from $70K to $125K.

The Vancouver Canucks sign three who will help their AHL affiliate the Utica Comets. The Canucks re-signed Pack killer, Reid Boucher, to a one-year, two-way deal at $450K-AHL/$750K-NHL. A pair of rookie defenseman, Brogan Rafferty (Quinnipiac University), and Josh Teves were signed to two-year contracts. Each received $125K-AHL/$700K-NHL in the first year and a one-way $700K for the second year.

Darren Archibald, who played with four teams last season, two of them were AHL teams (Utica, Belleville), and two from the NHL (Vancouver, Ottawa). He signed an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies.

Pittsburgh signed a pair of players who were with Colorado (AHL) last season. They are defenseman David Warsofsky, who will return to Wilkes Barre/Scranton, and forward, Andrew Agozzino. Each received a two-year, two-way deal at $400K-AHL/$700K-NHL.

Ex-Pack, Hubert Labrie, goes from Syracuse to Belleville next season.

Cole Maier (Taft Prep) signs a one-year AHL deal with Manitoba Moose. Two former Quinnipiac Bobcats sign pro deals, Tanner MacMaster, a second-year pro with the Toronto Marlies and rookie Craig Martin with Adirondack (ECHL).

Ex-Pack Tommy Hughes returns from a year with Nottingham (England-EIHL) to sign again with Hershey on a one-year AHL deal.

The defending Calder Cup champs Charlotte Checkers, who will be the Wolf Pack opponent on the season’s opening night, have hired a new head coach, the youngest in the AHL.

Ryan Warsofsky (Sacred Heart University) 31, was the team’s assistant coach last season and given the top job. His younger brother is the aforementioned David Warsofsky who signed with Wilkes Barre/Scranton.

That leaves Hartford as the only AHL team without a head coach, or any coaching staff for that matter, in place.

Coach Eric Veilleux returns to the AHL as an assistant coach with Syracuse after leading the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) who went to the Memorial Cup final in May. Previously, he was a head coach in Norfolk and San Antonio.

Taking over Veilleux’s spot in Halifax is a very familiar name to Wolf Pack fans. He is ex-assistant coach, J.J. Daigneault. He was hired on Tuesday to become the Mooseheads 12th head coach. The hiring comes three months after Daigneault was inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame and it’s his first ever head coaching gig.

The Rangers fourth round pick (112th overall) in last month’s draft in Vancouver is forgoing college hockey at Western Michigan for Canadian major junior hockey.

Defenseman Hunter Skinner signed a deal with the London Knights (OHL) who are coached by Dale Hunter. The GM is his brother Mark, an ex-Whaler. He split last season playing with the Lincoln Stars and Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL). He was originally drafted by London in the 2017 OHL Priority Draft in the fifth round (97th overall).

Jake Massie leaves the University of Vermont (HE) a year early. He signs with Florida on a standard two-year ELC deal $925K-NHL/$70-K AHL and will likely start the year with Springfield.

Alexei Solovyev goes from Bentley University (AHA) and signs an AHL deal with Providence.

Nick Cyr of Salve Regina (CCC) sIgns with HC Morianze-Avoriaz (France Division-3) and T.J. Sneath from Lebanon Valley University (UCHC) signs with Vannas HC (Sweden Division-1)

That makes for 46 collegians to sign in Europe, 175 Division I signees and 194 total North American deals and 223 overall to sign pro deals.

Major college hockey news as seven schools from the WCHA conference, all from the Midwest informed conference leadership they are all leaving in two years to form their own conference. The schools are; Bemidji St. and Minnesota State-Mankato  (MN), Bowling Green University (OH), Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan all from the state of Michigan.

That would leave the WCHA with just three members left in the two schools from Alaska, Anchorage, and Fairbanks respectively and the University of Alabama-Huntsville and that makes for a perfect opportunity for a true US western college hockey conference to be born.

Arizona State could easily be added (currently DI independent) who will have their new on-campus arena ready in two years and then they could add USC and UCLA in the LA area and with a new arena going up in Palm Springs to house Seattle’s AHL team that could also be a home for one of those two schools.

Then you could look at bringing in the University of Texas, University of Utah, Boise State, Oklahoma, UNLV, Stanford and the University of Washington and you would have a regional 12 team conference that serves the Western part of the US, where players aren’t the issue, a conference has always been and now a clear lane has opened up to remedy that.

Ex-Pack Chad Wiseman gets a title upgrade to associate head coach for Guelph Storm (OHL).

Former New Haven Senator Jake Grimes returns to his native province of Nova Scotia with his first head coaching gig with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL). Grimes was an assistant coach with Guelph (OHL) the last two years and the last 15 years as an assistant coach in the OHL with Belleville, Peterborough, and Guelph.

His last head coaching experience was in the early part of the 21st century at the Junior B level.

Ex-Pack/CT Whale, Devin DiDiomete, leaves SG Cortina (Italy-AlpsHL) for UTE (Hungary-EHL)

Ex-Pack, Daniel Sparre, stays in the German DEL leaving EHC Wolfsburg for ERC Ingolstadt.

Ex-CT Whale, Steve Delisle, leaves HC Sparta Prague (Czech Republic-CEL) for Lowen Frankfurt (Germany DEL-2).

Ex-Sound Tiger with a great hockey name, Masi Marjamaki, goes from KLH Chomutov (Czech Republic-CEL) to Sheffield (England-EIHL) and another ex-Sound Tiger, Blair Riley, leaves the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland-EIHL) for the Cardiff Devils (Wales-EIHL).

Four more AHL’ers head to Europe. Mike Sislo of Bridgeport signs with EHC Wolfsburg (Germany-DEL). Wayne Simpson leaves Rochester for ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL). Sam Herr from Ontario signs with Nottingham (England-EIHL) and another member of the Calder Cup champs Charlotte, Dennis Robertson finds a new home with HC Bolzano (Italy-EBEL).

That makes 53 players that have signed overseas.

The newest CT minor league hockey league and third FHL attempt in Danbury-the Danbury Hat Tricks- signed their first 12 players from far and wide.

Nick Metcalfe (Stoneham, MA), played one game with Carolina (FHL) last year, goalie Cody Karpinski (Chicago) skated for Port Huron (FHL), Dustin Jesseau (Ontario) who split time with Port Huron and Watertown (FHL) plus Peoria (SPHL) and played a bit with FHL Danbury Titans 2015-16.

Sam Williams (Winnipeg, MB) played with Elmira and Watertown (FHL) last season and a few games with Birmingham (SPHL). New Jersey native, Tom McGuckin played last season for Amals SK (Sweden Division-2), Paul Fregeau (California) split the season with Fayetteville and Quad City (SPHL). Jordan Brant (Alberta) played Canadian college hockey at Portage College (ACAC).

California born and bred Kyle Gonzales who was with Danville (FHL) last year and his teammate there, Joe Brennan (Philadelphia) were also signed.

Nicholas Lang of the Czech Republic who split last season with HC Velka (Czech Republic Division-4) and HC Chemnitz (Germany Division-4) and from Belarus, Alexei Baturevich who split last year with Lokomotiv Orsha (Belarus Division-2) and Orleans (France Division-4).

The team also signed a player who truly saw a lot of different places last season. He is Latvian, Kristers Bormanis.

He played in the Latvian Hockey League (LHL) with Zemgale and with the junior Zemgale team in the Latvian Junior Hockey League (LJHL). He played a game with Bjorninn (Iceland-IHL) and then in Ukraine with Ledyanye Volki Kiev in the Ukranian Hockey League (UHL) and ended his season in England with the Billingham Stars (NIHL Division-1).

Ex-Whaler Curtis Lechyshyn was inducted into the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame.

Two hockey individuals are part of the class of nine to be inducted into the University Vermont Hall of Fame. One was the Catamounts head coach of 19 years, Mike Gilligan. He spent three years as an assistant coach under tutelage of the late Tim Taylor at Yale University (ECACHL) from 1981-1984.

Torrey Mitchell is the other and he’s still playing in Europe. He played two years at Hotchkiss Prep (Lakeville) school before heading to Vermont.

A fine piece on the ex-Pack captain and Sound Tiger, Greg Moore, who is now the head coach of the Chicago Steel (USHL). Read that HERE

The Danbury Ice Arena announces a third tenant to be operating the arena this year as the Connecticut Whale (NWHL) come through the front door. It will become their fourth home in five years. Read that HERE

Big night at the Hartford Yard Goats baseball game Saturday night at 7 pm on Whalers Day, a highly successful promotion that will see 20 former Whaler players in the house.

Mike Rogers, Ed Hospodar and Grant Jennings after a year absence will be returning and among those donning the green jerseys once again. Here is the full list;

Andre Lacroix (1978-1979, Whalers broadcaster for 8 years 1983-1991), Bill Bennett (1979-1980), Bob Crawford (1983-1986), Chuck Kaiton Whalers (Hall of Fame) Broadcaster 1979-1997), Dave Babych (1985-1991), Wayne Babych (1985-1987), Don Nachbaur (1980-1982), Ed Hospodar (1982-1984), Grant Jennings (1988-1991), Jeff Brubaker (1979-1981), Jordy Douglas (1978-1982), Mark Janssens  (1992-1997), Marty Howe (1977-1985), Mike Rogers (1975-1981), Norm Barnes  (1980-1982), Paul Lawless (1982-1988), Rick Ley (1972-1982), Scott “Chief” Daniels (1992-1996), Steve Rice (1994-1997) and Yvon “Ike” Corriveau  (1989-1994).

Mike Corrigan (Friend of Whalers) LA Kings/Pittsburgh Penguins player and is a Suffield resident and Paul D’Amato- Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken from greatest hockey comedy movie the iconic, Slap Shot. 

In addition, two members of the original NHL ice crew that operated at the Hartford Civic Center Coliseum (nee XL Center) will be among the guests. Wayne Therell “Scoop” Knight, who is still the Head Ice Technician at the arena and John Weir were part of that original five-man squad that gave the HCCC the best ice in the NHL in 1986.