BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The NHL playoffs have completed their round-robin and play-in round and are now well into the "first round" of the playoffs. News is coming with increased speed and levels of import. In Gatineau, Quebec, an interesting development that will have a major effect on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Olympiques team. The governing agency assembled during the pandemic has announced that their home arena, the Robert Guertin Arena, will be maintained as an emergency COVID-19 shelter for another year which will keep the Olympiques out of the building. Known by the French acronym CISSSO, the announcement by that authority came as a shock to the QMJHL team. The authority has scheduled the vacating of the arena this week to accommodate the Olympiques pre-season preparations. But in a terse release last Friday morning, the agency said the Guertin Arena was “essential to protect (vulnerable) populations … and to provide them with long-term stability,” in a story in the Ottawa Sun. There are 14 other structures that were under consideration along with the arena to serve as an emergency shelter. There are initial ongoing discussions between the city, the team and governing health agency seeking an amicable solution. The city, which owns the arena, supported the decision and “will work with its partners to identify solutions for activities that have normally been held at the Robert-Guertin arena,” CISSSO said. Read the full article

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Paul Carey and Jason Zrobil each had a goal and an assist to pace the red-hot Providence Bruins to their 11th straight regulation win and 12th overall in a 3-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack before an announced crowd of 2,594. The Bruins' win vaulted them over the idle Hershey Bears, into first place in the AHL Atlantic Division with a record of 38-18-3-3 (82 points). The Wolf Pack, a team being reassembled over the last two days, dropped it's fifth-in-a-row and fell to fourth place in the AHL Atlantic Division at 31-20-6-5 (73 points). The Charlotte Checkers' 3-2 OT win over the Cleveland Monsters put them percentage points ahead of Hartford for third place. The Wolf Pack are seven points ahead of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. It put them eight ahead of the Springfield Thunderbirds, who they play again Friday at the Mass Mutual Center. When it rains it pours. Pack head coach, Kris Knoblauch, saw his worst come true. Reeling and with three key players suspended and two injured, an injury to New York Rangers' forward, Filip Chytil, set the stage for the recall of Pack captain, Steven Fogarty, to an emergency recall on Wednesday morning. Chytil was injured in Tuesday night’s win in Dallas against the Stars. He was forced to assemble a team that was part-AHL, and part-collegiate. They were held to just one shot in the third period, for just the sixth time in franchise history. The Pack has equaled that dubious total. Facing a Providence team was already a daunting task. “Providence is the hottest team in the league. To go in shorthanded wasn’t ideal, but our veterans put in the efforts, and our new guys showed some promise. There’s room to grow, but definitely a good start for them. We had a good effort from the new guys, a good first step. We're gonna have to build on that to play in the American Hockey League,” remarked Knoblauch. For the players, it wasn’t easy. They need to absorb a number of changes in such a short period of time, “It’s a good group of guys, but it was like a brand new team. We'll get some more time under our belt. We'll figure it out,” Danny O’Regan said. The line of O’Regan-Vitali Kravtsov-Ryan Gropp was what the Wolf Pack needed to do well in this game and did so scoring the Wolf Pack's only goal of the night. O'Regan's hard work getting the puck from Gropp at the blue and spotted Kravtsov wide-open in front of the net, who deftly redirected the puck just under the crossbar at 3:52 for just his second goal in 15 games. “It was started with a good pinch by Ebert, and we get a lot more chances when our D is mobile like that. It was a very nice finish by those two (Gropp and Kravtsov),” noted O’Regan. That was the extent of the offense. There were a few sustained shifts, but clearly the chemistry wasn’t there and that’s to be expected. The Bruins are high in the standings because of their precision passing and shooting are a potent combo. Carey fed the puck to Jason Zrobil at the center point of the blue line. He waited until Randy Fitzgerald got a screen on J.F. Berube and drilled his first season past the Pack netminder to restore a 2-1 Bruins lead at 10:35. The Bruins added another goal to make it a 3-1 lead from yet another break. Zach Senyshyn was below the goal line and saw Carey coming in through the back-door. He redirected the pass off the leg of Wolf Pack defenseman Darren Raddysh. It went between Berube’s legs as he squeezed the pads, but not tight enough as the puck went over the goal line at 17:52. The first goal was a bit of a fluke as Carey took the puck off the left-wing boards, near the blue line, off a shot from ex-Pack, Steven Kamper, on a right-wing shot in close that missed the net. Carey sent the shot toward the net that was deflected off the stick of the Pack’s Brandon Crawley and sailed up and over Berube's blocker at 15:34. This will not be the last time these two teams will meet this season. “We’ve had success against them in the past. We just have to get some chemistry going and get back to doing what we were doing when we were winning,” O’Regan said. LINES: O’Regan-Gropp-Kravtsov Dmowski-McBride-Ronning Jones-Chase-Newell Patrick Khodorenko-Michael O’ Leary-Connor Bleackley LoVerde-Ebert Hajek-Raddysh Zach Giutarri-Crawley SCRATCHES: Tim Gettinger - Upper-body - Day-To-Day Boo Nieves - Upper-body - Day-To-Day Yegor Rykov - (Healthy) Steven Fogarty - (Emergency recall) Vinni Lettieri - (Suspended) Mason Geersten - (Suspended) Matt Beleskey - (Suspended) Gabriel Fontaine - Shoulder Surgery - Season-Ending NOTES: The Pack has some major scoring slumps and now just five goals in their last five games. O’Regan has one goal in ten games, Kravtsov has one goal in 14.  Gropp has just one in ten games while Fogarty has just one in 14. The only Providence overtime win was against Bridgeport 2-1 on February 9th. Their last regulation loss was 3-1 on January 31st to the Binghamton Devils. This was the first of the three-game suspension from Sunday’s first-period melee for Lettieri, Geersten, and Beleskey. News on Nieves and Gettinger is not good. Neither will be in the lineup this weekend as of today. Khodorenko wore jersey #43, O’Leary, #23, and Giutarri, #4 The New York Post Larry Brooks reports the Rangers are closing to signing defenseman K’Andre Miller from the University Wisconsin (Big 10) to an entry-level deal. He had 18 points in 36 games on a Badger team that finished 14-20-2. He also was captain for the US WJC Team back in December-January. Ohio State ended the Badgers season in the opening round of the Big 10 playoffs with a two-game sweep of the best of three series ending a major sub-par season for the Tony Granato coached team. A big shout-out and offer for prayers to Chief-Of-Off-Ice officials, Dave Cunningham, who is recovering well in Hartford Hospital after suffering a stroke on Saturday at the XL Center after the game. Read the full article

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Binghamton Devils 5, Hartford Wolf Pack 3 BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Binghamton, NY, February 28, 2020 – Marian Studenic scored two third-period goals for the Binghamton Devils, and Nathan Bastian also scored twice, in a 5-3 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday night at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. Team scoring leader Vinni Lettieri netted his 25th goal of the season for the Wolf Pack, and Ty Ronning had his first in 17 AHL games on the season.  Matt Beleskey also scored for Hartford, and J-F Berube made 22 saves.  Nick Merkley had the other Devil goal, and Egor Sharangovich dished out two assists. The only goal of the first period was scored by Bastian at the 2:17 mark.  Julian Melchiori spun along the right-wing boards and dropped the puck to Jeremy Groleau who was at the middle of the blue line, and his one-timer was tipped by Bastian past Berube. The Wolf Pack would get the next two goals, though, starting with Ronning’s tally at 2:10 of the second period.  Ryan Dmowski intercepted a Colton White pass high along the left boards in the Binghamton end and fed Ronning at the side of the slot.  He fanned on his first shot attempt, but then, on a second effort, sent a bid that found its way through the pads of Devil netminder Gilles Senn (18 saves). Lettieri then gave Hartford a 2-1 lead at 13:54.  Studenic passed the puck to the middle in his own end from the corner to Senn’s right, and it went off of Matt Tennyson’s stick in front of the net.  Lettieri grabbed control and fired a low shot past Senn. Binghamton tied it back up just 2:02 later, though, at 15:56, on a goal by Merkley.  A shot from the left point by Kyle Cumiskey was blocked, but the puck deflected right to Merkley at the bottom of the circle, and he was able to beat Berube with a quick, sharp-angle shot. The Devils then went ahead, 3-2, at 6:25 of the third period.  Janne Kuokkanen spun at the Wolf Pack blue line on the left side and fed a pass that went off of Patrick Newell’s stick and was eventually controlled by Sharangovich.  Brandon Crawley attempted to tie him up, but Sharangovich was able to get a one-handed shot on goal, and Studenic put in the rebound. The Wolf Pack power play got that goal back at 11:43, with Jesper Boqvist off for tripping.  Steven Fogarty passed the puck from in the slot to Ryan Gropp in the right circle, and he sent it towards the net.  Beleskey got his stick on it right in front of Senn and deflected it past the Binghamton goaltender on the glove side. Studenic gave the Devils the lead to stay at 14:13, however, with his second of the period, off of a faceoff to Berube’s left.  The Wolf Pack’s Shawn McBride appeared to beat Sharangovich on the draw, but Hartford could not control the puck.  Studenic grabbed it and moved into the middle, before ripping a shot that went past Berube high, with Kuokkanen screening. Bastian completed the scoring with his second goal of the contest, an empty-netter with one second left.  Darren Raddysh poked the puck out of his own end, but Bastian cut it off on the right-wing boards, at the centerline, and swept it into the open goal. The Wolf Pack are back in action Saturday night, heading to Bridgeport to visit the Sound Tigers.  Faceoff is 7:00, and all of the action can be heard live on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming is available at theahl.com/AHLTV. The next Wolf Pack home game is this Sunday, March 1, a 3:00 contest vs. the Providence Bruins.  That is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”.  The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and one large popcorn, all for just $40. 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 (860) 722-9425.  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. Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Binghamton Devils 5 Friday, February 28, 2020 - Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena Hartford       0 2 1 - 3 Binghamton 1 1 3 - 5 1st Period-1, Binghamton, Bastian 11 (Groleau, Melchiori), 2:17. Penalties-Newell Hfd (tripping), 4:43; Hajek Hfd (interference), 7:58; Seney Bng (interference), 14:36; Ebert Hfd (slashing), 16:35. 2nd Period-2, Hartford, Ronning 1 (Dmowski), 2:10. 3, Hartford, Lettieri 25 (O'Regan), 13:54. 4, Binghamton, Merkley 11 (Cumiskey, Street), 15:56. Penalties-Kuokkanen Bng (hooking), 8:30; Lettieri Hfd (tripping), 8:43. 3rd Period-5, Binghamton, Studenic 7 (Sharangovich, Kuokkanen), 6:25. 6, Hartford, Beleskey 16 (Gropp, Fogarty), 11:43 (PP). 7, Binghamton, Studenic 8 (Sharangovich), 14:13. 8, Binghamton, Bastian 12   19:58 (EN). Penalties-Beleskey Hfd (slashing), 1:28; Boqvist Bng (tripping), 10:17. Shots on Goal-Hartford 5-6-10-21. Binghamton 6-5-16-27. Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 3; Binghamton 0 / 5. Goalies-Hartford, Berube 13-13-4 (26 shots-22 saves). Binghamton, Senn 15-7-2 (21 shots-18 saves). A-4,076 Referees-Mike Campbell (36), Tim Peel (87). Linesmen-Rob Sauda (66), J.P. Waleski (14). Read the full article

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT - The Wolf Pack (30-14-6-5, 71 pts.) finished the week one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division, after a 4-1 win at Bridgeport Sunday, in the last of three games on the weekend.  J-F Berube made 17 saves to bank his first Wolf Pack win in that game, and Tim Gettinger (first pro SHG) and Nick Jones had a goal and an assist apiece.  The Wolf Pack began the weekend with a 4-1 defeat in Springfield on Friday night and then battled back from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 deficits at home against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday night, to earn a standings point in a 4-3 overtime loss.  Vinni Lettieri and Vitali Kravtsov had a goal and an assist each in that game. For the latest AHL standings, click here. This week: It’s another full three-game slate for the Wolf Pack this weekend.  The team heads to Binghamton on Friday night for a 7:05 battle with the Devils and then returns to Bridgeport on Saturday night to rematch with the Sound Tigers at 7:00.  The Wolf Pack is then back home on Sunday, hosting the Providence Bruins at 3:00. Friday, February 28 at the Binghamton Devils (New Jersey) at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, 7:05 PM This is the last of four meetings on the year between the Wolf Pack and the Devils, and Hartford has swept the first three, including a 4-3 overtime win October 19 in the Wolf Pack’s only previous visit to Binghamton. The Devils started their season 9-17-4-0 in their first 30 games, but since Christmas, they have gone 18-7-0-0 in 25 contests, to climb to within three points of a playoff spot in the North Division, at 27-24-4-0 for 58 points. Binghamton rookie goaltender Gilles Senn is 7-1-0 in his last eight appearances, with a 1.74 goals-against average, a 94.2% save percentage and one shutout over that span. Broadcast – live online at https://www.iheart.com/live/fox-sports-1430-3544/.  Video streaming at ahllive.com. Saturday, February 29 at the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at Webster Bank Arena, 7:00 PM This is the Wolf Pack’s second visit to Bridgeport in less than a week and the fourth time of the season.  After Sunday’s 4-1 road win over the Sound Tigers, the Wolf Pack are 6-1-0-0 in the season series, 2-1-0-0 on the road. Josh Ho-Sang had Bridgeport’s only goal in Sunday’s Wolf Pack-Sound Tigers tilt, his third in 16 games on the season and the Sound Tigers’ fourth power-play goal in their last two games. Sunday’s loss to the Wolf Pack dropped the Sound Tigers to 0-3-0-1 in their last four games and to below .500 at home, 11-12-2-2. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV. Sunday, March 1 vs. the Providence Bruins (Boston) at the XL Center, 3:00 PM This is another chance to take advantage of 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 Wolf Pack will celebrate their mascot Sonar’s birthday at this game, with a number of the lovable wolf’s mascot friends in attendance. Fans are encouraged to bring their skates to this game, for a free post-game twirl on the XL Center ice. The Bruins come into this week on a 5-0-1-0 run, and 11-3-2-1 in their last 17 games, and trail the Wolf Pack by three points in the Atlantic Division playoff race. Veteran Bruin forward Brendan Gaunce (16-15-31 in 45 GP) has goals in four of Providence’s last five games (5-2-7) and points in six straight (5-3-8). The Wolf Pack have won their last five head-to-head battles with the Bruins and are 6-0-0-1 on the season against Providence, 3-0-0-0 at home. Tickets for this game, and 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 (860) 722-9425.  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. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV. 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, February 25, 7:00-8:30 PM, Buffalo Wild Wings, 1267 Silas Deane Hwy., Wethersfield, CT The Wolf Pack are throwing a Rangers “watch party” at Buffalo Wild Wings, and Wolf Pack players Danny O’Regan, Darren Raddysh, Vincent LoVerde, Adam Huska, Libor Hajek, and Ryan Dmowski are scheduled to be on hand, along with the Wolf Pack’s iconic mascot, Sonar, to watch the Rangers’ game against the Islanders.  Fans can get autographs and take pictures and will be automatically entered to win prizes just by showing up. Saturday, February 29, 10:30 AM, Crystal Lake, 144 Prout Hill Rd., Middletown, CT Sonar cheers on those “freezin’ for a reason” in the annual Special Olympics Connecticut “Penguin Plunge”. Recent Transactions: Joey Keane – recalled from the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers, and traded to Carolina, February 18. Jean-Francois Berube – loaned to the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers, after being acquired in a trade from Philadelphia, February 19. Tom McCollum – traded by the Wolf Pack to Lehigh Valley on February 20. Lewis Zerter-Gossage – recalled by the Wolf Pack from Maine (ECHL), and traded to Lehigh Valley, February 20. Pack Tracks: Saturday, March 7, when the Wolf Pack host the Hershey Bears at 7:00, is Military Appreciation Night at the XL Center.  The Wolf Pack will be paying tribute to all veterans and active-duty military for their service to our country, and the first 2,000 fans will take home a free Wolf Pack reversible drink koozie, courtesy of CT-DOT. Each of the Wolf Pack’s Sunday and Wednesday home games 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.  After this Sunday, the next Hat Trick Pack game is Wednesday, March 11, a 7:00 battle with the Providence Bruins. In partnership with the Hartford Chamber of Commerce, the Wolf Pack is 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 next Wednesday home date is March 11, when the Providence Bruins invade the XL Center for a 7:00 game. 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 next Friday-night home outing is March 6, when they entertain the Hershey Bears in a 7:15 PM game. 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 (860) 722-9425.  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

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Lias Andersson saga has taken a new turn. The New York Rangers have loaned Anderson, who's currently under team-imposed suspension, to his old Swedish team HV71 for the remainder of the year. This move is similar to what the organization did with another somewhat disgruntled player, Vitali Kravtsov when he was returned to Russia after five lackluster games. He left on October 28th and returned back to North America on December 13th. Clearly, the situations are very different with the only common denominator being that they are both high first-round draft picks. Cantlon Corner learned on Friday from two NHL sources that Andersson is more likely to be dealt come draft time when next years cap number is known. In an HV71 team issued a press release on Sunday confirming Andersson”s return. “Lias Andersson comes most recently from the New York Rangers organization but will be loaned to HV71 for the rest of the season. We are, of course, very pleased that Lias will play in HV71 again. He is an incredibly good hockey player, a wonderful guy and he knows the club well after his years in Jönköping. We have had a good dialogue with the New York Rangers throughout the process and thank them for making this solution possible,” said Johan Hult, sports manager at HV71. Lias Andersson joins HV71 on Monday and will get some workouts in his legs before it's time for games. But the gold hero from 2017 is happy to be back in Jönköping. Andersson added his own sentiments. “I am grateful that it was possible to solve in such a good way and look forward to wearing my HV shirt again. I have many good memories from my time in HV71 and will do everything I can to make the club successful,” said Lias Andersson. Previously, Lias Andersson has played three seasons in HV71 and crowned his last win with an SM gold medal in 2017. Andersson, requested a trade back on December 19th when the team returned home from a road trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. Andersson was demoted to the AHL on November 17th after playing just 13 games. He missed one game due to injury. He amassed just four goals and five points. Three of those points came in one game against the Binghamton Devils on December 7th, meaning he registered just two points over the other 12 games. He was scoreless in his last six games with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Andersson played just 74 games in Hartford registering 15 goals, 24 assists (39 points) over three seasons. While in New York with the Rangers, he played just 66 games with a disappointing three goals and nine points. Andersson’s last game with the Rangers was against the Florida Panthers where he played just 3:43 in the game. His career-best time on ice is 16:09. In the past two years, he has amassed just four multi-point games while in Hartford. Prior to the Binghamton game, his last was against the Providence Bruins last season when he was recalled and managed just six points in 42 games with the Rangers. A natural center, Andersson played wing at times, but since his reassignment to Hartford, he has been playing strictly center. Andersson's last game in Charlotte was bad. He had a minus-3 with just one shot on goal. It wasn't just Andersson, was not the only Pack player who struggled in that game. The entire team did.  He flew back with the team that Thursday and sometime between then and Friday morning the decision was made. Andersson’s agent called the Rangers and informed them of the trade request While in Sweden Andersson gave an interview with the Swedish sports news service SVTP Sports (their version of ESPN/TSN) Credit to Uffe Bodin, Editor-In-Chief of newsme.com for the twitter post with this translation. This troubling tweet raises some serious questions and cast some serious aspersions and insinuations that could have profound impacts going forward for Andersson whether he returns to the Rangers or for any organization that might be contemplating acquiring him. So was Andersson injured toward the end of his self imposed departure from Hartford? What was this alleged incident that occurred that made things untenable for him to stay in Hartford? His assertion about feeling safe depicts some untoward work environment in Hartford, was there any? The Rangers have publicly never commented on any of his assertions. Read the full article

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Saturday was the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, and ironically the potential day that one of the shortest Hartford Wolf Pack careers comes to an apparent end. The New York Post reported that forward, Lias Andersson had requested a trade from the New York Rangers. They then confirmed that he is no longer part of the organization. Andersson has hardly posted Hall-of-Fame numbers either at the NHL or AHL levels. Since being sent down to Hartford on November 17th, Andersson has played just 13 games and missed one due to injury. In that span he amassed just four goals and a total of five points. Three of those points came in a single game on December 7th against the Binghamton Devils. That leaves just two points over 12 games and he went scoreless in his last six. Andersson played 74 games in Hartford totaling 15 goals, 24 assists (39 points) over parts of three seasons. While with the Rangers, he played in just 66 games contributing a mere three goals and nine points. His last game with the Rangers was against Florida where he played 3:43 in the game. His career best time on ice is 16:09 In the past two years, he has amassed just four multiple point games in Hartford. Prior to the Binghamton game the last one was against Providence last season when he was recalled where he managed just six points in 42 games with the Rangers. A natural center Andersson played wing at times, but since he was reassigned to Hartford he has been strictly at center. Where he will go to play is a big issue if indeed he wants a trade and won’t return. Andersson could play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) back home or in Russia with the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League), but only if the Rangers loan him to a prospective team. Presently, he is under a current NHL contract with one year left on his Entry Level Contract (ELC) and a European exit clause option according to a knowledgeable NHL source. With all that said, this could be just a timeout for Andersson or it will cause the Rangers to make him sit in purgatory while they find a trading partner. From a variety of sources it's possible to piece together a preliminary sketch of the last few days. Andersson had a bad last game in Charlotte where he was a minus-3 with just one shot on goal. It was a game in which the entire team stunk. He flew back with the team on Thursday and between then and Friday morning his decision was made. Andersson’s agent called the Rangers and informed them of the trade request on Friday morning. Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch was informed prior to practice with the team that he had left. Knoblauch was very cautious in his answer not stating the 20-year-old was under a team suspension, but there is no doubt he is. “Technically, I don’t know what his status is. The Rangers will make an announcement in the next few days. He isn’t here and he has asked for a trade. He contacted the organization and I have reached out to him. He texted me back. We wished each other well in the future. Whatever that is. He is a good hockey player and sometimes when you have a guy here who doesn’t want to be here, he can have a bad attitude, but that wasn’t the case with him at all,” Knoblauch said. He didn't know Andersson was feeling this way. “It was a complete surprise. He was a good team player. He was obviously frustrated with his lack of points, but since he came back he did what was asked of him." Andersson was not a locker room hazard, but a solid teammate, but after three seasons, he's clearly feeling the pressure of not living up to being the seventh overall pick in the draft. This could just be a young person's immature and irrational reaction to a tough stretch. There's precedence of doing impetuous things including after losing in the Gold Medal game of the WJC two years ago, of taking his silver medal and tossing it into the crowd. It earned him and two other players IIHF suspensions. Add to the questionable behavior his leaving with just one game left before the Christmas break that includes a roster freeze, except for emergency situations, so he won't be going anywhere until afterward. Rangers GM, Jeff Gorton, will have little to no leverage in trying to move a disgruntled player who sports considerably less than glowing numbers. This move was ill-advised. Regardless of how it was initiated, it says a lot to his Wolf Pack teammates and to the Rangers organization. The Wolf Pack have been battling for first place and have seen a series of moves over the past ten days are not unrelated. First, veteran Ville Meskanen's sudden departure following the unexpected return of Vitali Kravtsov, who will get significant quality minutes that will cut into others. Former second-round pick, Ryan Gropp, finally reported to the team's ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, after initially refusing to report. He was then recalled to Hartford. Now comes Andersson’s surprising exit. Hopefully it will not alter the chemistry that has been built as the team heads to the midway point of the season. Team President, John Davidson and Gorton will need to sit down and ponder what to do with this situation. Read the full article

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack (15-4-2-5) extended their winning streak to four games with a strong defensive effort, timely goal-scoring, and another strong performance in net from Igor Shesterkin all adding up to a 3-1 win over the Binghamton Devils before an announced crowd of 1,285, the second-lowest in franchise history by just ten fans. With the win, the Pack jumped back into first place in the Atlantic Division with 37 points, two ahead of the idle Providence Bruins. The game-winning goal came late in the third period after Tim Gettinger snared a long rebound, waited a few seconds for an open lane, and snapped home a 35-foot wrist shot over the glove hand of the Devils' goalie, Gilles Senn at 14:58. The goal was Gettinger's fifth of the season. “We got it down low and had a good forecheck going. (We) got it up to E (Nick Ebert). He got a good shot on net and it just popped out to me in the slot there, and I just fired it, and it went in." Gettinger said. Gettinger has been slowed recently with a slight groin injury but was back to his flying around self. “Coming back from a little injury, I felt good playing with Boo (Nieves) and Patrick (Newell). It’s been going very well. We’re learning about each other out there. For me personally, they're good players and are going to find me in spots and were able to do that tonight." The Devils (7-14-4-0) didn’t go quietly. They ruined Shesterkin's shutout bid at 17:49 with Kelly Summer coming off the right point and wiring his first of the season over his left shoulder. After that, the Pack's resilience kicked in. Nick Jones restored a two-goal lead with an empty-netter after stripping the puck from Devils defenseman, Dakota Mermis, with 38.3 seconds left in the game, icing it for Hartford. The game wasn’t exactly a barn-burner, racetrack-style hockey game. “The chances were not a lot in quantity for either team,” remarked Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. “On both of ours (five-on-five goals), we made them count.” The Pack’s overall effort though was very pleasing for Knoblauch. “We got off to a good start and played in the offensive zone. We didn’t capitalize on some of them and passed-up a few good shots. In each game (of the current winning streak), we have found different ways to win, and tonight was one of those games.” The Wolf Pack scored the game's first goal early in the second period. Defenseman Vince LoVerde was operating on the point on his natural right side. He put a low shot on net that was double deflected. The first was from Gettinger and then Nieves, who was credited with just his second of the season at 4:55. “We were in hard on the forecheck there,” Gettinger said. “Patrick (Newell) was working hard along the boards and got it up top. I just tried to get to the front of the net, and Vince just got the shot on net. I was able to get the top and it went right to Boo’s stick. It was a big goal for us in the second.” It was, in fact, the only goal of the period and for the game, until Gettinger scored late in the third period. Shesterkin gave his usual solid play using an economy of movement on every save of the nine he faced. “He made the saves, but his work with the puck was very important tonight. In the second period, he makes the save and he isn’t looking for a whistle, he’s looking to make a play, so we don’t have a defensive zone draw. He also was moving the puck out of the zone on several other plays. He’s a very smart hockey player,” Knoblauch said of his goalie, who picked up his 10th win of the season. The first period was a tight-checking affair with just 13 shots between the two teams. The Packs' two best chances came on their only powerplay. Nick Ebert had a shot off the left point, and Joey Keane came in off the right point. Binghamton's best chance came on an open Chris Conner in front. His backhander was stopped cold by Shesterkin. LINES: Andersson-Fogarty-Beleskey Nieves-Gettinger-Newell O’Regan-Lettieri--DiGiuseppe Jones-Dmowsk-Zerter-Gossage Raddysh-LoVerde Keane-Geersten Rykov-Ebert SCRATCHES: Jeff Taylor (healthy) Ville Meskannen (see below) Gabriel Fontaine (season-ending - shoulder surgery). NOTES: Nieves was unavailable for a post-game interview due to his undergoing postgame medical. Steven Fogarty suffered a hand injury of some sort, dropping his glove after blocking a shot and headed immediately to the locker room. For a team on a four-game winning streak, and sitting fourth overall in the AHL, the Wolf Pack has moved several players over the last 36 hours. As expected, center Shawn McBride was reassigned to Norfolk (ECHL), while the other two were a surprise with the first, a complete shock. Hard-working veteran, Ville Meskanen, who was coming off a strong game against Binghamton last weekend, was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of releasing him from his contract. He is likely headed back to Finland to play in the Finnish Elite League or somewhere in Europe. He worked hard when he was a healthy scratch early in the season, and played fourth-line minutes optimizing his limited ice time. He has seen regular ice shifts recently and was effective, but had just two points, both assists, in the last ten games and four overall in his 20 games. The lanky winger had a strong freshmen campaign with 12 goals in 70 games. “I’ve been pleased with him all year. He really played well for us. A hard worker, a good teammate. I can’t say enough good things about him. I really enjoyed coaching him," Knoblauch said. "It was sad to hear that he was leaving. He felt the chances for him here in Hartford weren’t the best for him. He is likely to pursue options in Europe.” Out goes Meskanen and back comes Ryan Gropp from Maine where he tallied seven points in ten games. He initially refused to report and sat at home for three weeks before joining the Mariners. Gropp walked through the XL Center doors at 6:20 pm with his sticks and equipment bag in tow. The prep for Team USA's big game with Canada on Saturday is in full swing all throughout the building. They had an intra-squad scrimmage earlier this afternoon. Canada is practicing over in Cromwell. That practice is not open to the public according to several reliable hockey sources. Congrats to ex-Wolf Pack players Derek Armstrong, and goalie Robb Stauber for being named honorary captains for 2020 AHL All-Star Classic in Ontario, CA in January. The loquacious Armstrong was one of the founding pillars of the Wolf Pack franchise and the only 100 point scorer in the franchise history. He was the Jack Butterfield Playoff MVP during the Wolf Pack’s Calder Cup championship season in 2000. Stauber started his AHL career with the New Haven Nighthawks and ended it with the Wolf Pack. Wolf Pack fan jersey of the night: #14 Johan Witehall and #23 Tomas Kloucek. Read the full article