CANTLON'S CORNER: BIG WEEK OF WOLF PACK OFF SEASON NOTES - VOLUME 13
BY: Gerry Cantlon, HOWLINGS HARTFORD, CT - It was an unusually busy week in professional hockey over the past seven days, so strap in and here it is. WOLF PACK 2018-19 The New York Rangers announced officially on Monday what Cantlon's Corner reported last week, the signing of their RFA’s (Restricted Free Agents) to one-year contracts. The latest and one which will have a direct impact on the Wolf Pack roster was the signing of Chris Bigras to a one-year, two-way deal paying him $874,125 in the NHL and $70K in the AHL. Bigras was acquired at the trade deadline on February 26 for Ryan Graves. “Chris did a nice job in the time he had here. He used it well. He showed he could handle duty on the power play and penalty kill. Coming to Hartford, he got a fresh start and used his time effectively to earn a contract.” said Wolf Pack Head Coach, Keith McCambridge, in a phone chat earlier this week. The Rangers also announced the signing of John Gilmour, who split the season between Hartford and New York after getting recalled on February 9th. He earned his first NHL point in his hometown of Montreal and scored an overtime winner in Vancouver on February 28th. He became the first Ranger rookie to score an OT game-winner in the regular season game in franchise history. Gilmour's deal is a one-year, two-way contract that pays $650K in the NHL and $100K in the AHL. The Rangers now have eleven defensemen in NY and six on the roster in Hartford. “You never know what your roster looks like in the AHL. Change occurs every year, but I’m looking forward to developing some really quality young players that we have coming in and returning,” McCambridge said. Bigras could conceivably be McCambridge's most experienced defenseman when the team opens its season against the Providence Bruins come October 5th. The other previously reported signees are Rob O’Gara, Boo Nieves, and Steven Fogarty. The Rangers have seemingly switched directions. They have only signed one AHL veteran to date. That player is Bobby Butler, who, with the returning Cole Schneider, will help to bring along the first and second-year players. Butler replaces Scott Kosmachuk who signed with Colorado (AHL). “Bobby brings a lot to the table as a proven goal scorer in this league, and we're here to develop players for the New York Rangers. (At) training camp, you have a lot of surprises; younger guys are pushing older guys for slots, and you have movement in both directions here, and everything starts in White Plains (at the Rangers training facility) and will go from there.” McCambridge confirmed there again will be just two pre-season exhibition games. The dates are September 26th and 27th against Bridgeport with both scheduled to be at Trinity College's Koeppel Community Center Arena, the home of the national Division III powerhouse, Trinity College Bantams. One player who won't spend next season in New York or Hartford is the Rangers' first-round selection (9th overall), Vitaly Kravtsov. The 6’4, left-handed shooting, 18-year-old, right-winger signed a new one-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL). Kravtsov will not be in Rangers training camp and will only be eligible to play in North America - either the NHL or AHL- once the conclusion of Traktor’s KHL season arrives. The Rangers also have announced David Quinn’s assistant coaches. The first is David Oliver, a former Blueshirt during his playing days. He worked with Quinn at Lake Erie (nee Cleveland) when he was the head coach there as part of the Avalanche organization. Quinn then chose Greg Brown from his collegiate rival, Boston College. They also worked together at USA Hockey. Brown is a long-time friend, and former BC teammate of Ranger great, and Cheshire native, Brian Leetch. Brown has been an assistant with BC for 13 years. The move will certainly not slow the BU-BC rivalry intact with this move. UCONN SCHEDULE UNVEILED The Huskies, who finished the regular season strong, have a light home schedule for the first half of the season, and a strong one over the second half. This scheduling is the complete opposite of last season. The team is on the road their first four games before they make their home opener. The Huskies tango with Army at West Point on Friday, October 12. Then the Huskies are in Hamden to skate against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats on Tuesday, October 16. They then travel to Providence Friday on October 19th then leave for Troy, NY for a non-conference meeting with RPI. Both the RPI and Army games will be the team's first visits there. The Huskies kick off the home schedule against the Maine Black Bears at the XL Center on Friday, October 26th. On Saturday, the 27th, the Huskies will play at 3 pm as part of a UCONN-Wolf Pack XL Center hockey doubleheader. The Huskies have two special road trips this season. They will travel first to Belfast, Northern Ireland to play BU, Union College, and Yale as part of the Friendship Four tourney for the Belpot Championship on November 23rd and 24th. The Odyssey Arena, the home of the UK-based, Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), Belfast Giants, will host the games. UCONN will play Yale at Ingalls Rink on New Year’s Eve Day at 4 pm before traveling to Las Vegas to play at the T-Mobile Arena, the home of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights. The Huskies will take part in the second annual Ice Vegas Invitational in January school time, game time and broadcast info to be announced at a later date. The complete schedule is available HERE. KAITION DISSED? If you need another reason to hate the Carolina Hurricanes as they look to end one of the last vestiges of the Hartford Whalers radio voice, Chuck Kaiton, read about it HERE. COACHES & PLAYER MOVEMENT Elias Lindholm, the son of former Nighthawk, Mikael Lindholm, was acquired by the Calgary Flames at the NHL Draft from Carolina. He signs a four-year extension at $4.85M per season. Congrats to former Quinnipiac player and assistant coach, Reid Cashman, who gets a promotion from the Hershey Bears to the Stanley Cup Champion, Washington Capitals, as their new assistant coach. As part of the wholesale change in Hershey, former Wolf Pack, Randy Murphy, was relieved as an assistant coach, but old Wolf Pack and Yale Bulldog, Alex Westlund, will remain as the goaltending coach. Ex-Pack, Ryan Graves, signs a one-year, two-way deal with the Colorado Avalanche paying $650K in the NHL and $70K in the AHL. Graves will likely start the year with the newest AHL team, the Colorado Eagles (Loveland, CO). Goalie Jon Gillies (Salisbury Prep) signs a two-year deal with Calgary; Gillies gets a two-way deal at $750K in the NHL and $200K in the AHL, and a one-way contract in 2019-20 at $750K. He could start the year in Stockton. The Sound Tigers signed a defenseman, Devon Toews (Quinnipiac University), to a two-year deal. Toews hit a grand slam in this deal with the one-way money of $650K the first year, and $750K the second year. Kyle Burroughs also got a standard two-year two-way deal. The first season he'll earn $650K (NHL) or $100K (AHL). The second-year pays $700K (NHL) $125K (AHL). Kurtis MacDermid, the son of former Whaler, Paul MacDermid, gets a two-year, two-way deal from the LA Kings. The first year he'll make $650K (NHL) or $100K (AHL) with the following season paying $700K (NHL) and $150K (AHL). He will likely start the season in Ontario. Former UCONN Husky, Spencer Naas, who, after completing four years in Storrs, played four games with Cleveland, has signed a one-year AHL deal with the Texas Stars, last season’s AHL Calder Cup finalist. Ex-Pack, Alex Krushelnyski, who was the big hero for Lehigh Valley when he scored the game-winning goal in the fifth overtime against Charlotte, the AHL’s longest playoff game ever, signs a one-year AHL deal with the Phantoms. Tim Army, a Providence, RI native, and a fixture in college and pro hockey, was named the head coach of Iowa. He was an assistant last year with Wilkes Barre/Scranton. Army’s son, Derek (Hotchkiss Prep), retired to become an assistant with Worcester (ECHL). In August, at The Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, the installation of a new $700K video board will be completed and in time for the 2018-19 season. Ex-Pack, Shawn O’Donnell, who played just one game on a recall last year with the Wolf Pack before suffering a fractured cheekbone, has signed back with Cincinnati (ECHL) for next season. Mike Doherty, a former Yale Bulldog, re-signs with Manchester (ECHL) and his fellow ex-Bulldog, Frankie DiChiara, goes from Worcester (ECHL) to Reading (ECHL). Ex-Pack Mackenzie Skapski departs Orlando (ECHL) and heads to Europe where he signed with HKM Zvolen (Slovakia-SLEL). Joel Martin, a former Sound Tiger goalie, retires from Kalamazoo (ECHL) to become an assistant coach. Ex-Sound Tiger, Ryan Walters, re-signs with Utah (ECHL). Make it ten more AHL’ers heading to Europe. Ex-Pack captain, Mat Bodie, leaves Syracuse for Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL). Also moving to Europe is the Pack’s Dan Catenacci, who was a part of that trade. He signs with HC Bolzano Foxes (Italy-AEHL). Catenacci was acquired from Rochester two years ago for Bodie. In Hartford, he had nine goals and 24 points in 61 games. Catenacci, whose plays in the Austria Elite League, is now following in his father’s skate blades. His dad played strictly in Europe. Maurizio Catenacci had a 13-year career (599 points in 354 games) in Italy and concluded his career with seasons in France, Germany, and Slovenia. The other eight AHL’ers heading to Europe include Adam Comrie, who ended the year in Utica after splitting time in Lehigh Valley and Reading (ECHL). He signs with Klagenfurter AC (Austria-AEHL). Phillip Holm, who was in Utica and played a game in Vancouver before being traded to the Chicago Wolves at the trade deadline, signed with Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL). Mike Latta, Binghamton/Tucson, skates to Kunlun (China, KHL), and Trevor Mingioia leaves Milwaukee for Vasterviks IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan). Mike Blunden leaves Belleville to go to HC Bolzano (Italy-AEHL), and one of the most significant AHL signees, Temmu Pulkkinen, goes from the Chicago Wolves to Dynamo Minsk (Belarus-KHL). Brent Regner leaves Texas for EC Salzburg (Austria-AEHL) while Patrick Cannone leaves Iowa for ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL). 57 players plus one coach have all signed to go to Europe. 24 AHL teams have lost at least one player. Ex-Pack, Travis Oleksuk, leaves HC Bolzano Foxes (Italy-AEHL) after two years but will stay in the league and play in Austria for the EC Graz 99’ers. Ex-Pack, Paul Crowder, goes from defending champion, Cardiff (Wales-EIHL) to Fife (Scotland-EIHL) for next season.. Ex-Sound Tiger, Victor Bartley, goes from Orebro HK (Sweden-SHL) to Kunlun (China-KHL), Evan Richardson, a former UCONN Husky, departs from Tulsa (ECHL) to Manchester (England-EIHL). Ex-Pack, Nicklas Jensen, signed a one-year deal with Jokerit Helsinki (Finland-KHL). Five more collegians have signed overseas. There will be three in France, the World Cup capital of the universe. Mark Auk of Michigan Tech (WCHA) signs with Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL) and Eetu Torpstrom UMASS-Amherst (HE) signs with Jokerit Helsinki (Finland-KHL). Alex Bontje goes from Robert Morris (AHA) to HC Cholet (France Division-2) and Gianni Mangone along with his collegiate teammate, Derek Thorogood, are headed from Division III Marian University (NCHA) to HC Neuilly-sur-Marne (France Division-2). Brad McClure, the captain of Minnesota State-Mankato, signs with Texas as did Nolan Gluchowski of St. Lawrence (ECACHL). Corey Kalk goes from Dartmouth College (ECACHL) to Orlando (ECHL). Kevin Miller from Ohio State (Big 10) signs with Ft. Wayne (ECHL) while another player has returned to Canadian college hockey in Colin Grannary. He goes from the University Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC) to Concordia University–Montreal (OUAA). That's now 164 Division I college players that have signed North American pro deals. 218 total college players have signed either North American or European agreements. Four players have now transferred to Canadian college hockey. The University of Alaska-Fairbanks, after a long process, has hired an assistant coach, and Fairbanks native, Steve Largen, to be the Nanooks new head coach the ninth in school history. Defenseman Jordan Smith, whose career was cut short after losing an eye when he played in Portland (AHL), was named associate head coach for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL). His injury ushered in the mandatory half visor rule in the AHL. Some nice ex-Pack news! Former all-time great, Derek Armstrong, had a test for a TV gig with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Their games air on AT&T Sportsnet. Another reason to watch Vegas hockey! Last year Armstrong did ten test games doing pre- and post-game studio work. Armstrong is still the head coach for the LA Kings Triple AAA U-15 and U-18 teams which his sons, Easton and Dawson, are on. Easton is heading to summer development camp with Regina (WHL) who drafted him back in the spring. Armstrong, is the Director of Satellite programming (on ice) for LA which is an outreach development program. He also just hired ex-Nighthawk, Todd Elik, a former LA King, to run the newly designed LA Kings hockey academy in Beijing, China. Another ex-Wolf Pack is now coaching. Defenseman Ronnie Sundin, from the very first Wolf Pack team, coaches Hamhals IF J-18 squad in Sweden. His son, Anton, plays for Frolunda HC J-20 and is eligible to play for the Swedish Hockey League team while his nephew, Felix Sundin-Hellqvist, plays for Falu IF (Sweden Division-2). There are now 20 former Wolf Pack players whose sons and daughters are playing at high levels of hockey. The current known number is 32. Last crazy ex-Pack tidbit... Three former players are involved in the BCMML league (Bantam level) in British Columbia. Two of them are coaches in Geoff Smith, with Thompson, and Peter Hay with Fraser Valley. Jeff Finley has his son playing in the league; Jack was with Okanagan last year. 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