Howlings

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins split a home-and-home set over the weekend, with the road team prevailing in both. Following the back-to-back set, the Wolf Pack entered the holiday break with a record of 13-11-2-1. Friday, December 20th, 2024, Vs. Providence Bruins (1-0 L): Tyler Pitlick’s rebound goal 5:42 into the second period on Friday night stood as the lone tally for the Bruins in their 1-0 win over the Wolf Pack. Pitlick batted in a rebound off a Billy Sweezey shot from the right-wing circle, giving him his seventh goal of the season. It was Pitlick’s third goal against the Wolf Pack this season and his second game-winning goal in as many meetings. Michael DiPietro improved to 3-0-0 against the Wolf Pack this season, making 21 saves to collect the shutout. Despite the loss, Dylan Garand was spectacular in net for the Wolf Pack. He made a career-high 43 saves and was named the game’s first star. Saturday, December ...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – Anton Blidh struck twice on Saturday night, helping his Hartford Wolf Pack double up his former team, the Providence Bruins, 4-2 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion . The win snapped the Bruins’ four-game home winning streak and eight-game overall point streak. 82 seconds into the second period, Bryce McConnell-Barker lifted a puck over a sliding Brandon Bussi to give the Wolf Pack a 3-1 lead. Casey Fitzgerald fired a shot into traffic that hit a body in front, coming to Adam Sýkora. Sýkora chipped the puck to McConnell-Barker, who buried the eventual game-winning goal. The goal was McConnell-Barker’s fifth of the season, with Sýkora and Fitzgerald picking up the assists. Sýkora’s assist was his second of the night, giving him five points (2 g, 3 a) against the Bruins this season. It also marked the third two-point game of the season for Sýkora. Blidh opened the scoring 12:35 into the game, potting his sixth goal of the season. Blidh interc...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, IL - Bloomington Bison General Manager and Head Coach Phillip Barski announced the team had claimed forward Mitch Walinski off waivers. Walinski, 26, began the season skating in the ECHL with Adirondack Thunder for four games, accumulating two penalty minutes. The Lincoln, Rhode Island native appeared in 49 games with the Atlanta Gladiators last season, posting 11 points (seven goals, four assists) with 32 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward dressed in 61 career NCAA games with Salve Regina University, collecting 65 points (37 goals, 28 assists) and 89 penalty minutes. In addition, Walinski played in 114 career NAHL games between the Bismarck Bobcats and Corpus Christi IceRays, totaling 70 points (43 goals, 27 assists) and 102 penalty minutes. The Bison return to Grossinger Motors Arena on Saturday, December 28 at 7 p.m. for Batman Night, featuring a specialty jersey and live auction following the game! Single-game seats are a...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, IL – The Bloomington Bison set a team record for most goals scored in a period with a four-goal first against the Iowa Heartlanders. The Bison’s early lead helped them claim a 5-2 win. The Bison didn’t waste time in the opening frame as Andrei Bakanov scored on a wrist shot at 5:11. His third of the season was assisted by Chongmin Lee and Eddie Matsushima. Continuing an action-packed frame, Bison forward Jackson Stewart and Heartlander’s forward Nico Blachman dropped the gloves at 6:08. At 9:51, Iowa faced a high-sticking penalty, giving the Bison their first power play of the night. Bloomington took advantage of this, with Blake McLaughlin scoring on a rebound from Carter Berger at the ten-minute mark. Lee also assisted on McLaughlin’s seventh goal of the season. The Bison continued to pour it on as Jake Murray scored his first of the season on a wrist shot from the top of the circle. Murray’s goal was assisted by Thomas Stewart, giving ...

By: Jason Alwang, Howlings HARTFORD, CT: The Hartford Wolf Pack were shut out 1-0 by the Providence Bruins in the second game of a three-game set against their division rivals. The game's lone goal came from ex-Wolf Pack Tyler Pitlick in front of 5,106 at the XL Center on Friday night. “We passed up some shots.” Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny said of his team's failure to score. “I didn’t think we did a good enough job playing fast in the neutral zone.” Pitlick’s goal came at 5:42 of the second period and broke a scoreless tie despite excellent scoring chances denied by Wolf Pack netminder Dylan Garand, who kept his teammates in the game and made 43 saves on the night. Pitlick batted a bouncing puck that he retrieved off a point shot from Billy Sweezy that deflected off Garand's stick. He gathered the biscuit and deposited it into the back of the net for his seventh goal of the campaign. Sweezy and Jeffrey Viel were given helpers on the tally. GAME SHEET From the outset...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – Dylan Garand made a season-high 43 saves for the Hartford Wolf Pack tonight but could not come away with the victory. Michael DiPietro made 21 saves for the Bruins, keeping the Wolf Pack off the board as the Bruins claimed a 1-0 win at the XL Center. Garand was the story of the opening period, making 21 saves to keep the Bruins off the board. The 21 shots allowed were the most allowed by the Wolf Pack in a single period this season. The Wolf Pack’s penalty kill also stepped up in a big way, killing off 4:10 of consecutive power play time for the Bruins. Victor Mancini was whistled for interference at 13:26, then ten seconds later, Connor Mackey was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking. The Bruins fired six shots on goal on the power play but were held off the board as Garand was strong, and numerous Wolf Pack penalty killers made key shot blocks. The Bruins outshot the Wolf Pack 16-5 in the middle stanza, breaking the ice on their...

The team conducted deliveries in the aftermath of Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Swamp Rabbit Moving. By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (GREENVILLE, S.C.) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced in-game on Thursday that the team received and donated 7,124 stuffed animals as part of their 15th Annual Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Swamp Rabbit Moving. Swamp Rabbits players Bobby Russell, Austin Saint, Stuart Rolofs, Jacob Ingham, Max Coyle, Arvid Caderoth, Mikael Robidoux, Patrick Moynihan, and Kolby Hay, in addition to staff from the Swamp Rabbits and Swamp Rabbit Moving, donated the bears throughout this week before the Christmas holiday to local charities and organizations. The 7,124 bears showcased consistent growth in this particular game and the generosity that comes with it, surpassing last season’s 6,500 and 2023’s total of 5,064. "The Teddy Bear Toss is a true staple for us as a Community-First organization. The...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, IL –  Bloomington Bison General Manager and Head Coach Phillip Barski announced today the signing of defenseman Matt Staudacher to a standard ECHL player contract. Staudacher, 24, began the season skating in the Italian Hockey League with Bressanone scoring a team-leading 10 goals and 23 points with 25 penalty minutes.    The Grand Blanc, Michigan native played in 127 career NCAA games between the University of Minnesota and Northeastern University. He totaled 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) and 78 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound defenseman was a Golden Gophers 2021 B1G Championship team member. The Bison return to Grossinger Motors Arena on Friday, December 20 at 7 p.m. for 309 Night, featuring $3 beers, hot dogs, soda, $0 popcorn, and a $9 specialty t-shirt. Single-game seats are available starting as low as $20! Group pricing with benefits and suite options are also available. Visit bloomingtonbisonhockey.com or call (309) ...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has assigned defenseman Connor Mackey to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Rangers Assistant General Manager and Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin has also announced that the club has loaned defenseman Ryan Siedem to the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison. Mackey, 28, has recorded six points (2 g, 4 a) and a +2 +/- rating in 22 games with the Wolf Pack this season, his second with the club. He has also appeared in two games with the Rangers, recording five PIMs. During the 2023-24 campaign, Mackey accumulated eleven points (2 g, 9 a) in 44 games with the Wolf Pack and skated in one game with the Rangers. The native of Tower Lakes, IL, has appeared in 146 career AHL games with the Wolf Pack and Stockton Heat, scoring 69 points (12 g, 57 a). He has also skated in 42 NHL games with the Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, and Calgary Flames, notching eleven points (4 g, ...

Two-way skater averaged almost a point per game in two weeks in the Upstate. By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (GREENVILLE, S.C.) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced today via a Swamp Rabbit Moving Transaction that two-way skater John Parker-Jones has been called up by the team’s AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Parker-Jones leaves the Swamp Rabbits with a near point-per-game pace over two weeks of action. The 6’7”, 230-pound forward/defenseman scored twice and notched five points in six games, ending his Swamp Rabbits stint with a three-point performance (1g-2ast) in his 100th professional game, a 5-4 overtime win against the Orlando Solar Bears on Sunday. Hailing from Brantford, Ontario, Parker-Jones, 24, enters this call-up to Ontario with 100 career games as a professional, 22 coming in the AHL with Laval (2g-1ast-3pts, 34 PIM), and 78 in the ECHL with the Swamp Rabbits and Trois-Rivieres Lions (17g-14ast-31pts, 1...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack split a back-to-back set over the weekend, closing out their four-game homestand with a victory before opening three straight games against the Providence Bruins with a defeat on Sunday. Saturday, December 14th, 2024, Vs. Laval Rocket (4-2 W): Adam Sýkora opened the scoring 18:50 into the hockey game on Saturday night, giving the Wolf Pack a lead they never lost against the Rocket. Jake Leschyshyn extended the lead at 9:24 of the second period, tipping home a Matthew Robertson shot on the power play. Alex Belzile then made it a 3-0 game at 11:25, sniping his ninth goal of the season over the right shoulder of Connor Hughes. The Rocket struck twice in the third period, with Zack Hayes and Sean Farrell making it a 3-2 game with goals at 3:34 and 13:16, respectively. Dylan Garand held the fort in the final minutes, making numerous saves before Ben Harpur cemented the win at 19:54 with an empty net tally. Garand ma...

By: Jason Alwang, Howlings HARTFORD, CT: The Hartford Wolf Pack overcame a third-period surge from the Laval Rocket as goaltender Dylan Garand stood out again, making 34 saves in a 4-2 win in front of 5,501 at the XL Center on Saturday. “We were invested in the game, no doubt,” Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny said. “The number of blocks that guys committed to that they knew were going to hurt was probably as high as we’ve had (all season).” About two minutes after Jake Leschyshyn scored in the second period, Alex Belzile would do the same for the game-winner. Belzile received a pass from Anton Blidh, who had just blocked a shot and sped up the ice into the offensive zone for a wrist shot that went behind the Rocket's goaltender, Connor Hughes, to make it 3-0 at 11:25. This was the Wolf Pack's third goal on eleven shots sending Hughes to the bench in favor of Luke Cavallin (9 saves). “Great block. It turned one of (Rocket) scoring chances into a scoring chance for us,” Belzil...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack open up a stretch of three straight games and four out of five against the Providence Bruins this afternoon at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence. The puck drop is set for 4:05 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: This is the third of ten meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins this season. It is the second of five meetings between the foes in the Rhode Island capital. The sides will meet three more times this month, with the Bruins visiting the XL Center on Dec. 20 and Dec. 28. The Wolf Pack return to Providence next Saturday night, Dec. 21. The sides split a pair of 4-2 decisions in the first two meetings, with the home team winning both. The Bruins drew first blood, winning 4-2 on home ice on Nov. 10. Marc McLaughlin’s tally 2:12 into the third period, which made it 3-1 at the time, proved to be the game-winning goal. Max Jones, Tyler Pitlick,...

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (December 15, 2024) - The Bridgeport Islanders (5-16-2-2) host the Laval Rocket (15-8-1-1) in their final home game before Christmas. The puck drop is at 3 p.m. this afternoon at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders had a practice day on Saturday following a 5-3 setback to the Providence Bruins on the road Friday night. Marc Gatcomb, Brian Pinho, and Alex Jefferies each scored a goal - and Cole Bardreau had two points (2a) - but the Islanders fell short for a seventh consecutive game (0-6-1-0). The club also looks to snap an eight-game skid on home ice this afternoon (0-6-0-2). Pinho leads the club with 14 goals and has scored in three consecutive contests. Watch today's game live: AHLTV on FloHockey Listen to today's radio broadcast: Mixlr ISLANDERS VS. ROCKET Today’s game is the first of two meetings between the Islanders and Rocket this season and the only matchup at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders visit Place Bel...

Swamp Rabbits strike three times in the middle, but Atlanta separated enough to spoil holiday favorite. By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Brent Pedersen triggered fluffy pandemonium at 4:53 of the second period and led a second-period spark of three goals, but the Atlanta Gladiators used the power of a three-goal first period and kept enough separation to spoil the Greenville Swamp Rabbits’ Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Swamp Rabbit Moving, with a 5-3 final score. Atlanta jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one period of play, led by the first two of an eventual three-goal night from Blake Murray. Murray’s first goal came at 8:35 of the first period, when he finished a rebound off of a Derek Topatigh shot with a middle lane drive, flipping the puck over Swamp Rabbits net-minder Jacob Ingham to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead (Topatigh and Randy Hernandez assisted). With 5:40 left in the first, Topatigh added his name to the ledger when, following a successful penalty k...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, Ill. –  Jared Westcott sent the teddy bears flying after a goal in the third period. However, the Bloomington Bison faced defeat to the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night at Grossinger Motors Arena with a final score of 2-1. 8:29 into the first frame, Toledo established an early lead as defenseman Brendon Michaelian’s shot short-hopped past goalie Hugo Ollas. Michaelian’s second goal of the season went unassisted. Ending the period, the Bison and Toledo held an even amount of shots-on-goal with ten shots each. TEDDY BEAR TOSS VIDEO   In a scoreless second period, Toledo held a 1-0 lead. At 2:44, the Bison had their first power play but failed to capitalize on the man advantage. The Bison completed two penalty kills in the frame. The Walleye outshot the Bison by an 8-7 margin during the period.   At 8:14, Toledo defenseman Grant Gabriele stuffed the puck past Ollas to make it a 2-0 game. Forwards Griffin Ness and Josh Nodler assisted on Gabri...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack claimed victory for the fourth time in five games on Saturday night, doubling up the Laval Rocket by a score of 4-2 at the XL Center in Hartford. Anton Blidh blocked a shot in the defensive zone just over halfway through the second period, denying an offensive push from the Rocket. The puck bounced to Alex Belzile, who weaved through the neutral zone, entered into the offensive zone on the right-wing side, and ripped home his ninth goal of the season over the right shoulder of Connor Hughes at 11:25 to make it 3-0. The goal was Belzile’s ninth of the season and was his second point (1 g, 1 a) of the night. It would stand as the eventual game-winning goal. The Wolf Pack’s penalty kill was the big story of period one. The Rocket had four power plays in the opening stanza but could not break the ice. Following a four-minute, double-minor to Matt Rempe for high-sticking, the Wolf Pack struck first. Adam Sýkora fired ...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison   Bloomington, IL - The Bloomington Bison tallied a goal in the closing minutes but suffered a loss to the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night at Grossinger Motors Arena with a final score of 2-1. 5:17 into the game, the Komets saw a power play opportunity but could not score. Fort Wayne took the lead at 11:23 as forward Nick Deakin-Poot scored off a rebound from defenseman Darren Brady for his second goal of the season. In concluding the period, the Bison and Komets had seven shots on goal each, with Blake McLaughlin having five shots for the Bison.   In a scoreless second period, Fort Wayne continued to hold the lead. At 4:25, the Bison had their first power play but failed to capitalize on the man advantage. The Bison outshot the Komets by a 9-2 margin in the period.   The Bison saw two power play opportunities in the third period but couldn’t score on either. At 5:25, Komets forward Alex Aleardi scored his ninth goal of the season, extending their le...

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders PROVIDENCE, R.I. (December 13, 2024) - The Bridgeport Islanders (5-16-2-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, could not recover from allowing four goals in the first period on Friday and suffered a 5-3 loss to the Providence Bruins (13-10-2-0) at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Marc Gatcomb, Brian Pinho, and Alex Jefferies each found the back of the net, but the Islanders fell for a seventh consecutive game (0-6-1-0) and third straight on the road (0-2-1-0). Henrik Tikkanen (0-3-0) made 28 saves. Jefferies extended his point streak to a career-long six games (three goals, five assists), and Pinho scored a goal for the third straight contest. Cole Bardreau had a team-high of two points and two assists. BOX SCORE Matt Poitras beat Tikkanen on a rebound near the crease just 1:38 into the contest to put the Bruins ahead 1-0, a lead they would not surrender. It marked the fifth consecutive game with a goal for the 20-year-old Poitras,...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has recalled defenseman Chad Ruhwedel from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Ruhwedel, 34, has recorded three assists in eleven games with the Wolf Pack this season. He has also appeared in one game with the Rangers, posting a +2 +/- rating on Oct. 19, 2024, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The native of San Diego, CA, split the 2023-24 season between the Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers acquired him from the Penguins on Mar. 7, 2024. He scored four points (1 g, 3 a) in 47 games with the Penguins before the trade, then skated in five regular season games with the Rangers. Verizon powers Hartford Wolf Pack transactions during the 2024-25 season. Full-season tickets, 20-game plans, 12-game plans, flex plans, and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! Visit hartfordwolfpack.com or call 860-722-9425 for more details! ...

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (December 13, 2024) -  The Bridgeport Islanders, the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, have signed Gemel Smith to a professional tryout contract (PTO). Smith, 30, recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in seven games on a professional tryout contract with the Syracuse Crunch to begin the season. The veteran forward has 238 points (100 goals, 138 assists) in 363 career AHL games with the Crunch, Henderson Silver Knights, Grand Rapids Griffins, Providence Bruins, and Texas Stars. A Toronto native, Smith spent last season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), collecting 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 35 games between Dinamo Minsk and Kunlun Red Star. He also has 91 NHL games to his credit with the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Dallas Stars. He recorded 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) over six seasons in the NHL. Dallas selected Smith in the fourth round (#104 overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. Next...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison   Many of us were undoubtedly taught from a young age not to throw objects publicly. However, this weekend, the Bloomington Bison are inviting - and encouraging - everyone in attendance at Grossinger Motors Arena to disregard that lesson. The reason? The Teddy Bear Toss tradition begins at Grossinger Motors Arena on Saturday night. With its origins tracing back to Canadian junior leagues in the mid-1990s, the Teddy Bear Toss has quickly become a staple at all amateur and minor league hockey levels. Its premise is simple: fans are invited to bring stuffed animals to the designated game, to eventually hurl onto the ice surface after the home team scores their night's first goal. Once that goal is scored, the plush artillery is collected, counted, and donated to local charities, hospitals, and youth organizations for the holidays. For as much fun as it can be to launch a giant stuffed bear from the second deck of a packed stadium, the Teddy Bear Toss ...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack wrap up their four-game homestand on Saturday night before kicking off three straight games against the Providence Bruins leading into the holiday break. The Pack enters this weekend having won three of their last four games (3-1-0-0) and having collected their first two shutouts of the season. Saturday, December 14th, 2024, Vs. Laval Rocket (6:00 p.m.) : The Wolf Pack and the Laval Rocket meet for the first time this season on Saturday night. It will be the first of four meetings between the clubs. The head-to-head series wraps up with three games in eight days, as the Rocket returns to the XL Center on Jan. 24, and then the Wolf Pack visits Place Bell for two games on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The sides split four games a season ago, with the Wolf Pack posting a 2-2-0-0 record and the Rocket a mark of 2-1-0-1. Each team picked up a regulation victory at the XL Center, with the Rocket winning 5-2 on Feb. 16 and the W...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – Dylan Garand has posted a shutout in back-to-back starts for the first time in his career. The netminder made 31 saves as the Wolf Pack blanked the back-to-back defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears 3-0 at the XL Center . The win snapped a franchise-record 12-game point streak (10-0-2-0) for the Bears on the road. Neither side could break through in the opening stanza, as both goaltenders turned in a solid 20 minutes. Garand made 12 saves in the period, keeping the Bears off the board. His best save came on forward Mike Vecchione, who was set up for a good look from the slot. Hunter Shepard made four saves in the frame for the visitors, with his best stop coming in the final minute on a shot through traffic from Chad Ruhwedel. The Wolf Pack opened the scoring 8:52 into the second period, striking on the power play. Jake Leschyshyn worked down the left-wing side before flinging a puck towards the goal, where Alex Belzile was crash...