Howlings

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (July 10, 2025) - The Bridgeport Islanders are celebrating their 25th anniversary season with a highly anticipated throwback. The New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate is returning to its roots, today announcing 14 “Sound Tigers Saturdays” as part of their 2025-26 regular season schedule. “As we enter our 25th anniversary season, we’re incredibly proud to honor the history and tradition of professional hockey in Bridgeport,” Senior Vice President of Business Operations Joe Dolan said. “The Sound Tigers logo represents where it all began, a legacy of passionate fans, memorable moments, and a strong connection to our community.” Click here for the full 2025-26 schedule . “Bringing back the Sound Tigers look on Saturday nights is our way of celebrating those roots while creating new memories,” Dolan added. “This season is all about honoring our past while embracing our future, and we can’t wait to share it with every...

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (July 10, 2025) - The Bridgeport Islanders are celebrating their 25th anniversary season with a highly anticipated throwback. The New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate is returning to its roots, today announcing 14 “Sound Tigers Saturdays” as part of their 2025-26 regular season schedule. “As we enter our 25th anniversary season, we’re incredibly proud to honor the history and tradition of professional hockey in Bridgeport,” Senior Vice President of Business Operations Joe Dolan said. “The Sound Tigers logo represents where it all began, a legacy of passionate fans, memorable moments, and a strong connection to our community.” Click here for the full 2025-26 schedule . “Bringing back the Sound Tigers look on Saturday nights is our way of celebrating those roots while creating new memories,” Dolan added. “This season is all about honoring our past while embracing our future, and we can’t wait to share it with every...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack, in conjunction with the American Hockey League (AHL), announced today the club’s full schedule for the 2025-26 season. The club’s 29th season begins on the road on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. The Wolf Pack will face off against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA, at 6:05 p.m. This marks the fourth consecutive season in which the Wolf Pack has opened on the road. The Pack is back at PeoplesBank Arena on Friday, Oct. 18, 2025, for the annual home opener. It’ll be the second of six meetings on the season with the Penguins. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Two teams return to the schedule for the 2025-26 season. The Wolf Pack will make return trips to both Cleveland and Toronto after not facing either team during the 2024-25 season. The Wolf Pack and Cleveland Monsters will play four times this season, twice in Hartford (Wednesday, March 11, 2026, and Friday, M...

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (July 9, 2025) - The Bridgeport Islanders, American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, will face the Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins) to open their 25th anniversary season at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders and Bruins will drop the puck at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, for the first of 36 home games. The American Hockey League plans to unveil the full, regular-season schedule for all 32 of its member clubs tomorrow. Additionally, the Islanders will share a significant detail about their 25th anniversary celebration. Opening Night Plus Packs are now on sale and offer the best value for attending the home opener and other games at Total Mortgage Arena this season. Opening Night Plus Packs include two (2) tickets to the Oct. 11 home opener, two (2) tickets to one of the other five guaranteed dates (Nov. 15, Nov. 28, Jan. 3, Jan. 17, Mar. 7), and two (2) Bridgeport Islanders Tote Bags. Connect with the Bridgepo...

WOLF PACK TO HOST WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS IN HOME OPENER ON OCTOBER 17TH By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack, in conjunction with the American Hockey League (AHL), announced today that the club will host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday, Oct. 17, at 7:00 p.m. at PeoplesBank Arena for the team’s 2025-26 home opener. This is the third time in the franchise’s 29-year history that the Wolf Pack opens the home portion of its schedule against the Penguins. The Wolf Pack hosted the Penguins in the home opener in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns. The Wolf Pack are 1-0-0-1 against the Penguins when playing them in the home opener. The Pack erased a 3-0 deficit on Oct. 22, 2022, on the strength of two C.J. Smith goals, but ultimately fell 4-3 in the shootout. A year later, on Oct. 20, 2023, the Wolf Pack blanked the Penguins 5-0 in the home opener for the 2023-24 season. Five different Wolf Pack players scored in the victory, includ...

Blueliner finished with nearly a point-per-game, first player announced for 2025-26 By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (GREENVILLE, S.C.) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced today via a Swamp Rabbit Moving Transaction that defenseman Dustin Geregach has signed with the team for the 2025-26 ECHL Season. He is the first player signing announced this offseason, and subsequently the first returning player from the 2024-25 campaign. Geregach returns to the Upstate after beginning his professional career with the Swamp Rabbits at the end of last season. The 6’0”, 180-pound defenseman made his professional debut at Savannah on March 7th and followed with his first professional point, an assist, the next night in Orlando. Geregach lit the lamp for the first time in his professional career three weeks later at Atlanta on March 28th and ultimately totaled a pair of goals and 13 points, registering a point ...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, Ill. – Bloomington Bison General Manager and Head Coach, Phillip Barski, announced the team’s qualifying offers. The Qualifying Offers are as follows: FORWARDS (5):  Chongmin Lee, Brandon Yeamans, Mikael Robidoux, Brett Budgell, Connor Lockhart DEFENSEMAN (1):   Zack Hoffman GOALTENDER (1): Mark Sinclair Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2025-26 Season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until July 22, at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void, and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified playe...

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (July 7, 2025) - The Bridgeport Islanders, the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, have signed goaltender Parker Gahagen to an AHL contract. Gahagen, 32, spent the majority of last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL), posting a 12-4-4 record with a 2.39 goals-against-average, .916 save percentage, and one shutout in 22 games. He also made five appearances during the Calder Cup Playoffs, helping the Phantoms reach the Atlantic Division Semifinals. A native of Amherst, N.Y., Gahagen is 24-16-7 with a 2.67 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage in 52 career AHL games with the Phantoms, Milwaukee Admirals, Colorado Eagles, Toronto Marlies, and San Jose Barracuda. He also has a 72-35-6 record, 2.33 goals-against-average, .921 save percentage, and 11 shutouts in 124 career ECHL games with the Reading Royals, Jacksonville Icemen, Florida Everblades, Utah Grizzlies, and Newfoundland Growlers. Gah...

By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, Ill. – Bloomington Bison General Manager and Head Coach Phillip Barski announced today the team has signed forward Mark Kaleinikovas to an ECHL standard player contract. Kaleinikovas, 26, appeared in 30 games last season with JKH GKS Jastrzebie of the Poland League. He totaled 27 points (14g, 13a) with a +6 rating. Kaleinikovas’ 14 goals ranked tied for third on the team. In addition, he collected eight points (4g, 4a) in 14 postseason games. The Kaunas, Lithuania native, has spent the previous three seasons playing in Poland and has represented his country in international play. During his career in Poland, Kaleinikovas amassed 85 points (37g, 48a) in 94 games. He also produced 28 points (17g, 11a) in 40 postseason games. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound forward won the Polish Championship in 2023-24 and scored the championship-clinching goal. Last season, Kaleinikovas claimed a World Championship (D1B) Gold Medal with Team Lithuania and tallied ...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Gavin Hain on a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season. Hain, 25, scored a career-high ten goals, 17 assists, and 27 points in 26 games with the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders this past season. He added four points (1 g, 3 a) in two Kelly Cup Playoff games with the club. In addition to his time with the Heartlanders, Hain dressed in 25 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. He recorded five points (3 g, 2 a) with Wild. The native of Grand Rapids, MN, also skated in 47 games with the Wild during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring a career-high six goals and four assists. He has skated in 72 career AHL games, all with the Wild, and scored 15 points (9 g, 6 a). The 6’, 194-pound forward has suited up in 32 career ECHL games with the Heartlanders, recording 29 points (12 g, 17 a). Hain was selected i...

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced that the club has signed defenseman Cooper Moore to a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season. Moore, 24, skated in 37 games with Quinnipiac University this past season, recording 14 points (1 g, 13 a). He finished tied for second among defensemen in points and finished tied for sixth on the club in +/- with a +10 rating. The native of Greenwich, CT, enjoyed a career season with the Bobcats during the 2023-24 campaign. He tied his previous career-high with three goals that season and set career-best marks in assists (19), points (22), and +/- (+26). Before his time at Quinnipiac University, Moore spent three seasons (2020-21 – 2022-23) at the University of North Dakota, appearing in 87 games with the program. Over five NCAA seasons, Moore skated in 163 games and recorded 63 points (11 g, 52 a). The Detroit Red Wings selected the 6’...

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (June 23, 2025) - The New York Islanders announced today that  Rocky Thompson has been named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Islanders. He becomes the 10th Head Coach in team history. Thompson, 47, joins the Islanders following three seasons as Assistant Coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. Thompson’s Head Coaching resume includes a Memorial Cup Championship with the Windsor Spitfires (Ontario Hockey League) in 2017 and an appearance in the Calder Cup Finals with the Chicago Wolves (American Hockey League) in 2019. Before joining the Flyers coaching staff, Thompson spent the 2020-21 season as an Associate Coach with the San Jose Sharks under Head Coach Bob Boughner, who was subsequently named Assistant Coach of the New York Islanders. Thompson was the head coach of the Chicago Wolves, the Vegas Golden Knights' AHL club, for three seasons (2017-20). He compiled a 113-71-29 record in 213 regular season games with the Wolves, incl...