WOLF PACK UNLEASHED: CASE McCARTHY
May 15, 2025
HARTFORD, CT – Defenseman Case McCarthy got a taste of professional hockey after signing with the Hartford Wolf Pack late in the 2023-24 season. That taste prepared him for his rookie season, the first of a two-year deal with the Wolf Pack.
McCarthy’s rookie campaign featured the normal ups and downs, as he suited up for both the Wolf Pack and the club’s ECHL affiliate, the Bloomington Bison. For the former Boston University defenseman, the 2024-25 campaign was a great learning experience.
“It’s hard, you have to be on your game every night, night in and night out,” McCarthy said when asked about what lessons he learned as a rookie. “Overall, I think it was a good year. There were a lot of good learning experiences I can take, lessons if you will, into the summer and into next season. I know what I have to do going into camp next fall to be successful.”
McCarthy appeared in 16 games with the Wolf Pack, picking up his first career assist in his season debut. He also skated in 19 games with the Bison, racking up seven points (2 g, 5 a).
Despite only appearing in 35 total games, McCarthy got a great look at how life is in the AHL. He spent a majority of the season’s second half in Hartford, practicing with the club and soaking in everything he could.
“I think it was great,” he said of his time in the Connecticut capital down the stretch. “I know I didn’t get into the lineup too much, but practicing against these high-level guys every single day helps. For me, I think I can see the improvement in myself, especially in that last game of the season.
“Being here for a while, practicing, learning what it’s like to be on the road quite a bit as a pro, those are things that I can take with me going into next year.”
Part of the reason the native of Troy, NY, learned so much was the group around him. The Wolf Pack boasted a veteran group of defenders featuring players like Chad Ruhwedel, Connor Mackey, Brandon Scanlin, Matthew Robertson, and Ben Harpur during the season.
Those players, seasoned pros, were key to McCarthy’s rookie experience.
“I learned a ton from being around them,” he said when asked about the defense group. “Whether it’s been watching them from the seats or talking with them in practice, talking with them in the locker room, they are all such pros. Learning how they take care of themselves off the ice, learning how they deal with themselves on the ice and in the locker room, how they are leaders in the room. I think just being a sponge around them, observing, asking questions. I respect all of those guys and learned a ton from them this season.”
With those lessons learned, and with the experience of a full season of pro hockey under his belt, McCarthy is set to spend the summer preparing for his second season under contract with the Wolf Pack.
Now, he knows what to expect when training camp comes around in September. He knows what he feels he needs to improve on during the off-season.
“For me, I think you can always get stronger, especially in this league going from the college level where you’re one of the older guys,” McCarthy observed. “Now, you’re playing against guys that are a lot bigger, a lot stronger, so I think continuing to work on my strength, work on my skating, work on my edge work, those are things that you can always improve on.
“I think, for me too, getting pucks through from the point. Guys in this league, they want to block shots and for me to create offense, I think that’s something I can work on.”
All of that work will be put in during the summer months with one goal in mind. For McCarthy, it’s all about showing up ready to make an impression in training camp. Finishing the season with the Wolf Pack was a great experience a season ago. Now, the defenseman wants to start the season in Hartford too.
“I want to be a full-time player in the American League,” he said when asked about his goals for next season. “I know this year, up and down a little bit, but I think for me, making the team out of camp and sticking here and being an everyday guy has to be the goal.”
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.