WOLF PACK UNLEASHED: SULLIVAN MACK
Jun 12, 2025HARTFORD, CT – To call the final week of March crazy for Sullivan Mack would be an understatement. The forward scored the biggest goal of his hockey career on Mar. 27 for Cornell, came up just a goal short of the NCAA Frozen Four two days later, then inked an AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack on Apr. 2.
A whirlwind few days saw one chapter come to a thrilling end and a new one begin.
“That week was wild,” Mack said when asked to look back on it. “To be one goal away from the Frozen Four and have so much excitement at the end of the year, then heading to Hartford a few days later, it was a whirlwind of emotions. So many ups and downs, but it ended on a high with the opportunity to come to Hartford.”
Mack, a native of Anchorage, AK, joined the Wolf Pack for the final few weeks of the regular season as the team chased a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
After skating with the team a few times, he made his professional debut on Apr. 6 at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. That afternoon, the Wolf Pack were visiting the back-to-back Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears with key points on the line.
“There were lots of nerves going into that one,” he said when asked about his debut. “The boys in the room and the coaching staff made it much easier for me to jump in and play my game. It was a great atmosphere in that building. Being there around the guys, seeing their preparation, it was super impressive the way they can continue to bring that energy and focus after almost 70 games. It’s something I am looking forward to being able to do next season.”
The number of games played will be just one of the many adjustments Mack deals with as a rookie this fall. Going from the collegiate level to the professional ranks is a jump that many players have to deal with. It’s one that will present challenges and adversity, but one that Mack embraces.
Despite getting into just one game, his stint with the club helped lay the blueprint for the fall. Practicing with the team, being around the team on a daily basis, and traveling with the club helped give Mack a glimpse into the life of a professional hockey player and what his future looks like.
“It was huge for me going into next year to be able to meet the guys and the staff and get acclimated to Hartford and the AHL,” he said of the experience. “Going into camp next year, having met most of the members of the organization, it’s going to help me focus on performing on the ice and give me the best chance to make a good impression in camp.”
The experience also allowed him to learn about the differences between the game at the NCAA level and the AHL. Not only is the travel, lifestyle and number of games different, but the game itself is different with some of the best players in the world patrolling the ice each night.
“The biggest difference between pro and college that I found was in the speed that guys make decisions at,” Mack said. “It forces you to have a heightened awareness with and without the puck.”
With a successful collegiate career completed and nearly a month of professional experience, Mack is ready for a summer of preparation for his first pro training camp this September. He’ll arrive in the Connecticut capital on an AHL contract with the Wolf Pack and will look to break camp with the club.
One advantage he’ll have is his brief tenure with the team to end the 2024-25 season and the lessons learned during that run. With that knowledge in mind, Mack knows exactly what he is trying to accomplish this summer.
“One the ice, I would like to work on every area of my game,” he proclaimed. “I’m just trying to become a more polished player across the board. Off the ice, I am going to work on maintaining a consistent approach to performance through the longer pro season. It will be tough to fully know until I am in the season experiencing it, but I want to make sure I am as prepared as I can be to make an impact each night.”
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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 PeoplesBank Arena. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Will Cuylle, and Matt Rempe. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.