HARTFORD WOLF PACK AND NEW YORK RANGERS AGREE TO AFFILIATION EXTENSION
Aug 20, 2026HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) and New York Rangers (NHL) announced today an extension to their affiliation agreement. The agreement runs through the end of the 2028-29 season. The deal will ensure that the Wolf Pack enters a fourth decade as Hartford’s professional hockey franchise.
“We are beyond thrilled to continue our long-term partnership with the New York Rangers in Hartford,” said Peter Luukko, co-chairman of Oak View Group’s Stadium and Arena Alliances. “Hartford is a premier market in the AHL, and the relationship between this franchise and the Rangers is one of the most successful in league history. This coming season marks 30 years of this partnership, and we cannot wait to continue growing our brand both on the ice and in the Greater Hartford Community.”
Over the last five seasons, the Wolf Pack have enjoyed tremendous growth off the ice. Since the 2022-23 season, the club has broken its single-season paid tickets record four times. After initially breaking the record during the 2022-23 season, the Wolf Pack topped the mark during the 2023-24 campaign, then improved again in both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
The club’s full-season ticket membership base has doubled since the 2019-20 season, while average attendance per game has gone up 50% in that same timeframe.
The club enjoyed a monumental 2024-25 campaign, setting the franchise record for group tickets sold. That mark earned the franchise a top-ten finish in group sales in the entire AHL for that season.
“The Rangers organization is pleased to continue its successful relationship with the Wolf Pack organization and the city of Hartford,” said Wolf Pack General Manager and Rangers Associate General Manager Ryan Martin. “We look forward continuing to provide our players with a first-class experience in Hartford, and to giving the great fans of Hartford an opportunity to see our prospects as they continue to develop and graduate to the Rangers.”
Through 29 seasons of Wolf Pack hockey in Hartford, the club has sent numerous players and staff members to the NHL. During the 2025-26 NHL season, 22 players who previously played for the Wolf Pack suited up in at least one game for the Rangers.
That list includes the likes of 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin, team captain J.T. Miller, 2025 AHL All-Star Dylan Garand, Gabe Perreault, Matthew Robertson, and Matt Rempe.
The Wolf Pack and Rangers relationship has also produced the only professional hockey championship in the city’s history. The Wolf Pack defeated the Rochester Americans to win the 2000 Calder Cup Championship.
The club has claimed over 1,000 victories during its time in the Connecticut capital and qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs 17 times.
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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 numerous current New York Rangers including Igor Shesterkin, Will Cuylle, and Gabe Perreault. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.