PACK MENTALITY: ZAKARY KARPA
Jul 23, 2026HARTFORD, CT – For Zakary Karpa, the 2025-26 season represented an opportunity. Following a four-year NCAA career at Harvard University, Karpa turned pro in May of 2025 when he signed a one-year deal with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Fast forward eleven months, to the end of the 2025-26 season, and Karpa had gone from an unknown rookie pro to a reliable part of the Wolf Pack’s forward depth.
The reward for that development? Another contract with the Wolf Pack for the 2026-27 season.
The decision to sign that contract? Easy in his mind.
“Re-signing with the Wolf Pack was an easy decision for me, specifically because of the core group of guys on the team,” Karpa said when recently asked about his decision. “My first year in Hartford was a great transition since the group meshes so well together. With a team that close, it's exciting to play for each other every night. I knew right away this was a team I wanted to be a part of for another season.”
Karpa began the season as a key piece for the Bloomington Bison of the ECHL. With roster movement in Hartford, Karpa got his chance to prove his AHL chops following the holiday break.
His first impression in the Connecticut capital? A highlight reel goal against the rival Bridgeport Islanders on Dec. 27.
From there, Karpa proved to be a reliable center who the Wolf Pack could rely on in multiple situations. He quickly became a trusted faceoff option for the club and even saw time on a penalty kill that thrived in the season’s second half.
The jump from college hockey to professional hockey can be a tough one. It can be a jump filled with road bumps, stops and starts, and lessons. For Karpa, it was certainly an adjustment, but one that he both handled well and can look back on and learn from.
“Making the jump from college to the professional level is definitely an adjustment,” he said. “The sheer number of games at the pro level takes a much harder toll on your body. I learned a lot from the experienced older guys on how to be a pro early on, and I tried to implement that into my daily routine. I know now what it takes to play at the American League level, and I have been working hard this summer to make sure it translates.”
A summer of applying lessons learned and putting in the work can only help Karpa in his quest to make the Wolf Pack’s roster out of training camp.
There will be another element at work this fall, however. There will be a new coaching staff behind the bench in Hartford. For every player, Karpa included, training camp will be an opportunity to impress the staff. It will be an opportunity to earn a role on the team and earn the trust that Karpa was able to find a season ago.
While he’s aware of this change, Karpa is looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“I'm excited for training camp to show the work I've put in this summer and the growth from last season,” he said when asked about his second professional camp. “With a new coaching staff and new faces, there will definitely be an added level of energy at camp. Everybody will be trying to show their best to the new staff, and that competitiveness will be exciting for us as a team, pushing one another to be better.”
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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.