RANGERS ASSIGN SIX TO WOLF PACK
Sep 24, 2023
HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced on Sunday that the club has assigned six players to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The club has assigned goaltender Olof Lindbom, defensemen Seth Barton, Zach Berzolla, and Ryan McCleary, and forwards Maxim Barbashev and Sahil Panwar to the Wolf Pack.
Lindbom, 23, made his AHL debut with the Wolf Pack during the 2022-23 season, appearing in one game. He also appeared in 28 games with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen, posting a record of 17-10-1. Lindbom, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, was selected in the second round, 39th overall, by the Rangers in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Barton, 24, appeared in 36 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins during the 2022-23 season. He scored five points (2 g, 3 a) in the AHL, while also collecting eight points (2 g, 6 a) in 10 ECHL games with the Toledo Walleye.
The native of Kelowna, BC, also appeared in 13 Kelly Cup Playoff games with the Walleye, scoring 13 points (1 g, 12 a). He signed an AHL contract with the Wolf Pack on July 12th, 2023.
Berzolla, 25, appeared in four games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans a season ago, registering one goal. He also dressed in 56 ECHL games with the Cincinnati Cyclones, scoring a career-high 25 points (6 g, 19 a).
The native of Howell, New Jersey, signed an AHL deal with the Wolf Pack on July 13th, 2023. This is his second stint with the club. Berzolla skated in eight games with Hartford during the 2021-22 season.
McCleary, 20, joined the Rangers on a professional tryout (PTO) ahead of training camp last week. He appeared in 66 games with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks a season ago, scoring 31 points (13 g, 18 a). The native of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, also scored two points (1 g, 1 a) in nine WHL playoff games last spring.
He was selected in the seventh round, 194th overall, of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Barbashev, 19, notched a career-high 65 points (32 g, 33 a) in 67 games with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats during the 2022-23 campaign. He tacked on eight points (4 g, 4 a) in 12 QMJHL playoff games last spring, then joined the Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) following his junior season. He did not, however, make his AHL debut.
Barbashev, a native of Moskva, Russia, was selected by the Rangers in the fifth round, 161st overall, of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Panwar, 21, signed with the Wolf Pack as a free agent on July 10th, 2023. He split his 2022-23 season between the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and Hamilton Bulldogs. With the Petes, Panwar scored 17 points (10 g, 7 a) in 34 games. While with the Bulldogs, Panwar collected 52 points (21 g, 31 a) in 34 games, giving him a total of 69 points (31 g, 38 a) in 68 regular season games.
The Wolf Pack kick off the home portion of their 2023-24 season at the XL Center on Friday, October 20th, when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
The full 2023-24 Wolf Pack schedule can be viewed here. For tickets, visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets, or call 860-722-9425.
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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.