THE HART BEAT – VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6
Nov 12, 2026
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack completed their eight-game road trip with a pair of victories, defeating the Syracuse Crunch and Springfield Thunderbirds to earn a 4-3-1-0 record.
Now, the Pack is ready to get back to PeoplesBank Arena for a rivalry rematch on Saturday against the Thunderbirds.
The Week That Was:
Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, at Rochester Americans (2-4 L): The Wolf Pack fell behind 3-0 in Rochester on Friday night, eventually falling 4-2 despite a strong push in the third period.
Caleb Jones scored at 19:24 of the first period on the power play from the left-wing point, giving the Americans a lead they never lost. Matthew Peca potted a backdoor feed 9:23 into the second period to make it 2-0, then Aidan McDonough scored on the power play at 4:29 of the third to balloon the lead to 3-0.
Liam Greentree struck on the power play at 11:45 of the third period, ripping home his seventh goal of the season from the bottom of the right-wing circle. A Justin Nachbaur centering pass then hit the skate of Lucas Vanroboys at 14:35, beating Talyn Boyko to make it a 3-2 game.
Trevor Kuntar’s empty net strike at 19:36 ended the intrigue, however, and handed the Wolf Pack a second consecutive loss.
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Syracuse Crunch (3-2 OT W): Drew Fortescue’s first career professional goal gave the Wolf Pack their first overtime victory of the season on Saturday night in Syracuse.
Nachbaur opened the scoring 9:11 into the game, firing home his first goal with the club from the right-wing circle. Jakob Pelletier countered for the Crunch at 11:50, converting a chance in-close after a Wolf Pack turnover.
A miscommunication in the defensive zone for the Wolf Pack led to Lucas Mercuri making it 2-1 for the Crunch at 3:17 of the middle stanza.
The Wolf Pack played a close to perfect road game from there, however, earning two big points.
Carey Terrance set up Justin Dowling for his third goal of the season at 11:58 of the second period. Terrance gained the zone on the right-wing side on a two-on-one, then fed Dowling in the left-wing circle to create the equalizer.
After no one could break the tie in the third period, the sides went to overtime. At 2:59 of the extra session, Fortescue entered on a two-on-one on the left-wing side. He elected to shoot, beating Olivier Rodrigue for his first career goal.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, at Springfield Thunderbirds (5-2 W): The Wolf Pack improved to 2-0-0-0 in the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ presented by Braman Pest with a strong showing Tuesday morning.
Terrance opened the scoring 3:10 in, deflecting a Nathan Aspinall long-distance shot for his third goal of the season.
Fortescue’s second career goal came 7:30 into the second period when he snapped a shot from the right-wing circle on the power play that beat Georgii Romanov.
Arseni Koromyslov’s first career goal drew the Thunderbirds within one at 10:01. He struck from the right-wing circle while the sides battled at four-on-four.
At 19:26, however, the Wolf Pack restored their two-goal lead when Taylor Raddysh poked home a loose puck at the top of the crease.
Glenn Gawdin converted a breakaway 3:08 into the third period, allowing the Wolf Pack to pull away for good.
Juraj Pekarcik made it 4-2 with a sharp angle shot at 8:34, but Greentree’s empty net dagger at 17:43 cemented two points for the Wolf Pack.
The Week Ahead:
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, Vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (7:15 p.m.): The Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds play the third of 12 meetings in the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ presented by Braman Pest on Saturday night at PeoplesBank Arena.
The Wolf Pack are 2-0-0-0 against the Thunderbirds this season, having beaten them 4-2 on Nov. 1 and 5-2 last Tuesday morning. Both wins came during the club’s eight-game road trip.
The Wolf Pack went 6-4-0-0 against the Thunderbirds during the 2025-26 campaign and have won eight of the last 12 rivalry matchups.
Gawdin leads the Wolf Pack attack in the head-to-head series with four points (3 g, 1 a) in two games thus far.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, Vs. Charlotte Checkers (11:00 a.m.) – It’s the Wolf Pack’s turn to host a ‘School Day Game’ this coming Tuesday morning when the Checkers make their first visit to PeoplesBank Arena of the season.
The Wolf Pack are 0-2-0-0 against the Checkers this season, having dropped a pair of games in Charlotte in October.
The Checkers claimed a 2-1 decision on Oct. 16, with Hunter St. Martin’s shorthanded goal at 16:14 of the third period proving to be the difference. The next night, the Checkers took a 4-2 verdict, with Jack Devine notching the game-winning goal.
The Wolf Pack downed the Checkers in a wild 5-4 shootout on Nov. 19, 2024, the last time they visited for the ‘School Day Game’.
Where to Watch and Listen:
Both Wolf Pack games over the next week will be available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Alex Thomas will have the call of the action on Saturday night and Tuesday morning from PeoplesBank Arena. ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ begins at 7:00 p.m., with the call of the action starting at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday night. Coverage begins on Tuesday at 10:45 a.m., with puck drop set for 11:00 a.m.
Fans can also tune in on Mixlr on both Saturday and Tuesday.
Quick Hits:
- Gawdin was recalled by the parent New York Rangers (NHL) in the aftermath of Tuesday’s victory at Springfield.
- Gawdin made his Rangers debut on Wednesday night in a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. The game marked the Rangers’ final regular season visit to the famed Scotiabank Saddledome.
- Defenseman Marc Del Gaizo was recalled by the Rangers on Sunday. He has yet to make his debut with the club.
- Following his empty net goal on Tuesday, Greentree now leads the AHL in goals by a rookie with eight. He is currently tied for tenth overall in the league in goal scoring.
- Following his performance in Syracuse on Saturday, goaltender Callum Tung sits tied for seventh in the AHL in save percentage (.929 sv%) among qualified goaltenders.
- Tung’s four victories are tied for 13th in the AHL this season.
- Tickets for the Wolf Pack’s annual ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ game on Nov. 14 (7:15 p.m.) are on sale now! Get your tickets today here.
- Fans are encouraged to wear lavender on this night and are encouraged to be in their seats pregame to take part in the club’s pregame light ceremony.
- The Wolf Pack will also be wearing special HFC warmup jerseys and using special HFC warmup pucks on Saturday night.
- Do not miss your chance to purchase a puck immediately following warmups! The jerseys of the starting five skaters and starting goaltender will be auctioned off during the second intermission inside the atrium of PeoplesBank Arena.
Join the Wolf Pack for the 2026-27 season by becoming a member today! For more information, click here.
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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.