TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: MAY 31ST, 2022
May 31, 2022
Hello, friends. It’s been just about a month since we closed the book on the 2021-22 AHL regular season with the final edition of ‘Two Minutes for Thoughts’ on May 3rd. Today, however, I figured it was a good time to check back in with you all as we get set for the Conference Finals to start in both the NHL and the AHL.
With June on the horizon, there’s a lot to get to as the playoffs in both leagues chug along and the off-season’s busy stretch approaches.
The Pack at Worlds
The Hartford Wolf Pack was represented by two members of the organization at the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Finland, which wrapped up with Team Finland beating Team Canada in the Gold Medal game on Sunday.
Goaltender Adam Húska secured the net for Team Slovakia by the time the tournament ended, leading the club with three victories as Slovakia advanced to the Quarterfinals. Húska sported a goals against average of 2.86 during the tournament, defeating Team Kazakhstan, Team Italy, and Team Denmark.
General Manager Ryan Martin, meanwhile, served as the General Manager for Team USA. The American side finished fourth in Group B in Preliminary Round play and finished fourth overall in the final standings. The club upset Team Switzerland, who won Group A, 3-0 in the Quarterfinals before falling 4-3 to Team Finland in the Semifinals. Team USA dropped an 8-4 decision to Czechia in the Bronze Medal Game on Saturday morning.
Former Wolf Pack defenseman Ryan Graves (2015-18) took home a Silver Medal with Team Canada, while defenseman Tomas Kundratek (2008-09, 2010-12) won a Bronze Medal with Team Czechia.
Development Key for Rangers
Naturally, signing a big-name free agent like Artemi Panarin or trading for a player like Mika Zibanejad is the headline-making move that fans love in professional sports. More often than not, however, championship teams are built through the draft. That means drafting prospects and successfully developing them. The AHL is the main development league for the NHL, and the Hartford Wolf Pack has been a factory for the New York Rangers over the years.
The Rangers bore the fruits of their development labor on Sunday night when they knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes by a final score of 6-2 in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2015.
Star goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 37 saves on 39 shots for his eighth win of the playoffs, while forward Chris Kreider scored twice. Forward Filip Chytil popped his fifth goal of the postseason at 8:51 of the third period, while defensemen Braden Schneider (9:32) and Ryan Lindgren (20:18) contributed on defense.
What do all of those players have in common? They all played games for the Hartford Wolf Pack before becoming contributors on a team now just eight wins away from a Stanley Cup.
Those five players aren’t alone in going from Hartford to New York. Also on the Rangers roster are forwards Lauri Pajuniemi, Tim Gettinger, Greg McKegg, and Jonny Brodzinski, along with defensemen Jarred Tinordi, Zac Jones, Libor Hájek, Nils Lundkvist, and Matthew Robertson. In goal, both Alexander Georgiev and Keith Kinkaid also spent time with the Wolf Pack.
Those 16 former Wolf Pack players will kick off the Eastern Conference Final tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden against the Tampa Bay Lightning and another former Wolf Pack defenseman, Ryan McDonagh.
Home Opener Set!
In case you missed it last week, the 2022-23 home opener was announced! We’ll be welcoming you back into the XL Center for Wolf Pack hockey on Saturday, October 22nd. Both time and opponent are to be determined.
The 2022-23 AHL season is slated to open on Friday, October 14th, meaning the Wolf Pack will be starting the season on the road. That’s a rare occurrence, as the Pack has not opened a season away from home since October 12th, 2014. That year, the journey began in Syracuse, New York.
Stay tuned to the Wolf Pack’s social media channels for more schedule information. The second guaranteed home date will be announced tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. The full 2022-23 schedule will be announced over the summer.
Taking Care of Business
While the Rangers have been busy on the ice, they’ve also been taking care of some business on the transaction side of things. Back on May 16th, the club signed forwards Adam Edstrom and Ryder Korczak to three-year, entry-level contracts. The club also inked goaltender Olof Lindbom to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Edstrom, 6’8” and 225 pounds, scored nine points (7 g, 2 a) in 43 regular season games for Rogle BK of the SHL (Sweden) this past season. New York’s sixth-round pick (161st overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Edstrom will come to North America with three seasons of professional experience in Europe under his belt.
Korczak, meanwhile, set new career-highs with 25 goals, 54 assists, and 79 points with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. New York’s third-round pick (75th overall) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Korczak has enjoyed plenty of offensive success in one of Canada’s premier junior leagues.
Both Edstrom and Korczak could be options for the Wolf Pack next season upfront. A quick look at contract statuses will show that the potential for change is quite strong among Hartford’s forwards. Edstrom and Korczak could join the likes of Will Cuylle, Patrick Khodorenko, Bobby Trivigno, Tanner Frtiz, Pajuniemi, and Brodzinski in competition for playing time.
Lindbom, meanwhile, was the club’s second-round pick (39th overall) in 2018. Like Edstrom, Lindbom comes to North America with three professional seasons under his belt in Sweden, having played in the Allsvenskan. Internationally, Lindblom has represented Sweden in multiple junior tournaments, including the 2020 World Junior Championships.
All four goaltenders with the Wolf Pack in 2021-22 are scheduled to hit free agency, so like with the forward group there is a possibility for change and Lindbom could be a factor in that.
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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.