Hartford Wolf Pack preview: Top Rangers prospects highlight AHL roster
Training camp is in the rear-view mirror and the Hartford Wolf Pack are set to embark on their 29th season in the American Hockey League. The New York Rangers affiliate seeks a return to the Calder Cup Playoffs after missing out by five points last season (30-33-7-2, 69 points, seventh in Atlantic Division).
The camp and preseason (1-1-0-0) featured second-year coach Grant Potulny teaching new systems that Rangers coach Mike Sullivan implemented in New York. Similar to the Rangers, the Wolf Pack have a clean slate and an enhanced roster for the upcoming season.
Hartford begins the regular season Saturday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Let’s dive into topics from the preseason and preview Hartford’s new look.
Returning Rangers prospects impress in Hartford preseason
The Wolf Pack dressed their primary players in the final preseason game last Friday, when Adam Sýkora and Jaroslav Chmelař led the charge in a 3-2 overtime win against Bridgeport. Sýkora, a 21-year old forward who is entering his third season with Hartford, recorded a three-point game with one goal and two assists. He was on Hartford’s third line along with center Carey Terrance and veteran forward Anton Blidh.
Chmelař, a 22-year old forward who is entering his second pro season with Hartford, also recorded three pointswith two goals (including the game-winner) and one assist. He skated on a line with Brandon Brisson and Dylan Roobroeck.
Each prospect recorded three shots in the game, tying a team high in the category with Cooper Moore, Justin Dowling, and Trey Fix-Wolansky. Potulny also paired them on the second power-play unit, with Bryce McConnell-Barker, Connor Mackey, and Brisson.
The Rangers would love to see Sýkora and Chmelař continue their growth this season, each with expanded roles from a year ago.
3 veterans signed by Rangers should bolster Hartford lineup
The Wolf Pack’s roster was enhanced in the off-season when the Rangers signed Trey Fix-Wolansky, Justin Dowling, and Derrick Pouliot. Each has NHL experience, and will be part of the new leadership group in Hartford.
Fix-Wolansky, a 26-year old forward who spent six seasons with the Cleveland Monsters and Columbus Blue Jackets, is a big-time AHL scorer. He stands just 5-foot-6 but led the Monsters in scoring three consecutive seasons, including 60 points in consecutive campaigns. He also had a career-high 71 points in 2022-23. Fix-Wolansky was an AHL All-Star in 2024 and 2025, and selected to the AHL Second All-Star Team in 2023 and 2024.
He fills the veteran point-producing void left by the departure of Alex Belzile, who led Hartford in scoring each of the past two seasons.
Dowling, a 35-year old center, played 52 games with the New Jersey Devils in 2024-25 and has 152 games of NHL experience and 573 AHL games under his belt. He’s also recorded 40 or more points seven times in the AHL and won the Calder Cup in 2014 with the Texas Stars.
Pouliot, a 31-year old defenseman, was the No. 8 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft. He brings 226 games of NHL experience, plus an impressive AHL resume to Hartford. He recorded a career-high 52 points and 46 assists last season with the Syracuse Crunch, and was their second-leading scorer. Ironically, the only player with more points for Syracuse in 2024-25 was Conor Sheary, who landed a spot on the Rangers’ opening-night roster after attending training camp on a PTO this Fall.
Look for Pouliot to be a big addition on the Wolf Pack’s power play, which finished 30th out of 32 teams in the AHL last season (15.4 percent). He’ll also be counted on to mentor Morrow, who may slot in as Hartford’s power-play quarterback.
Rangers prospects Gabe Perreault, Scott Morrow highlight deep Hartford roster
Two of New York’s top prospects begin the 2025-26 season in the AHL with Hartford. Their 2023 first-round pick Gabe Perreault is a highly-skilled forward, who should see a ton of ice time in the minors. The 20-year-old certainly didn’t look out of place with the Rangers in five games with them late last season nor during the just-completed preseason, when he record four points (two goals, two assists) in five games.
Defenseman Scott Morrow also stood out in the preseason with the Rangers, but failed to crack the NHL opening-night roster. The 22-year-old was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes this summer in the K’Andre Miller trade, after he recorded 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 52 AHL games as a rookie pro with the Chicago Wolves last season. The slick puck-mover has six points (one goal, five assists) in 16 NHL games with the Hurricanes.
Forwards Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard, who combined to play 57 games with the Rangers last season and remain two of the organization’s top prospects, also will start the 2025-26 campaign with Hartford after each was a late training-camp cut.
The returning Hartford forwards from last season are Blidh, Berard, Chmelař, McConnell-Barker, Othmann, Roobroeck, and Sýkora. Jackson Dorrington, captain Casey Fitzgerald, Blake Hillman, Mackey, Case McCarthy, and Brandon Scanlin (who’s injured, no timetable for return) are the returning defensemen.
Dylan Garand, an AHL All-Star last season, is Hartford’s No. 1 goalie, with Talyn Boyko backing him up. The updated roster is available on the Wolf Pack’s website.
Upcoming Games
All games can be watched on AHLTV and listened to on Mixlr.
Saturday, October 11 vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) at 6:05pm, Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza
- Hartford’s season opener is the first of six meetings against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Wolf Pack were swept last season by the Penguins (0-5-1-0). The second meeting this season will be in Hartford on Oct. 17.
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton finished fourth in the Atlantic Division in 2024-25 (40-24-7-1, 88 points). The Penguins were eliminated in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs by Lehigh Valley.
