New York Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann shines in Wolf Pack debut
The New York Rangers brass must’ve been all smiles watching their first-round pick from the 2021 NHL Draft score twice in his professional debut.
Brennan Othmann willed the Hartford Wolf Pack to overtime, where captain Jonny Brodzinski scored the decisive shootout goal to win their season opener, 3-2 over the Bruins in Providence.
For the 20 year-old AHL rookie, this is what he’s been building towards after a brilliant career in juniors capped with an OHL Championship last season. “What I’ve always wanted was the status of being a professional hockey player,” Othmann said in September. “I’ll miss juniors and my team in Peterborough. The relationships I built there will last forever, but it’s now about being a pro hockey player. That’s what I’m most excited for whether it’s in the NHL or American League.”
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Brennan Othmann shines for Wolf Pack
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The Wolf Pack found themselves behind early in this matchup, and finding it difficult to beat Bruins’ prospect goalie Brandon Bussi. Rangers’ fans will remember the name as he stonewalled them in the team’s opening 3-0 preseason loss to the Boston Bruins.
Othmann got the Pack party started on the power play late in the second period by blasting a one-timer off a beautiful feed from Brodzinski for his first AHL goal.
The Bruins took a lead midway through the final stanza before Othmann decided to play hero.
On a power play that he drew, the Pack pulled goalie Louis Domingue in favor of an extra attacker. Othmann, prowling just outside the circle, pounced on the puck that found its way to him. Taking advantage of the chaos in front of Bussi, he let it fly into the net and evened the score with 2:40 remaining.
That set the stage for Brodzinski to propel the Pack with a shootout win, while Othmann earned the AHL’s second star of the night honors.
Hartford and Othmann will look to build off their exciting start with a matchup versus the Springfield Thunderbirds. The game will take place at the MassMutual Center with a 7:05 p.m. ET puck drop.
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