The seventh-place Wolf Pack (27-30-6-2, 62 points) are nine points behind sixth-place Lehigh Valley for the final playoff spot in the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division. The Wolf Pack’s playoff hopes are on life support with seven games remaining.

Related: Rangers to sign undrafted free agent goalie from UCONN, heads to Hartford on ATO

Hartford Wolf Pack news-n-notes

Alex Belzile ties AHL career high in points

Alex Belzile recorded a goal in back-to-back games last week and is up to 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 61 games this season. The 33-year-old forward leads Hartford in points, goals, assists, shots (172), and points per game (0.89). Furthermore, he tied his previous AHL career high in points, established in the 2018-19 season with Laval.

Alex Belzile’s team leading 18th goal of the season 🚨⤵️ pic.twitter.com/V1Bi6P7uMV

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) March 29, 2025

Signed by the Rangers in July 2023, Belzile’s two-year deal paid dividends for the Wolf Pack. He recorded 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) last season and contributed three points (one goal, two assists) in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs before his strong play this season.

Career best reached by Matthew Robertson

Returning to Hartford in a “prove it” year, Matthew Robertson made strides in his fourth professional season. and has 24 points (one goal, 23 assists), a new career best, in 56 games. Furthermore, he has eight assists in his past 10 games. The 24-year-old defenseman picked up his 24th point Saturday when he assisted on Belzile’s goal. His previous AHL career high of 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) was established in the 2022-23 season.

Robertson leads the defense corps in assists, points, and shots (116). Despite setbacks from injuries earlier in his career, Robertson is building a compelling case to return next season. A restricted free agent this summer, the Rangers will have an important decision to make since the Hartford blue line is not very deep, and certainly lacks younger defensemen.

Injury Updates

Bo Groulx – Courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

After missing two games due to injury, captain Casey Fitzgerald returned to the lineup Saturday. He recorded three shot on goals and was assessed a roughing penalty.

Unfortunately, Benoit-Oliver Groulx’s return was short-lived. The forward initially returned to the lineup Wednesday (his last game was Feb. 19), but Groulx left the game with an upper body injury. He is week to week and could be out for the season. This is a major blow for the Wolf Pack, since Groulx is their second leading scorer. Groulx has 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 47 games.

Bo Groulx took a hard spill in the opening frame and did not return in the period. He’s not on the bench as period two gets underway.

Potentially a brutal loss for the Wolf Pack.#HFDvsWBS | #NYR

— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) March 27, 2025

Upcoming Games

All games can be watched on AHLTV and listened on Mixlr.

Saturday, April 5 vs Hershey Bears (Capitals) at 7pm, Giant Center

• This is the third of four meetings in the season series. Hartford won each of the first two games.
• Hershey is 39-18-6-1 for 85 points. They are first in the Atlantic Division and tied for second in the Eastern Conference (with Rochester). The Bears lost two straight and are 5-3-1-1 in their past 10 games.
• Ethan Bear leads the Bears with 44 points (10 goals, 34 assists). Next is Alex Limgoes with 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists).

Sunday, April 6 vs Hershey Bears (Capitals) at 5pm, Giant Center

• The fourth and final meeting in the series.
• Hartford is 9-17-5-1 on the road this season.

Berard had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 19 games after he was recalled by the Rangers right before Thanksgiving. The versatile forward played up and down the lineup, bringing speed, energy and some offensive production to a Rangers team lacking in each of those areas during its worst slump in years.

Most recently, Berard’s been locked in on the third line, first with Filip Chytil and Will Cuylle, and last game with Jonny Brodzinski and newcomer Arthur Kaliyev. Though scoreless in only 7:39 TOI in a 3-2 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, Berard had four points (one goal, three assists) in his past six games with the Rangers.

“He plays 100 miles an hour out there.” Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider said after a recent win against the Boston Bruins. “He’s skating hard, he’s physical, he’s taking things to the net. Guys love the way he plays.”

There could be several reasons for the Rangers to send Berard back to the minors. He has struggled on the defensive side of the puck, a minus-9 in the NHL. Or perhaps the Rangers wish to give Matt Rempe a run on the fourth line and will bump Jimmy Vesey up to the third line after the veteran was scratched in favor of Rempe against the Devils.

With Chytil out with an upper-body injury, though reportedly on the trip out west, the Rangers simply may want an extra center on the roster, now that Brodzinski has moved from an extra forward into the lineup. It’s expected that Groulx will be that extra forward, unless there’s another injury we don’t know about.

This could also mean that Chris Kreider is close to coming off IR. He’s missed three games with an upper-body injury. His return on the trip means a forward must be bumped from the lineup, and the Rangers recently just added Arthur Kaliyev (claimed off waivers Monday, played against Devils), another wing, making Berard a bit more expendable at the moment.

Related: Rangers roller-coaster season hits midway point

Brett Berard impressed during first NHL stint with Rangers

Though Berard is back in Hartford, he made a solid first impression with the Rangers. The 22-year-old picked up an assist on a Cuylle goal in his NHL debut against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 25. Two nights later, he scored his first NHL goal against the Carolina Hurricanes. He also had a two-point game (two assists) in a 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks last Sunday.

Coach Peter Laviolette praised Berard each chance he could, and the Garden Faithful embraced the energetic 5-foot-9 forward for his nonstop effort. In short, Berard will be back on Broadway at some point.

Back in Hartford, Berard will assume a top-six role and be reunited on the top power play with key prospect Brennan Othmann. Berard led Hartford as a rookie pro with 25 goals last season and has seven goals and 13 points in 16 AHL games this season.

Groulx, who signed as free agent with the Rangers this past offseason, has 65 games of NHL experience with the Anaheim Ducks, who selected him in the second round (No. 54 overall) of the 2018 draft. Last season, Groulx had two assists in 45 games with the Ducks, and has one NHL goal to his credit.

The 24-year-old center brings size (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) and strong two-way play. In a top-six role with Hartford, Groulx is tied with Alex Belzile for the Hartford lead with 11 goals and his 29 points in 32 games is second on the team.

In New York, he’s likely the extra forward and, should he enter the lineup, it would be in a bottom-six role.

Hartford’s first win in five games (1-3-1-0) was fueled by Alex Belzile, who recorded his second hat trick of the season, and Bo Groulx, who contributed four assists. But the kids stepped forward, too. Matt Rempe and Bryce McConnell-Barker each scored his third goal and Victor Mancini had three assists.

Belzile (seven goals, 12 assists) and Groulx (eight goals, 11 assists) are tied for the Wolf Pack scoring lead with 19 points. Each veteran forward recently passed Brett Berard (13 points; seven goals, six assists) after the 22-year-old was recalled by the Rangers. Berard has two points — including his first NHL point and goal — in four games, but is currently day to day with an upper-body injury.

A BLAST FROM BELZILE💥 pic.twitter.com/xmzvWxgSmA

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) December 5, 2024

Belzile, a 33-year-old forward, has eight points (three goals, five assists) on a four-game point streak, and 11 points and two hat tricks in his past six games. He scored each of his goals on the power play Wednesday, one in each period, to make it 1-0, 2-1 and 4-1.

Groulx, a 24-year-old forward who played all of last season with the Anaheim Ducks, also has eight points (two goals, six assists) in a four-game point streak.

Mancini’s three points were a professional career high. He now has five points (two goals, three assists) in six games since the Rangers assigned the 22-year-old defenseman to the American Hockey League.

Related: Wolf Pack weekly: Alex Belzile, Bo Groulx stepping up

Matt Rempe, Bryce McConnell-Barker part of Wolf Pack explosion

Bryce McConnell-Barker — photo courtesy of Hartford Wolf Pack

Belzile’s third goal at 8:47 of the the third period opened the floodgates for two Rangers forward prospects to bust through and pile on goals of their own, all in a 52-second span.

Rempe stationed himself in front of the net to deflect a Casey Fitzgerald shot into the cage at 9:32 for his third goal in 13 games with Hartford this season. Then McConnell-Barker beat everyone down the ice to bury a loose puck seven seconds later, and the rout was on.

Alex Belzile, Matt Rempe, and Bryce McConnell-Barker all find the back of the net in just 52 seconds😳👀@WolfPackAHL | #HFDvsBRI pic.twitter.com/b0JMzi1wcp

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) December 5, 2024

Let’s just say the Rangers will love Rempe using his size and soft hands to score. And they’ll delight in that effort by McConnell-Barker — a third-round pick in 2022 — just as much.

Speaking of Rangers prospects, goalie Dylan Garand stopped 31 of 32 shots in the win and is sitting on a solid .910 save percentage in 10 games this season. It’s only a quarter of the way through the season, but it appears that in his third pro campaign, Garand is finding the consistency he lacked the past two seasons.

Two other prospects found the score sheet Wednesday. Adam Sykora and Dylan Roobroeck each had an assist. Sykora, the 20-year-old forward, is tied with Fitzgerald for fourth on the Wolf Pack with 11 points (three goals, eight assists). Roobroeck, a rookie pro, is right behind with eight points (four goals, four assists).

Hartford’s struggles continue, especially defensively in the first quarter of the season. The Wolf Pack allowed four or more goals in 12 of 19 contests, and in five straight games. They look to reset in December to maintain playoff positioning in the tightly contested Atlantic Division. The Wolf Pack are 8-8-2-1 (.500) and sixth in the Atlantic, holding the final playoff spot in the division. Four points separate Hartford from second-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Related: Brett Berard sidelined for Rangers with upper-body injury

Hartford Wolf Pack latest

Cooling off at home

The Wolf Pack consistently found ways to win at the XL Center when they began the season 8-1-0-0 on home ice. That was the second best home record in the league at the time. In Hartford’s current four-game losing streak, they dropped three straight games at XL Center (0-2-1-0) and now have the league’s fifth best home record (8-3-1-0).

Of the 12 home games to date, seven were decided by one goal, including five in overtime. So, that’s walking a fine line trying to maintain a positive mark at home. If the Wolf Pack cannot continue their magic at the XL Center, especially in a critical month featuring six home games, they could find themselves digging out a hole to start the New Year.

Road struggles

The Wolf Pack are the only team in the league to not win on the road (0-5-1-1). The seven road games are the fewest in the league, which doesn’t bode well for when the schedule evens out and Hartford spends more time on the road.

December will be an opportunity for the Wolf Pack to get a road win and find confidence with five opportunities. Either that, or they continue to struggle away from XL Center and face a massive issue come the New Year.

Relying solely on a stellar home record is not sustainable since the Wolf Pack will be road heavy in January with nine road contests. The Wolf Pack’s defensive issues are glaring on the road where they’re outscored 27-12 and allowed four or more goals in five games. Furthermore, the power play’s two goals on the road were from the first game of the season on Oct. 12, before Brennan Othmann was injured. The Wolf Pack are 2-for-26 and on a 0-for-24 run which puts them last in the league in away games (7.7 percent). The penalty kill is also last in the league, operating at 64 percent having allowed nine goals while short-handed (fifth highest in league) in 25 calls against them (third fewest in league).

Alex Belzile, Benoit-Oliver Groulx heat up

Bo Groulx — photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

After Hartford’s leading scorer Brett Berard was recalled by the Rangers, veterans Alex Belzile and Bo Groulx stepped up their production. Combined, the forwards contributed two goals and seven assists in three games since Berard landed on Broadway. In fact, each of Hartford’s six goals had a contribution from either Belzile or Groulx. The Wolf Pack’s 54 goals puts them 20th in the league for production. While they lack firepower without Berard, Othmann, and Riley Nash (hasn’t played this season due to injury) Belzile and Groulx are filling the big voids.

a thing of beauty 🔥 pic.twitter.com/USlryganZv

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 30, 2024

Belzile has five assists in the three games. Consistent this season with production, he’s notched four goals and 12 assists for a team-leading 16 points in 16 games. The forward was held out without a point in five games, but has been on the scoresheet in seven of the past 10 games. His best performance was Nov. 19, when he had a hat-trick and a shootout goal in a win against Charlotte

OFF AND RUNNING pic.twitter.com/MOKHqKVlBJ

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 28, 2024

Signed by the Rangers in the off-season, Groulx is finding consistency in his game. In the first six games of the season, Groulx recorded eight points (four goals, four assists). Then he was held off the score sheet in six of eight games, posting two points (one goal, one assist). In his past five games, Groulx has five points (three goals, two assists). The timing of his consistent production is ideal following Berard’s departure. This is the kind of veteran play the Rangers expected from Groulx when they signed him this summer after he played all of last season with the Anaheim Ducks.

Bo’s team leading 8th goal of the season ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Ky1L0cmjdK

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 28, 2024

Upcoming Games

All games can be watched on AHLTV and listened on Mixlr.

Wednesday, December 4th vs Bridgeport Islanders (New York) at 7pm, Total Mortgage Arena

• This is the fourth of 10 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 1-2-0-0 against Bridgeport. The Islanders won the past two meetings.
• Entering the week, Bridgeport is 5-12-1-2 for 13 points. They are eighth in the Atlantic Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders lost two straight and are 3-6-0-1 in their past 10 outings
• Brian Pinho leads the Islanders with 17 points (11 goals, six assists). He has two goals against Hartford. Chris Terry is second with 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) and has three assists against Hartford.

Friday, December 6th vs Rockford Ice Hogs (Blackhawks) at 7pm, XL Center

• This is the first of two meetings in the season series. Hartford and Rockford last met in the 2022-23 season, when the Wolf Pack were swept in two games (0-2-0-0).
• Entering the week, Rockford is 7-9-2-0 for 16 points. They are fourth in the Central Division and 12th in the Western Conference. The Ice Hogs are 2-1-2-0 in their past five games. They have points in two straight (1-0-1-0).
• Frank Nazar leads the Ice Hogs with 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists). He is tied for eighth in the AHL scoring race. Colton Dach is second on Rockford with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists).

Saturday, December 7th vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) at 6pm, XL Center

• This is the second of six games in the season series. Hartford dropped the first meeting on Nov. 2 by a score of 2-1.
• Entering the week, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 11-4-1-0 for 23 points. They are second in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins won three straight and are 7-2-1-0 in their past 10 games.
• Emil Bemstrom leads the Penguins in scoring with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists), which is 18th in the league. Ville Koivunen is second on the Penguins with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists).

It’s likely there will be an update when the Rangers next practice Saturday, before departing for Seattle, where they open a four-game road trip against the Kraken on Sunday.

Right now, all we have is these cryptic words from coach Peter Laviolette following the win Thursday.

“Day to day. Getting evaluated right now,” Laviolette said when asked about Chytil’s condition.

The accidental collision occurred around the 12-minute mark of the second period, moments after Chytil’s spinning backhand shot nearly beat Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood with the score tied 1-1. Chytil looked to play a puck on left wing when Miller barged in and ran into his teammate by accident. It appeared Chytil was either struck in the side of the head or on the jaw by Miller’s elbow.

Looks like Miller elbow got him. #NYR https://t.co/xOAqP3kfZT pic.twitter.com/7lSTD7JnPZ

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) November 15, 2024

The 25-year-old was wobbly when he got up, headed to the bench and then down the runway to the Rangers dressing room. After being attended to by medical personnel, Chytil returned to play one more shift, for 61 seconds, near the end of the period. He was ruled out for the rest of the game shortly thereafter.

The concern about Chytil’s health is great. This is a young player with a bad history of head injuries, including last season, when Chytil was limited to 10 games in the regular season and six in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a similar “upper-body injury.”

If Chytil is forced to miss some time, what are the Rangers options? No matter who steps into his spot, it’ll be tough to replicate the outstanding success Chytil’s had so far this season with linemates Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko. They have an xGF together at 5v5 of 65.29 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, and outscored opponents 11-0.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways from 3-2 win against Sharks

What’s next if Filip Chytil is sidelined by injury with Rangers

Here are the options, in one form or another, to fill the hole left in the Rangers lineup and on the roster if Chytil does miss some time with the upper-body injury.

Jonny Brodzinski

The most logical move is to slide Jonny Brodzinski on to the third line. He’s already on the roster, played seven games this season, and largely filled in for Chytil last season under the same circumstances.

The 31-year-old is a center, who can also play on the wing, and a favorite of Laviolette, who likes his speed and two-way play. Brodzinski had an NHL career-high 19 points (six goals, 13 assists), averaging 11:08 TOI in 57 games last season. He held down the position until Alex Wennberg was acquired before the NHL trade deadline.

You know what you get with Brodzinski, which isn’t a bad thing. But he’s a far cry from Chytil, as are the other options within the organization.

Bo Groulx

Bo Groulx leads the Hartford Wolf Pack with 10 points in 12 games this season and is second with five goals. The 24-year-old has 65 games of NHL experience — exactly 100 fewer than Brodzinski — after he was a second-round pick (No. 54 overall) by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2018 NHL Draft.

He’s scored only one goal in the NHL, and had two assists in 45 games with the Ducks last season. But he’s responsible defensively and did score 18 goals in the AHL two seasons ago.

Groulx could be a third-line option, or slot in as the extra forward if Brodzinski replaces Chytil in the lineup.

Matt Rempe

This isn’t exactly an answer on the third line, but Matt Rempe could be recalled from Hartford to fill the extra forward spot assuming Brodzinski’s on the third line. It’d be a natural fit since Rempe doesn’t require waivers to move up and down and already made the team out of training camp after exploding on the NHL scene late last season.

Rempe’s not exactly an option to play center in the NHL yet, but he could slot in from time to time on the wing if Adam Edstrom’s game slips on the fourth line or if some extra heft is needed in the lineup. Of course, the flip side of doing this is that Rempe needs to play — he’s getting top-six minutes in all situations with Hartford now — so the 22-year-old sitting in the press box in New York is not ideal.

Alex Belzile

Alex Belzile — courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

Largely a career minor leaguer, Alex Belzile could be recalled from Hartford to be the extra forward. He leads the Wolf Pack with six assists and has seven points total. Like Groulx, he’d require waivers if sent down again, but unlike Groulx, he’s not a center. SO, that limits the options with Belzile.

The 33-year-old did score six goals and total 14 points in 31 games with the Montreal Canadiens in 2022-23. However, he’s played only 44 NHL games in his 13-year career that began in the ECHL.

Not likely: Brett Berard, Dylan Roobroeck and Bryce McConnell-Barker

These three youngsters need to hone their games in Hartford, not sit in NHL press boxes. Dylan Roobroeck and Bryce McConnell-Barker are centers, and each has played well so far this season in the AHL. But each is a rookie pro and not capable of being a No. 3 center on a Stanley Cup contender.

Berard would be a more compelling option if he played center. But he’s a wing, albeit one with a Hartford-best six goals after leading the Wolf Pack with 25 last season.

This latest move wasn’t a surprise since the Rangers are loaded down the middle with five NHL centers likely on the opening-night roster — Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Filip Chytil, Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski.

Groulx had two assists in New York’s 5-4 preseason win against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Those were his only points in three preseason games. He also got into a fight against the Devils, jumping to the defense of teammate Will Cuylle.

The 24-year-old from France gives the Rangers depth at the center position within the organization. He played 45 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season and has 65 games of NHL experience on his resume.

“I signed here for a little bit of a change of scenery, I spent four years in Anaheim and I think it was time for both parties to split ways,” Groulx explained last week. “The Rangers were pretty much the first team to call and … it was a no brainer for me with the culture here, the organization, the chance.”

Related: Rangers long-shot Bo Groulx out to prove ‘I belong in NHL’

Rangers close to finalizing opening-night roster

The Rangers have made a flurry of moves this week to reduce their roster ahead of opening night next Wednesday at the Pittsburgh Penguins.

First, New York cut nine players, including forward prospect Adam Sykora and two veterans who attended camp on a PTO — forward Adam Erne and defenseman Madison Bowey. Those two then signed PTOs with the Wolf Pack, and Bowey scored two goals for Hartford in a preseason game Wednesday.

Then the Blueshirts assigned goalie Louis Domingue, forward Anton Blidh and defensemen Brandon Scanlin and Casey Fitzgerald to Hartford after each cleared waivers. Rookie goalie Dylan Garand also was assigned to Hartford on Wednesday.

The Rangers are expected to carry 22 players on their opening-night roster. There are decisions still to be made because forward Jimmy Vesey (lower body) and defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) are out with injuries. Plus, forward Artemi Panarin is day to day with a lower-body injury and will not play in the preseason finale Friday at the New York Islanders.

“I signed here for a little bit of a change of scenery, I spent four years in Anaheim and I think it was time for both parties to split ways,” Groulx explained Friday. “The Rangers were pretty much the first team to call and … it was a no brainer for me with the culture here, the organization, the chance.”

A second-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks (No. 54) in the 2018 NHL Draft, Groulx has one goal and five points in 65 NHL games. He spent all of last season with the Ducks, who finished 30th in the NHL with 59 points. He played 45 games and had two assists.

The two-way center would need to beat out Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski to earn a roster spot, a tall order. However, he already has lasted longer in camp than Jake Leschshyn, a similar player with some NHL experience, who was placed on waivers Friday and is expected to be assigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League, assuming he clears.

“I take it day by day,” Groulx said. “I’ve made the mistake in the past to look forward and have a ton of expectation about cracking the lineup or whatever. I think that did absolutely no good for me.”

Related: Reilly Smith trying to play ‘connected hockey’ with star linemates

Rangers’ Bo Groulx out ‘prove I belong in the NHL’

Groulx played in the Rangers’ preseason opener, a 3-2 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden last weekend. He logged more than 12 minutes in ice time, had two shots on goal and two hits, but lost six of seven face-offs.

“I think the first game I played against Boston was pretty average game. Different system, different everything. I think it was big learning curve,” Groulx explained. “Hopefully, if I get another game I’ll be better for sure and prove that I belong in the NHL.”

At worst, the Rangers have themselves a solid AHL player who’s available with NHL experience if needed in a callup. Groulx scored 18 goals and had 39 points with San Diego of the AHL two seasons ago, and has an offensive upside based on his quality production with Halifax in the QMJHL.

For now, he remains in Rangers camp, waiting for that next opportunity. Halfway through the preseason, though, that decision to assign him to Hartford could be coming soon. No matter, Groulx stands by his decision to sign with the Rangers on July 2.