Day’s NHL career consists of the two games he played with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021-22; he had no points or shots on goal, was minus-2 and took one minor penalty. The Lightning had signed him as a free agent in July 2020, but except for the cup of coffee in ’21-22, his time in the Bolts’ organization consisted of four mostly nondescript seasons with Syracuse, their AHL affiliate.

He played the 2024-25 season with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League, finishing with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 45 games, before returning to North America.

Transaction: The Bridgeport Islanders have signed defenseman Sean Day to an AHL contract.

➡️ https://t.co/3oxaxxp6Go pic.twitter.com/Q1VidAzV7e

— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) August 6, 2025

Day may have had an “in” with the Isles; their recently hired general manager, Mathieu Darche, was Tampa Bay’s director of hockey operations and assistant general manager before coming to Long Island, so he obviously had some idea of Day’s ability. It’s likely that the Islanders signed Day to provide some experience on the blue line for a team that crashed and burned in the AHL standings last season but has talented defense prospects such as Isaiah George and Jesse Pulkkinen.

No one could have had an inkling 12 years ago that Day’s career would see him scrambling for a job in his late 20s.

Day was born in Belgium but lived in Singapore, Canada and the United States as a child and played minor hockey in suburban Detroit. He was good enough that on March 21, 2013, he became the fourth player granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada – the first three others were John Tavares (2005), Aaron Ekblad (2011) and Connor McDavid (2012); five more players have since been given this status.

2016 Rangers draft pick signs with Islanders’ AHL affiliate

That made him eligible to be drafted a year early in the 2013 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection and to play major junior hockey as a 15-year-old. He was taken by Mississauga with the fourth pick. The Rangers selected him in the 2016 draft, and he signed with them in March 2017 after being traded to Windsor in October 2016. He helped the Spitfires win the Memorial Cup not long after signing with New York; his coach then was Rocky Thompson, who will be his coach at Bridgeport.

Day began his pro career in the fall of 2018 with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. But after a slow start, he was demoted to the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. He played well enough in his 19 games with the Mariners to be selected to play in the ECHL All-Star Game, but he was promoted back to Hartford before it took place.

The 2019-20 season again saw Day begin with Hartford. But after putting up just four points in 16 games, he was demoted to Maine, where he remained until the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New York #Rangers have placed defenseman Sean Day on 'Unconditional Waivers' for the purpose of contract termination.

Day had 1 year remaining on his Entry Level contract with NY.https://t.co/uDvNTP3Woz https://t.co/TYXOuTjD2Y

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 30, 2020

The Rangers decided they had seen enough and on May 30, they placed him on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination. He cleared waivers the following day and the remaining year of his contract was terminated.

The Lightning signed him to a one-year, two-way contract on July 17, 2020, but he played all of the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season with Syracuse. The Lightning re-signed him, and he had his best offensive season in 2021-22, finishing with 40 points (eight goals, 32 assists) in 69 games.

He also got his first taste of the NHL, making his debut against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 28, 2021, and dressing for the Bolts’ game against the Florida Panthers two nights later before being returned to Syracuse.

Day stayed with the Lightning organization through the 2023-24 season before signing a two-year contract with HV71 last summer. But did little offensively, though he did help the team avoid relegation to Sweden’s second division.

Sad Day

Unfortunately Day struggled with the Wolf Pack and was even demoted to the ECHL. Now the Rangers are cutting ties with Day to make room for future contracts.

Standings Update

The Wolf Pack enter the tenth week of the season with a record of 11-4-2-5 for 29 points. That ranks the group third in the Atlantic Division, tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference, and tied for sixth in the league. The Wolf Pack is two points out of first, which is claimed by the Providence Bruins.

Missing Offense Harms Hartford

Through 22 games, Hartford ranks 28th in the league for offense, scoring 56 goals. Entering the season, I did not expect the Pack to struggle scoring goals.

When you take a look at the stats on Hartford’s roster, Vinni Lettieri and Steven Fogarty are tied for the team lead in points. Both forwards have 16 points in 22 contests. They lead the group with points per game of 0.73.

Hartford is missing a guy who is capable of producing goals on a consistent basis. The offense is missing a spark, and relying on the defense and goaltending is not a recipe for continual success.

Overtime Struggles

Hartford has not looked good in overtime, which continues their losing streak. Last Saturday’s overtime against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms was a disaster.

The overtime was all Phantoms and the Pack barely had offensive chances. The Pack scored their only goal in the first period. They tried to defend the lead, which failed in the third. In overtime, the Pack looked completely different in the 3v3, and the Phantoms won the game 2-1.

This sums up the overtime, which Igor Shesterkin was busy in net.

Sunday’s game against Hershey was more of the same. The club continued to lack offensive production and the Bears had the upper advantage the entire game. The Wolf Pack led once, unable to defend another one-goal lead.

The Wolf Pack’s defense never adjusted to deal with Hershey’s plan of shooting on net and following up on the rebound opportunities on Adam Huska. A few goals by the Bears were from rebounds, which Huska struggled to control and the defense never pitched in to avoid these costly mistakes.

Roster Moves

Sean Day heads to the Maine Mariners of the ECHL after playing in 16 games with Hartford. The defenseman recorded a goal and three assists with a +/- of -1.

The prospect will get playing time in Maine after having an up and down season with the Pack. The prospect was scratched a few times this season as well. Jeff Taylor will presumably be the seventh defenseman.

The Rangers officially assigned defenseman Yegor Rykov to Hartford. The prospect has not played since the Traverse City Tournament and could debut this weekend.

Rykov has recovered from his injury in Hartford and has been skating with the group.

Wolf Pack Lease Extension Update

As expected, the Rangers are extending the Hartford Wolf Pack’s lease for an additional season. In 2018, the Rangers and Spectra renewed with a five-year deal. The deal calls for a two-year run, with options to utilize three one-year options. The Rangers opted to use the first one-year extension. The entire five-year deal will be up after the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season.

Goals From Last Week

Hartford scored five goals last week. Here are the goals.

Matt Beleskey scored his second goal in two games. Great play from the faceoff win and nice deflections.

Steven Fogarty splits the defense for his first of the night in Hershey.

Veteran Vincent LoVerde notched his third of the year with a nice blast from the blue line.

Hartford nearly grabbed another goal in this sequence. The play goes the other way as Adam Huska made a spectacular save. Great action on both ends of the ice.

Steven Fogarty sends the game to overtime with a late tally.

As a bonus, check out the world record for the largest Teddy Bear toss in the world as the Hershey fan base threw 45,650 bears as the Wolf Pack were playing in the teddy bear toss game.

Upcoming Games

Hartford finishes their five-game road trip Friday. Six of the next 12 games are at home. The Wolf Pack will not be road heavy until January.

Friday, December 6th vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:05 pm, Mass Mutual Center

• This is the third of 10 meetings in the season series against the Thunderbirds. Hartford is 2-0 in the season series. This is the first meeting at the Mass Mutual Center. Last season the group went 4-6 against Springfield.
• The Thunderbirds are 14-11 for 28 points in the Atlantic Division. That ranks them fourth, one point behind Hartford.
• Rookie Owen Tippett leads Springfield in scoring with 20 points. Florida’s prospect has 10 goals and 10 assists in 25 games.
• Listen – Mixr. Watch – AHLTV.

Saturday, December 7th vs Binghamton Devils (New Jersey) at 7:30 pm, XL Center

• This is the second of four meetings in the season series against the Devils. Hartford won the first meeting on 10/19 in Binghamton by the score of 4-3 in overtime.
• The Devils are 7-11-4 for 18 points in the North Division. That ranks the Devils last in the Eastern Conference. The Devils have lost four straight entering the weekend.
• Forward Ben Street leads the Devils in points with 24. The veteran has 8 goals, 16 assists in 22 games. He ranks eighth in the league for points.
• Listen – Mixr. Watch – AHLTV.

Sunday, December 8th vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 3:05 pm, Dunkin Donuts Center

• This is the fourth of 10 meetings against the Bruins. Hartford is 2-0-0-1 in the season series.
• Providence enters the week first in the Atlantic Division, going 14-7-1-2 for 31 points. The Bruins are on a 5-0-1 streak as well.
• Bruins prospect Jack Studnicka leads Providence in points, registering 20 points in 22 games. He has 10 goals and 10 assists.
• Listen – Mixr. Watch – AHLTV.

The Rangers announced that they have trimmed their training camp roster, this time sending five more players to Hartford.

Defenseman Sean Day was sent to the AHL club’s training camp along with forwards Nick Jones, Connor Brickley, Tim Gettinger, and Dawson Leedahl.

Jones had a very impressive audition with the big club, beginning in Traverse City and culminating with the only goal against the Flyers on Saturday night. Day is still recovering from offseason surgery, but you’d have to think the prospect is running out of chances with the Blueshirts. Brickley spent some time with the Rangers last season and is a likely call-up from Hartford if he’s needed. To me, Gettinger needs to take the next step this year with the Wolf Pack if he wants to be more than a fill-in player at the NHL level. As for Leedahl, this is his third season with the organization, and he hasn’t gotten past the AHL level yet.

The Rangers opened training camp today with media day. Here is a wrap up of everything that happened at media day.

Reunited Teammates Chirp Each Other

Former Winnipeg Jets teammates Brendan Lemieux and Jacob Trouba were reunited this summer when the Blueshirts acquired the right-handed defenseman in June. And it looks like the two have picked up right where they left off when Lemieux was traded to the Rangers at the deadline.

Rangers Game Night

The Rangers players asked each other what would appear to be random questions and it brought a laugh on more than one occasion.

Lights, Camera, Action

Here are some behind the scenes shots of today’s events from the Rangers Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram

Lights, camera, ?. #NYR

A post shared by New York Rangers (@nyrangers) on Sep 12, 2019 at 1:33pm PDT

JD Speaks To The Media

Entering his first season in the front office of the New York Rangers, President of Hockey Ops John Davidson spoke with the media about a wide variety of topics.

On the Tony DeAngelo situation:

On Chris Kreider, who is in the final year of his contract:

On Henrik Lundqvist:

On whether or not the Rangers will name a captain for next season:

On what battles to watch in training camp:

The Rangers, as a team, are almost completely healthy, with the exception of defensive prospects Yegor Rykov and Sean Day. The Russian suffered an ankle injury in Traverse City over the weekend, while Day had offseason surgery.

To watch the full press conference, click here.

Sean Day, a 21-year-old prospect, struggled and learned from his mistakes as a rookie. His development has progressed and he will need more seasoning before taking on larger roles with the Hartford Wolf Pack. His ability to become a Rangers depth defenseman hinges on his potential along with competition from other prospects within the organization. Keep in mind that he will be in Hartford for a few more seasons. Afterward, we will see if he is ready to make another jump, or not.

Sean Day made the Wolf Pack after training camp, proving that he is ready for the AHL than ECHL. In October and early November, the prospect was adjusting to the pace of the league. He was struggling defensively, unable to prevent goals against and did not get a grip right away. Despite the rough start, the prospect kept playing and kept his cool as time went on.

The Rangers prospect was reassigned to the Maine Mariners in early November as Chris Drury hoped the prospect would be able to find himself in a slower paced league. Early in the season, Sean Day made noise immediately. I was surprised to see the prospect play as if he was angry with the reassignment and reapplied himself on the ice helping the Mariners offensively and defensively. Sometimes, that spark occurs after getting demoted to the ECHL. This was the case for Sean Day. In his 19 games with Maine, he contributed 4 goals and 11 assists for 15 points. The offensive magic was found and after spending two months in the ECHL, Sean Day found himself back in Hartford to earn the promotion.

Of course, the offensive capabilities for the defenseman slowed in the AHL as the competition is tougher in comparison to the ECHL. Sean Day notched his first point in the league in late January. The offensive numbers were not there, but defensively he was better. The effort and consistency were there despite having fellow blueliners who consistently had rough games. Sean Day himself has a few rough nights as well. The Wolf Pack roster was not the greatest, and the ones who need to develop the most get crushed mentally with developing in a losing culture. Despite that being the case, Sean Day found himself having a few multiple point games playing as a depth defenseman for Hartford.

Day made some strides during the second half of the season. The points were coming more consistently towards the end of the year. He found ways to get on the board while improving defensively. He needs continued mentoring and a better culture if the Rangers want to see him long term within the organization. He has a ways to go, but the start has been good enough. In 46 games with Hartford, Sean Day contributed 14 points (3G, 11A).

If I was going to give him a grade, I would give him a C. The reason is he has shown effort, heart, potential, and a willingness to play a full 60 minutes despite the score or situation. He wants to be better and will continue to do so. I know he is capable of doing more next season. Time will help the prospect mature. The Rangers need to ensure that winning culture or at least quality veterans are on the roster next season to help guys such as Sean Day have a chance at the NHL down the road.

The prospect has two seasons left on his entry-level deal. I expect him to continue developing in Hartford. How hard he works will determine if he will be retained after the entry-level contract is up. He must be able to pull it all together with his skill set.

Anyone who has ever completed a jigsaw puzzle knows that it is largely trial and error, and that some pieces seem like they may fit even if they actually do not.

Similar to a jigsaw puzzle, Jeff Gorton and David Quinn are soon going to be implementing the same strategy of trial and error on defense. They will likely pick out a corner piece and build out from there, but the plethora of options spanning across the globe gives the Rangers more options than they have had in recent years.

Pieces to the Puzzle

The overflow of defensive prospects is promising for the organization, as they believe they’re well on their way to building an offense as well, having drafted Vitali Kravtsov and Filip Chytil to go along with the offensive prowess of Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.

Of course building a team isn’t an ordinary jigsaw puzzle. It is more like 3 puzzles mixed in a bag but only one set is complete. Ultimately, not every piece is part of the final product. Some of these prospects will never be New York Rangers. Some will stay overseas, remain in the minor leagues, or find themselves trying to crack a different NHL roster.

But realistically what could the Blueshirts’ defense look like as the rebuild moves on? Well, there are a few concrete answers to that. Kevin Shattenkirk, Brady Skjei, and Tony DeAngelo all have earned their spots on the roster for now. Consider them your corner pieces and next season will feature these three as the most solid aspects of the defensive corps. This may be good or bad, only time will tell.

What pieces fit?

Then there are some wild cards for next season. Will Neal Pionk be able to keep his top-six spot? What about the bloated contract of Brendan Smith or the flashes of top-six potential that Frederik Claesson displayed this season? How about the future of Marc Staal on Broadway? There are so many questions.

Like I said, Shattenkirk, Skjei, and DeAngelo will be around. Staal may be around too. In fact, if Staal stays he will most definitely have his name thrown into the ring to be the next Captain of the historic Original Six franchise.

As much as Claesson has looked like a relatively safe defenseman, chances are he will not be much of a factor next year. Even if he is re-signed, he likely will take a backseat to the younger guys that management needs to see more of.

Smith will still be around playing under that questionably high contract of his, but I expect the Rangers to bite the bullet and start him on the bench or in the AHL, despite the money they’re paying him. He could also be traded at the draft for a mid round pick if the Rangers eat some salary.

Then there’s Neal Pionk, who had an excellent start to his career at the end of last season. This year, not so much. He has notched a respectable amount of points, but his defense has been lacking. In the words fellow Forever Blueshirts writer James Van Casteren, Pionk is “an ECHL defenseman” at best. In fairness, as GM Jeff Gorton admitted, Pionk had been given too much responsibility in his first full year as a pro and it may have adversely impacted his play.

Finding the right piece

So then what is the Rangers defense even going to look like next year? To start off, those three guys mentioned first will be in the mix. Shattenkirk will hope to rebound after yet another difficult campaign, Skjei will look to keep up the momentum from his second-half bounce back, and DeAngelo will continue to lead on offense while managing to get under the skin of just about everyone in the league. Staal will still be in the mix, but will probably watch the game from the press box more often.

Enter Libor Hajek, who looked like a stud in just a few games with the team before injuring his shoulder. There’s a good chance he will be in the top-six for most, if not all of next season. Hajek displayed an excellent ability to set up plays and move the puck while also staying back on defense. He is the perfect compliment to an offensive-minded defenseman like Shattenkirk or DeAngelo.

Ryan Lindgren will also see time next season, although he might get pushed aside a little in favor of Hajek. But Lindgren, who also looked solid in his brief Rangers stint, has earned some time for next season.

Then there is the wild card: Harvard senior defenseman Adam Fox. As reported by Pierre LeBrun earlier this week, Fox is not expected to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes who own his rights and has sparked interest from the Rangers. Furthermore, Fox grew up on Long Island rooting for the Blueshirts as a child. The latest news is that the Rangers and Hurricanes have been in talks, but Gorton and Co. may be more inclined to try to sign Fox when he is a free agent next offseason

So there are two scenarios then. One including Fox, who has extremely high potential, and one without.

The Rangers starting defensive pairings may look like either of the two scenarios below:

• Skjei/DeAngelo
• Hajek/Shattenkirk
• Staal/Fox
• 7th and 8th D: Lindgren/Pionk

Or…

• Skjei/DeAngelo
• Hajek/Shattenkirk
• Staal/Pionk
• 7th and 8th D: Lindgren/Smith

The Bigger Puzzle

Obviously the eventual departure of veterans means the puzzle is not complete and has more pieces to fit. The above option do not solve the question of what our defense may look like a little further down the line. Within the next few years, the departure of Staal and Smith will open up spots. Shattenkirk will also see his time in New York conclude, either via trade or after the expiration of his contract, meaning a void must be filled.

Rising up in the ranks will be Yegor Rykov, K’Andre Miller, and Nils Lundkvist. Even Rangers prospects Nico Gross, Tarmo Reunanen, and Sean Day may be presented with opportunities. Although it isn’t likely that Day will stick in the NHL, having spent time in multiple minor leagues. He was a kid with solid potential, but there are many better prospects in front of him.

One of the more likely final pieces is K’Andre Miller, who was arguably the most impressive freshman defenseman in the NCAA this season. He will find himself in the Rangers top-six in the coming years. Lundkvist, a good puck moving all-around defenseman should have a chance as well. Rykov will get his shot but may eventually be the odd man out.

Nico Gross is intriguing. The lefty defenseman looks like he may have the tools to make an NHL stint. Same goes for Tarmo Reunanen who has been tearing it up over in Europe.

So therefore, in terms of future defense, there is a world of possibility. Expect Miller, DeAngelo, and Skjei to be the faces of the defensive corps. Rounding out the bottom three will likely be Hajek, Lundkvist, and either Lindgren or Rykov. That said, do not be surprised if Rykov does not make it over Reunanen. The Finnish defenseman has been proving that he has a lot of tools to make it in this league.

Lindgren will certainly be fighting for one of those spots, likely spending time as the 6th or 7th defenseman for a bit. Of course, if Adam Fox comes to New York the story will change. My guess is that Fox will indeed put on Rangers blue and play in the Big Apple. If this is the case, our future defense should consist of DeAngelo, Skjei, Miller, Hajek, Fox, and Lundkvist/Rykov. Again, though, keep an eye on Reunanen.

The Rangers have done an excellent job in accumulating defensive prospects. As Glen Sather relinquishes his title as President, Rangers fans should rest easy knowing that he didn’t leave the organization with nothing to be excited for. The future of the defense is pretty bright.

Six games remain in the 2018-19 season for the Hartford Wolf Pack. The contests are officially meaningless as the Wolf Pack were eliminated on Saturday night from the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs. The remainder of the season will be shifted toward tryouts.

The group has continual changes to the roster, from trying a few players from Maine or a few college prospects. The off season is approaching quickly for the group as there is just two weeks left. The AHL regular season ends on April 14th.

Entering the final two weeks of the season, Hartford’s record is 28-32-7-3 for 66 points. That puts them last (eighth) in the Atlantic Division, 15th in the Eastern Conference, and 27th in the league.

Playoff Drought Continues

As expected, Hartford became “mathematically” eliminated from playoff contention. The Providence Bruins and Hershey Bears both won games this week along with Hartford continuous losing.

The group has missed playoffs for four seasons straight, and was out in the last six of seven seasons. The franchise made the playoffs for 12 straight seasons prior to their first miss in the 2009-2010 campaign.

The Pack have made the playoffs 15 times in the last 22 years. However, the streak of missing the playoffs indicates the reflect poorly on the Rangers organization and properly stocking the Pack.

Newly Signed Prospect Joins Hartford

As St. Cloud State’s season ended, Rangers prospect Patrick Newell has joined Hartford for the remainder of the season through an ATO. The Rangers signed the forward on March 30th as his contract kicks in next season.

“Newell in 39 games with St. Cloud State notched 21G, 26A for 47 points. The forward has spent the last 4 seasons with St. Cloud, notching a total of 38G, 82A for 120pts in 145 games played.”

Milliner06

The prospect will debut on Wednesday night against the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Adam Huska Adjusting To Pro Life

Another prospect who joined from the college ranks is becoming adjusted to the professional ranks. Adam Huska has played better lately, but still have lots of development to go.

In four games with Hartford, the prospect is 1-2-1 with a 4.21 goals against average and a .865 save percentage. Keep in mind that Hartford’s defense is weak and he has not had much help. In addition, two games were against the top tier teams in the league (First place Charlotte, third place Hershey). In his last game against Belleville on Saturday, he had a strong effort and lost in overtime, 3-2. He had a few great saves throughout the contest and had helped to keep the group in the game. Check out this five on three sequence where Adam Huska was playing well and kept the puck out of the net.

I see potential in the goalie prospect and the Rangers organization will need to be patient on developing him. I would expect Adam Huska to be on Hartford’s roster next season. Hopefully he will have a veteran goalie to help him, which would be ideal.

Roster Moves

Check out the latest roster moves here:

• Patrick Newell joins Hartford through an ATO, effective April 1st.
• Josh Wesley joins Maine as he was re-assigned by Carolina (His rights is still owned by the Hurricanes but Hartford has him with a player swap). He headed to Maine on March 30th.
• Greg Chase was released on his PTO on March 30th and went back to Maine.

ECHL Maine Update

The Maine Mariners are in the hunt to get into the playoffs. The Mariners are three points out from tying with fourth place Brampton Beast. Brampton has three games remaining while Maine has four left. What is interesting to note is that Maine has lost four straight in regulation. That could set them back potentially. The ECHL’s season end on April 7th. We shall see what happens next week.

One Timers

• Sean Day has points in two straight. He recorded one goal and one assist last weekend.
• Check out these two goals from Saturday’s contest:

Upcoming Games

Hartford has three games coming up. One on the road, followed by two on home ice. After this weekend, Hartford has three games remaining. A three in three weekend to finish the season.

Wednesday, April 3rd vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:05pm, Mass Mutual Center

• This is the 10th and final meeting in the season series between the rivals. Hartford is 4-5 against Springfield. In the Mass Mutual Center, Hartford is 1-3.
• Springfield is in 7th in the Atlantic Division with a record of 29-27-9-5 for 72 points. Hartford is behind Springfield by six points.
• The Thunderbirds have points in two straight (1-0-1) and are 4-3-3 in the last ten outings.
• Springfield is still in the playoff hunt, barely. The Pack could play spoiler if the group win in regulation.

Saturday, April 6th vs Utica Comets (Vancouver) at 7pm, XL Center

• This is the final meeting in the four game series against the Comets. Hartford is 2-0-0-1 against Utica this season.
• The last meeting was on March 16th in Utica as Hartford won 5-3.
• The Comets has fallen since the prior meeting between the two clubs. In the North Division, Utica ranks 6th in the division for a record of 31-31-6-2 for 70 points.
• Utica enters the week losing three straight and are 1-8-1 in the last ten games.

Sunday, April 7th vs Binghamton Devils (New Jersey) at 3pm, XL Center

• This is the final meeting as well against Binghamton. Hartford is 1-1-1 against the Devils this season.
• The last meeting was on March 13th as Hartford won in overtime, 4-3.
• The Devils are 8th in the North Division with a record of 26-38-6 for 58 points. Entering the week, Binghamton is 2-7-1 in the last ten games.

The trade deadline for the Hartford Wolf Pack was quiet. The New York Rangers did not tinker with the AHL roster, except with one addition. Going forward the rest of the season, the group is expected to remain the same until we reach April. As we enter this week, Hartford is still far from the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

Hartford has a busy week ahead with three games on tap to end February and begin March. Coming into Wednesday’s contest, Hartford is tied for seventh in the Atlantic Division with the Springfield Thunderbirds. Hartford has a record of 23-25-6-3.

Standings Update & Positioning

The Wolf Pack are nine points out from a playoff spot. On the plus side, the Pack has won a string of games as of late and has kept up with the bottom tier teams. Hartford is now tied for seventh and is able to reach as high as sixth depending on the outcome of other games this week.

If Hartford continues to pick up points, they have to act fast if they want to jump up in the standings. Here are a few teams that Hartford could jump or be within reach of with the scenario of a Hartford win plus these teams losing:

• 7th- Springfield Thunderbirds – Tied
• 6th- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – four points ahead
• 5th- Lehigh Valley Phantoms – Five points ahead

These are teams Hartford can creep up to in the standings. In fact, the next two weeks feature multiple games against Springfield and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

After this weekend is complete, we will go from there and revisit the standings if it is worth to do so.

You can check the 2019 AHL Playoff Primer here as this is updated daily.

Information To Know

In addition to the trade deadline passing on Monday in the National Hockey League, there was another deadline that loomed in the AHL at 3pm.

The Rangers have elected to not assign any prospect to Hartford before the deadline. That means players such as Lias Andersson, Boo Nieves, and Connor Brickley will not be able to return to Hartford for the remainder of this season.

Normally teams will assign prospects to their minor league teams as a paper transaction. Then the following day, call them back up. This tells a story of how New York is not expecting Hartford to make the postseason.

Another deadline of note is the AHL’s trade and loan deadline. The deadline is strictly for players on AHL contracts, and I do not expect movement from Hartford here.

Farm Report: Injuries, Contracts, Roster Movements

This week featured a bit of news regarding multiple aspects of Hartford’s roster.

• Two Players Return Next Season
  • On Monday, the Rangers announced contract extensions for Steven Fogarty and Boo Nieves. I expect at least one of them to be in Hartford next season. Well deserved by both forwards.
• Transactions
  • Defenseman Matt Finn has been released from his PTO.
  • Defenseman Julius Bergman joins Hartford as he was acquired in the trade involving former Ranger, Adam McQuaid.
• Injury Updates
  • Ville Meskanen was injured in the opening shift of Saturday’s game, and he did not play on Sunday. I suspect a lower-body injury, around his knee and foot area. He was limping off the ice after a collision with a Providence player along the boards.
  • Brandon Crawley is still out for a brief period with an upper-body injury.

Steven Fogarty Impresses

The Rangers prospect found his offensive touch again. Sunday’s game against Providence was the Steven Fogarty show, as the forward notched a hat trick plus one assist. Check out his goals here.

In addition to two of the goals being shorthanded, Fogarty is now the third player in franchise history to register two shorthanded goals in the same game.

The prospect is on a six-game point streak and has points in seven of his last eight games (7 goals, 6 assists for 13 points). The hot hand continues as we enter into this week’s games. Impressive playing by the forward in the last few weeks.

One Timers

• Vinni Lettieri has points in seven straight games (5 goals, 5 assists for 10 points). Check out his shorthanded beauty here.

• John Gilmour and Steven Fogarty are tied for points on the team at 39.
• Matt Beleskey hasn’t recorded a point in his last four games. In addition, the veteran has not scored a goal in 19 games. He is looking to break that spell.
• Sean Day continues to produce points. He has points in four of his last five games (2 goals, 3 assists for 5 points).
• Ty Ronning has goals in back to back games.

• Hartford has three shorthanded goals in the last two games.

Upcoming Games

Wednesday, February 27th vs Hershey Bears (Washington) at 7pm, XL Center

• This is the third of six meetings against the Hershey Bears. This is the first time Hershey is in Hartford this season.
• Hershey’s 16 game winning streak ended on Sunday against Bridgeport as the Sound Tigers won 5-1. The Bears were on a 16-0-0-1 streak before the regulation loss.
• Hartford is 0-1-1 in the season series against Hershey. The first meeting ended in a shootout loss on November 4th and the second meeting was a 6-3 defeat on December 8th.
• Hershey is third in the Atlantic Division with a record of 31-21-0-3 for 65 points.

Friday, March 1st vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:05 pm, Mass Mutual Center

• This is the eighth of ten meetings in the season series. Hartford is 3-4 against Springfield entering the contest.
• Springfield has stumbled this season, going from one of the top teams to now a tie with Hartford for last. The Thunderbirds are 2-7-0-1 in the last ten games.
• Depending on the outcome of Wednesday’s game between Hartford and Hershey, the Pack may be ahead of Springfield entering Friday’s game.
• This is the third meeting in Springfield. Hartford is 1-1 this season at the Mass Mutual Center.
• The Thunderbirds record is 22-23-6-5 for 55 points.

Saturday, March 2nd vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) at 7:30 pm, XL Center

• This is the fifth of six meetings against the Penguins. Hartford is 1-2-1 in the season series.
• The Penguins are 26-22-5-2 for 59 points and is ahead of Hartford by four points. The Penguins are sixth in the Atlantic Division.
• The Penguins are 4-4-1-1 in their last ten meetings.

The Wolf Pack continue their skid as they enter the early stages of February. The group has lost seven straight and is 29th in the American Hockey League. Ouch. Who would have thought the group would creep this low? I did not, considering the roster that was provided. As we enter this week, with four games on tap, Hartford is 19-23-3-2 for 43 points. That ranks them eighth in the Atlantic Division.

Hartford Falls After Trading Away Captain

The group is 1-7 since the captain, Cole Schneider, departed from the organization through a trade. Since the trade, the Wolf Pack have not looked the same. When you trade away one of the team’s better forwards, second in points at the time, usually the gamble may not be worth it. Well, we have the results after the trade, and the Pack’s plan has seemingly backfired.

I am not knocking on Connor Brickley because he’s a different type of player. We are comparing apples to oranges here. Chris Drury wanted grit and, unfortunately, Milwaukee won the trade, value wise. Perhaps the organization could have moved another forward for Connor Brickley.

The players and Keith McCambridge had some interesting commentary on the trade. Remarks from the group on Howlings.net regarding the trade raises eyebrows.

“I told them he was a part of our family starting from September and you hope till early June (Calder Cup Final time) you’re together as a family. I really like this group. They get along well together, and a piece of our family was taken away. I always speak from the heart to the team,” McCambridge said.

McCambridge was channeling his captain’s player role, not so much being their head coach

“I liked Cole a lot. He was a good man. I like what he represented. Now, we have to pick up the slack in a leadership void and what he brought (to the team) on the ice as well.”

Keith McCambridge

From a coach’s perspective, McCambridge sounds as if he lost one of the best forwards in the locker room, despite bumping him to the third or fourth line to kickstart his offense, which seemed to have worked.

“We’re bummed out for sure. That is the tough part of the business, and we signed up for it, and we all know the possibilities,” Holland said. “Our lives can be tossed into a blender and get traded away.”

Peter Holland

Was this the right move for the Wolf Pack? Probably not, but I will let you decide.

John Gilmour Continues To Prosper

The 25-year-old defenseman continues to make strides in Hartford. His contract is up this summer and I expect him to return. Offensively, he has found a spark and ran away with it as his offensive game continues to shine. The prospect has 36 points in 47 games played. Last season in 44 outings, he collected 26 points and in the 2016-17 season, he had 25 points. If the defenseman stays in Hartford for a majority of the season, we could see him reach as high as the 50-point range, which, for a defenseman, would be impressive.

John Gilmour is the best defenseman on the ice for the Pack on both ends of the ice. His speed allows him to easily transition from defense to offense and be able to block lanes when the opponent establishes play in Hartford’s zone. If the Rangers are looking for a call up on the blue line, I expect John Gilmour to get the call.

Injury Updates

Hartford is dealing with a few injuries or illnesses. As a result, players such as Sean Day and Zach Tolkinen are being given opportunities to play.

• Matt Beleskey – Illness. He should return shortly.
• Brandon Crawley – Injured. Time table for return is unknown.

Rangers Prospects In Hockey East Updates

Goaltender Tyler Wall was named Hockey East’s defensive player of the week. Congrats to the Rangers prospect for his award!

Closer to home, University of Connecticut’s goaltender, and Rangers prospect, Adam Huska is the starting goalie for the university. Despite a record of 5-11-2 with a 3.16 goals against average, he is still continuing to develop. The team in front of him has struggled this season as the group is led mainly by young freshmen. The University of Connecticut is 7-17-2, but is just 2-12-2 in Hockey East play.

Upcoming Games

The Pack has a busy week coming up. Perhaps the losing streak could get snapped this week.

Tuesday, February 5th vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at 7 pm, XL Center

• This is the final meeting in Hartford between the clubs. This is the ninth of ten meetings in the season series. The series finishes up next Saturday in Bridgeport.
• Hartford is 4-3-1 against Bridgeport. Last season the group was 3-6-1.
• The Sound Tigers are second in the Atlantic Division with 56 points. They are 25-17-4-2 and have won four of their last ten outings.

Friday, February 8th vs Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) at 7:15 pm, XL Center

• This is the first meeting between the clubs. This is a two-game season series. Hartford is in Syracuse on March 16th. Last season, the Pack split the season series with the Crunch.
• Syracuse is 27-13-2-1 for 57 points, second in the North Division. The Crunch enter the week winning six straight.
• Hartford is 12-9-2 at home, while Syracuse is 10-8-2 on the road.

Saturday, February 9th vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at 7:05 pm, PPL Center

• Saturday begins back to back games in Allentown against the Phantoms. This game will be the fourth of six meetings in the season series. The last three meetings will be in Allentown.
• Hartford is 2-1 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms entering the contest. Last season, the Pack won all six games against the Phantoms.
• The Phantoms are fourth in the Atlantic Division with 55 points. They are 25-17-3-2, and is 5-5 in their last ten outings.

Sunday, February 10th vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at 3:05 pm, PPL Center

• This is the fifth of six meetings on the season series.
• Hartford will return to Allentown on April 13th to finish the season series during the final week of the season.