PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK WELCOME ICEHOGS TO TOWN FOR RARE HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHUP
Dec 6, 2024HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack open a four-game homestand at the XL Center tonight with a rare matchup against a Western Conference foe. For just the second time in franchise history, the Wolf Pack welcome the Rockford IceHogs to town.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of two meetings between the IceHogs and the Wolf Pack this season. The head-to-head series concludes in Rockford on Friday, Mar. 14, 2025.
Tonight marks just the third meeting between the Wolf Pack and the IceHogs, and the second at the XL Center in Hartford. The foes played a home-and-home series during the 2022-23 season, which the IceHogs swept with a pair of regulation victories.
Lukas Reichel scored his tenth goal of the season 1:58 into the third period on Dec. 3, 2022. His goal made it 3-0 IceHogs and would stand as the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory.
Two weeks later, on Dec. 17, Filip Roos broke a 2-2 tie at 19:26 of the second period, giving the IceHogs a 3-2 lead that they would take over the finish line.
Bobby Trivigno, Brandon Scanlin, Matthew Robertson, and Turner Elson scored for the Wolf Pack in the head-to-head series.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack snapped a four-game losing streak (0-3-1-0) on Wednesday night, blowing away the Bridgeport Islanders by a score of 6-1 at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
Alex Belzile opened the scoring at 18:15 of the first period, sniping home a power play goal. Alex Jefferies tied the game at 6:32 of the second period with a power play snipe of his own from the right-wing circle, but it would be all Wolf Pack from there.
Belzile restored the lead at 16:11, blasting a shot from the left-wing circle on the power play. Anton Blidh then potted his fifth goal of the season at 19:02, burying a shot from the bottom of the right-wing circle.
Belzile completed his second hat-trick of the season at 8:47 of the third period, tipping in a shot from Bo Groulx at the backdoor. That would kick off a stretch of three goals in 52 seconds, the fastest three goals in club history. Matt Rempe tipped in a Casey Fitzgerald shot at 9:32, then seven seconds later at 9:39 Bryce McConnell-Barker snapped home his third goal of the year.
Groulx collected a career-high four assists in the win, while Victor Mancini registered a career-high three assists.
Groulx’s eight goals lead the Wolf Pack, while he (8 g, 11 a) and Belzile (7 g, 12 a) are tied for the team lead in points with 19 each.
IceHogs Outlook:
The IceHogs won their second straight game on Wednesday night, blasting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by a score of 7-3.
The IceHogs led 3-1 after one period of play thanks to goals from Jackson Cates, Colton Dach, and Cole Guttman. Frank Nazar extended the lead to 4-1 at 6:37 of the second period, potting his eleventh goal of the season. That would prove to be the game-winning tally.
Guttman would tack on his second goal of the night at 9:36, then Cavan Fitzgerald and Landon Slaggert both scored to make it 7-1 through 40 minutes.
Helge Grans and Rhett Gardner lit the lamp for the Phantoms in the third period.
The IceHogs have scored 13 goals over their last two games, averaging 6.5 goals per game.
Nazar leads the club in both goals with eleven and points with 24 (11 g, 13 a).
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN: Mixlr
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center tomorrow night when they welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to town for the annual ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ game! Fans are asked to bring a new or gently used teddy bear to the game, and as soon as the Wolf Pack scores their first goal, toss your bear onto the ice! We’ll collect and donate them from there.
All fans in attendance will be able to stay on the concourse postgame to get some of their favorite players’ signatures! Player availability is subject to change.
The puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
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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 is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays 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.