TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: DECEMBER 10TH, 2021
Dec 10, 2021Hello, friends. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? The last time we talked, on November 23rd, we hadn’t yet hit the Thanksgiving holiday. Since then, the Pack have played just two games and had five total postponements. It’s been a trying couple of weeks as the club dealt with COVID-19 protocols, but on Sunday afternoon the waiting will be over.
The Hartford Wolf Pack will return to the ice Sunday at the PPL Center in Lehigh Valley for a 3:05 p.m. puck drop that you can watch live on NHL Network. It’ll be 15 days between games for the Wolf Pack.
In this week’s edition of “Two Minutes for Thoughts”, I look at the updated Wolf Pack roster, what you missed while we were away, and a look at a busy stretch coming as we approach the holidays.
Roster Shuffle Brings New Faces to Hartford
In case you haven’t been keeping a close eye on things during Hartford’s COVID-19 timeout, the club has been quite active on the transaction wire over the last few days. With the dust settled for now, here’s a look at the changes you’ll notice on Sunday afternoon.
In goal, veteran Keith Kinkaid won’t be seen. He’s up with the New York Rangers, as the club recalled him on Thursday afternoon. Kinkaid, 9-1-1 this season and 11-1-1 overall with Hartford in two seasons, has more than earned a return to the NHL. He’s given the Pack a chance to win every single night and is a big reason why the club was able to get off to such a hot start. His absence is a big one, but it’s great to see him get rewarded for a terrific start to the campaign.
Also in goal, Adam Húska and Tyler Wall will be on the trip to Lehigh Valley. Wall was reassigned to Hartford from ECHL Jacksonville by the Rangers on December 5th, while Húska was assigned by the Rangers on Thursday. Húska is 2-3-1 this season and made his NHL debut on Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche. With a .924 save percentage in Hartford this season, Húska has shown progress in year three and earned his look at the NHL level.
Defensively, Jeff Taylor was recalled from loan to Jacksonville on November 29th, while veteran Jarred Tinordi was assigned on a condition stint on Friday. Tinordi is a veteran of 397 AHL games, was a captain in Milwaukee with the Admirals, and is a former first-round NHL draft choice. He’ll bring both size and physicality to the Hartford blueline during his stint with the Pack. He’ll also be a great resource for the club’s young defensemen, just as Libor Hájek was in November.
Up front, Morgan Barron returns after a brief stint in New York. Barron is second on the Wolf Pack in goals scored with six this season and has been a consistent presence on the powerplay and in the top-six.
Schedule and Promo Musical Chairs
Part of living, and playing hockey, in a COVID world is the understanding that sticking to a schedule could be impossible. The Wolf Pack’s last ten days are proof of that. The club had games postponed on December 1st (Vs. Springfield), December 3rd (@ Providence), December 4th (Vs. Utica), December 8th (Vs. Belleville), and tonight, December 10th (Vs. Lehigh Valley).
The good news? All five of these games have make-up dates, and the club will be back on the XL Center ice next Friday night when they host the Phantoms.
In case you haven’t seen the news, the Pack’s postponed dates will now go as follows.
December 1st Vs. Springfield -> January 26th at 7:00 p.m. (XL Center)
December 3rd @ Providence -> April 4th at 7:05 p.m. (Dunkin’ Donuts Center)
December 4th Vs. Utica -> March 28th at 7:00 p.m. (XL Center)
December 8th Vs. Belleville -> March 2nd at 7:00 p.m. (XL Center)
December 10th Vs. Lehigh Valley -> February 5th at 5:00 p.m. (XL Center)
In addition, several promotional nights have been rescheduled as part of the roster shuffle. The much anticipated ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ will now take place on New Year’s Eve. Pucks ‘N Paws is now December 17th, while Hockey ‘N Hops and Hockey ‘N Vine will now take place on February 26th, 2022. A full list of promotional changes can be found here.
Tickets are available for the rescheduled dates, and next Friday’s return to the XL Center against the Phantoms, at www.hartfordwolfpack.com!
This N’ That
There will certainly be challenges for the Wolf Pack on Sunday afternoon in Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms will play on Saturday night against the Cleveland Monsters, while the Pack will be playing their first game since November 27th. While it will be challenging, the Wolf Pack have proven time and time again that they are up for anything this season. This will be a good test for the club against a hungry Phantoms team trying to claw their way back into things in the Atlantic Division.
Some milestones are fast approaching for the club. Tinordi, who joined the Pack on Friday, needs just three more games to hit 400 in his AHL career. Anthony Bitetto, who has been outstanding on the blueline this season, is just two games from 200 in the AHL. Ty Ronning, meanwhile, sits at 97 career AHL games. It could be quite a milestone weekend with a three-in-three awaiting the club next week.
Should be a very competitive end to the month for the Pack. After a home-and-home on Sunday and Friday with the Phantoms, Hartford will have a home-and-home with the Springfield Thunderbirds on December 18th and 19th. After that? Another home-and-home, this time with the Bridgeport Islanders on December 22nd and 29th before closing out 2021 with a New Year’s Eve showdown with the Providence Bruins.
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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 are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play 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.