By Bob Crawford

Longevity and continuity are not often hallmarks of pro hockey in general, and the minor pro level in particular.

The Hartford Wolf Pack, however, have largely been an exception to that truism, with General Manager Jim Schoenfeld in his 11^th season with the team, Ken Gernander in his seventh year as head coach, and Assistant Coach Pat Boller in year number seven in that role.

The stability also extends to the training room, with Athletic Trainer Damien Hess having celebrated his 1000^th game in pro hockey this past Wednesday, when the Wolf Pack defeated the Worcester Sharks 2-1 in Worcester.

Hess, who is in his tenth season on the Wolf Pack staff, came to the Pack in 2004, after three years with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies of the ECHL.  In a conversation Friday in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where the Wolf Pack are on their last road trip of the regular season, Hess chuckled when asked if it seemed like he had been at his job long enough to have chalked up a thousand games.

“Some nights, it really doesn’t,” he said.  “I was thinking about it the other day, I can remember the first game, which happened to be a win, 13 years ago in Atlantic City.

“This is my tenth year here with the organization, they’ve treated me very well and I’m very happy here, and I love being here.”

In terms of what it takes to achieve the type of longevity that Hess has enjoyed with the Wolf Pack organization, he identified maintaining a positive outlook as a major key.

“I really think it comes down to just your approach to the job and your approach with the players, and your willingness to just enjoy every aspect of it,” Hess said.  “I’ve seen guys who just get frustrated with the job, and it leads to them getting out of hockey.  I love what I do, I love coming to the rink every day, I love being around the guys, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else right now.”

Another big positive for Hess has been the way in which the parent New York Rangers run the operation in Hartford, making sure that things get done in an NHL-type fashion, on a number of levels.

“They let me do my job,” was what Hess boiled it down to.  “They give me a little freedom to make the decisions and do the job the way it should be done, but they also take care of the players correctly, and from my perspective, they allow me to do what I need to do to get what the players need, in order to take care of them as well.”

That job of taking care of the players has been made easier by the presence of Mark Cesari, who is the Wolf Pack’s strength and conditioning coach, but also has an athletic training background.

“Mark’s been a huge addition for our staff over the past three years,” Hess said.  “He and I are on the same page every day when it comes to what we do with guys, both from a treatment and rehab perspective.  So it’s very helpful for me, once I have finished my work with a guy, to send him to Mark and know that they’re getting good quality work with him as well.”

Burgeoning technology makes the medical and rehab fields an ever-changing landscape, but according to Hess, the biggest difference in his job now, compared to when he started at the pro level, has nothing directly to do with his hands-on work with athletes.

“The biggest change that I’ve noticed in my tenure is really just from the record-keeping aspect of it,” the York, Pennsylvania native said.  “Back when I started everything was mostly done by hand, and you had to have good files, but now with electronic medical records being the way they are, and needing to be done the way they’re done, that’s probably the biggest change, I find.”

Counting the two games up in St. John’s, the Wolf Pack have only four more games on their regular-season schedule, so the long grind of the AHL season is nearing its end.  Hess sees first-hand the toll that the battle takes on the players, but what of the off-ice staff?  Do Hess, Cesari and equipment mavens Russ Holdredge and Craig Lewis find themselves getting worn down by 70-plus games of helping the players keep themselves ready?

“A little tired,” Hess responded, “we get a little tired as the year winds down, but at the same time, the job is really no different now than it was in September or October when we first started.  You have to really learn to manage your time, and manage yourself, and be able to handle those stresses as they come.”

One of those stresses, for Hess, has been several long-term injury situations that have cropped up this season.  The most prominent of those are the concussion that has felled forward Michael Kantor, and sports hernia surgeries undergone by forward Micheal Haley and blueliner Stu Bickel.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle this year with some of those injuries that we’ve had,” Hess admitted.  “Unfortunately with the concussion that Michael Kantor suffered, it’s a pretty significant one, he’s been out since January.  We’re optimistic that he’ll be fine, but that’s been a long process, and this is the first time we’ve really ever had two guys in the same season with the sports hernia surgery.  So we’ve had a lot of different struggles this year, and it’s funny, I’ve seen it go through phases like that.  My first few years here we had a bunch of guys with shoulder injuries, and then we went through a phase with a bunch of knee injuries.  I think it’s just unfortunate luck, but that’s just the way it is this year.”

And when you have been around an AHL bench and training room as long as Hess has, you see many different phases come and go.  Hess doesn’t spend a lot of time sitting around and thinking about the thousand-game number, but it is a point of some pride for the veteran medical man.

“I think it’s a pretty big milestone,” he said.  “When you think about it, in order to get a thousand games, you’re looking at at least 13 years, regardless of what level you’re working at, and that’s a long time, especially for me, for ten of those years being in one place.  So I look at it as a pretty big milestone, but I’m also looking forward hopefully to another thousand or more.”

HARTFORD, April 11, 2014:  Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned goaltender Jason Missiaen from the Wolf Pack to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Missiaen has served as the Wolf Pack’s backup for the last six games, after having re-joined the Pack March 29.  The 6-8, 220-pound third-year pro is 2-11-1 in 14 AHL games on the year, with a 3.83 goals-against average and an 87.2% save percentage.  In 19 ECHL games with Greenville, Missiaen is 14-4-0 with a 2.54 goals-against average, a 92.2% save percentage and one shutout.

Missiaen was signed as a free agent by the Rangers March 24, 2011, from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Wolf Pack’s next action is tomorrow night, Saturday, April 12, the first of two games in St. John’s, Newfoundland.  The Wolf Pack and IceCaps face off at 6:00, and all the action can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home game is Friday, April 18, when the Springfield Falcons invade the XL Center for a 7:00 PM game.  That is the last chance this season for fans to enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by Marc’s Appliance Warehouse, located at 75 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

By Bob Crawford

Justin Vaive has played 23 games since joining the Hartford Wolf Pack on a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement January 11, and although his offensive output has been limited to one goal and four points, he has used his 6-4, 210-pound frame to make a solid impact in the forechecking department.

Vaive’s game has been particularly useful for the Pack lately, with the third-year pro playing left wing on a line with 6-1, 192-pound rookie Shawn O’Donnell on the other wing.  Those two flankers are both straight-line players who stress getting in on the forecheck, and pride themselves on making life difficult for opposing defensemen.

“That’s definitely our keys of focus going into every shift,” Vaive said recently.  “We want to get it deep and wear down their ‘D’, and that’s why we’re here and what we’re here to do, is to be pests and to be an annoyance to their defensemen.  No D wants to go back every time and get hit, and have to wrap it (the puck) around (the boards) and then get hit again.  It wears on D, especially in three-in-threes (three games in three days) in this league.  By Sunday (of three-game weekends), D definitely feel those shifts.”

The Vaive-O’Donnell line, which has seen several different centermen in recent games, is nominally the Wolf Pack’s fourth line, but coach Ken Gernander tends not to use the unit like a fourth line.  Gernander is definitely a coach who prefers to “roll” his lines and get his fourth line regular shifts, keeping those big bodies totally involved in the rhythm of the game.

“It’s definitely a confidence-booster for us,” Vaive said,” “when your coach believes in you and he’s putting us out there in all situations, defensive zone, offensive zone, any time in the period.  It’s definitely good for the morale of the line.

“When you’re out there more, you’re more involved, and more involved in the game overall, not just the sense of your line,” he continued.  “You’re seeing everybody, you’re talking to everybody, and it just gives you a better feeling as a line, when you’re out there and you’re playing together more and more.  It’s easier to jell and know what other guys are going to be doing and stuff like that.”

For several games during the Wolf Pack’s current hot streak, Gernander had team leading scorer Oscar Lindberg playing the middle between Vaive and O’Donnell.  While this may have seemed odd on the surface of it, having the team’s most productive pivot working the fourth line, the threesome appeared to have plenty of chemistry, and Lindberg fit right in with the two bangers and crashers.

“Oscar, he works really hard,” Vaive said of the Swedish import Lindberg.  “When we get it (the puck) in there (the offensive zone), and if we can’t get to the puck first, we could always count on him, to be there first on the line.  He’s physical, he’s not shy of the physical play.  That complements guys like Shawn and me, when our center’s willing to get in there with us and grind it around in the corners.  And then, at the same time, he adds that skill element, being our leading scorer, that when we do get him the puck, he can definitely make plays with it.”

Lindberg’s willingness to get into the middle of the physical play is typical of all of the Wolf Pack’s skill players, according to Vaive, and that makes it easier for the grinders to be effective in their jobs.

“There’s no doubt that’s what’s going to help team win games, when guys can play every role,” he said.  “We saw it with Oscar, going from the second to the fourth to the third, he’s been everywhere, and yet he still continues to succeed and break through, no matter what line he’s on.”

And regardless of who has been between them, Vaive and O’Donnell have meshed together as solid bookends, and have built a wealth of all-around chemistry with one another since Vaive joined the squad.  Their locker room stalls are next to one another, and their approaches to the game are nearly identical.

“We’ve become pretty close,” said Vaive of himself and the gregarious O’Donnell.  “We’re in the corner in the locker room, we’re roommates, obviously we talk a lot playing together, we both play the same game.  So I think we have a lot in common, and it’s definitely translated to the ice.”

Vaive can be termed somewhat of a “city boy”, having spent much of his growing-up time in Toronto, and O’Donnell is more of a small-town guy, a Maritimer from the same town that produced Sidney Crosby, Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.  Vaive has roots on the east coast of Canada, too, though, and the kinship with O’Donnell has come easily.

“Both of my parents are from out there (the Maritimes), and all my extended family as well, so there was that connection,” Vaive said.  “It’s definitely easy to get along with him, and even easier to play with him.”

With Vaive’s imposing size, strength and long reach, his “tale of the tape” is solid for involvement in the fistic department.  His grooming for the pro level was in the U.S. college ranks, where fighting is prohibited, but in the pro game, his hard-charging approach has naturally led to some situations where he has been invited to throw down the mitts and test his scrapping skills.

“When you play a physical, hard-nosed game and you’re a bigger guy, it’s going to come along,” said Vaive of the fighting element.  “When you take exceptions on some of the smaller D-men, obviously guys are there to step up for them and have their back.  Unfortunately I’ve had some injuries where I wasn’t able to do it (drop the gloves) as much as I would like, but it’s always going to be a part of the game, when you’re in there and stirring things up and going to the net hard.  It’s a pretty emotional game and pretty physical, so I try to use it whenever it’s necessary.”

Vaive’s willingness to do that, as well as other yeoman work in the physical department, has made him a good fit in the Wolf Pack lineup, and earned him a seemingly solid niche in the organization.

“That was my plan all along,” Vaive said, “just to give it my all and play the game that I know I can play, and just try to do what I can to help the team win, and overall just make my impact felt on the coaching staff and in the locker room, everywhere.  As long as I keep doing that, hopefully things will continue to go my way.”

Worcester, MA, April 9, 2014 – David LeNeveu made 35 saves, and Darroll Powe’s second-period goal was the game-winner Wednesday night at the DCU Center, as the Hartford Wolf Pack won their sixth straight game, a 2-1 victory over the Worcester Sharks.

Marek Hrivik also scored for Hartford, and Aaron Johnson had two assists.  Adam Schmidt had the only Worcester goal, his first as a pro, and Troy Grosenick made 29 saves.

The victory kept the Wolf Pack, who were outshot 36-31 in the game and 15-6 in the third period, alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race.  Hartford improved to 34-31-1-6 for 75 points and moved to within seven points of the last playoff spot.

“A win’s a win, no matter how it comes,” LeNeveu said.  “I don’t know if we played our best hockey tonight, but neither did they.  It was kind of back and forth, and we just happened to get one more (goal) than them.”

The only goal of the first period came with eight seconds left on the game’s first power play, with Worcester’s Rob Davison serving a cross-checking minor.  Oscar Lindberg worked the puck back to Johnson on the left point, and Johnson’s shot was deflected by Hrivik and found its way past Grosenick.

The Wolf Pack doubled their lead at 15:14 of the second period, on Powe’s 13^th goal of the year.  Johnson sent T.J. Hensick into the Worcester zone with a lead pass, and Hensick carried down the left side before backhanding a feed across the slot to Powe, who quickly released a low shot that beat Grosenick.

The Sharks then dominated the third, though, and foiled LeNeveu’s shutout bid in a four-on-four situation at 10:45.  Schmidt, playing in his tenth pro game out of nearby Holy Cross, pounced on a Wolf Pack turnover to create a two-on-none with fellow new addition Brock Higgs.  Moving down the right-wing side, Schmidt used Higgs as a decoy and blasted a shot past LeNeveu’s catching glove to cut the margin to 2-1.

LeNeveu and the Wolf Pack faced heavy pressure late in the third, as Conor Allen was called for tripping at 17:01 and Johnson was sent off for interference 55 seconds later, creating a two-man advantage of 1:05 for Worcester.  Dylan McIlrath and Danny Syvret did tremendous work helping LeNeveu on the kill, though, and Worcester was unable to convert.

The Wolf Pack play their last two road games of the regular season this weekend in St. John’s, Newfoundland, taking on the IceCaps Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday’s game faces off at 6:00 PM Eastern Time, and all the action can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home game is Friday, April 18, when the Springfield Falcons invade the XL Center for a 7:00 PM game.  That is the last chance this season for fans to enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by Marc’s Appliance Warehouse, located at 75 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Worcester Sharks 1
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 – DCU Center

Hartford 1 1 0 – 2
Worcester 0 0 1 – 1

1st Period-1, Hartford, Hrivik 11 (Johnson, Lindberg), 13:17 (PP). Penalties-Davison Wor (cross-checking), 11:25.

2nd Period-2, Hartford, Powe 13 (Hensick, Johnson), 15:14. Penalties-Oleksuk Wor (high-sticking), 15:27.

3rd Period-3, Worcester, Schmidt 1   10:45. Penalties-served by DaSilva Wor (bench minor – too many men), 4:39; Hayes Wor (slashing), 9:11; McCarthy Hfd (tripping), 10:04; Allen Hfd (tripping), 17:01; Johnson Hfd (interference), 17:56.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 10-15-6-31. Worcester 11-10-15-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 3; Worcester 0 / 3.
Goalies-Hartford, LeNeveu 10-8-0 (36 shots-35 saves). Worcester, Grosenick 17-13-0 (31 shots-29 saves).
A-1,836
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49), Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Todd Whittemore (70), Scott Whittemore (96).

NEW YORK, April 7, 2014 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has recalled forward Jesper Fast from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Fast, 22, recorded a point on all three Hartford goals in a 3-2 victory against Norfolk yesterday. His three-point performance marked a single-game career-high, and included the lone assist on the opening goal 56 seconds into the contest, a power play goal, and the game-winning goal. Fast has registered 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points, along with 30 penalty minutes and a plus-14 rating in 48 games with Hartford this season. He ranks third on the team in goals, seventh in assists and points, and is tied for second in plus/minus rating. He also leads the team and is tied for eighth among AHL rookies with eight power play goals.

The Nassjo, Sweden native returns to the Rangers where he has skated in eight games this season. He made his NHL debut in the season opener on October 3^rd at Phoenix. Fast was originally selected by the Rangers as a sixth round choice, 157^th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Hartford, CT, April 6, 2014 –Jesper Fast had two goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist Sunday at the XL Center, leading the Wolf Pack to their fifth straight win, a 3-2 victory over the Norfolk Admirals.

The win kept the Wolf Pack alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, as Hartford improved to 33-31-1-6 for 73 points.

David LeNeveu made 30 saves to get the win in his fifth consecutive start, and Ryan Bourque had a goal and an assist.  Max Friberg had a goal and an assist for Norfolk, and Emerson Etem also scored.

“It was a good game from start to finish,” Bourque said. “We came out pretty strong with our legs in the first period. We knew that they were traveling all week and weekend so we had to jump on them early, and I think we carried the play throughout most of the game. In the third they were really pressuring us, and I think we did a good job of bending but not breaking and staying tough as a team, both defensively and throughout all structures of the game.”

Bourque opened the scoring only 56 seconds into the game, burying his 20th goal of the season.  Fast broke up a Nolan Yonkman pass and carried down left wing in the Norfolk zone, before passing over to Bourque, who tipped the puck past Norfolk starting goaltender Brad Thiessen on the backhand.

Bourque had only six goals his first pro season with the Connecticut Whale and eight last year, but this season trails team goal-scoring leader Danny Kristo by only two.

The Admirals tied it at 7:56 on the game’s first power play, with Marek Hrivik off for interference.  Blacker snapped the puck at the net from the middle of the blue line, and Friberg, unguarded in front of the goal, deflected it past LeNeveu.

That was it for the scoring until late in the second period, when Fast scored twice in a span of 1:30 to put the Wolf Pack up by a pair of goals.

Fast one-timed a pass from J.T. Miller into the net from the left-wing circle at 15:04 on a power play, just seven seconds after Dave Steckel was sent to the penalty box for tripping.

Fast scored again on his next shift, after Aaron Johnson whirled just inside his own blue line and flung a pass through center ice.  The puck hit Bourque’s skate and deflected into the Norfolk zone, where Ryan Parent had it get away from him and on to Fast’s stick.  Fast stepped past Parent and put a backhand shot past Thiessen on the stick side at 16:34.

Thiessen (17 saves) was replaced by Igor Bobkov to start the third period, and the Admirals controlled much of the play in the third, outshooting the Wolf Pack 13-7 and scoring the only goal of the frame.

Etem, who had a hat trick in Norfolk’s 6-3 win at Binghamton on Saturday night, put home a power-play goal 3:41 into the third, with Shawn O’Donnell serving a hooking minor.  LeNeveu made saves on Andre Petersson and Friberg, but Etem jumped on the second rebound and pushed it past LeNeveu on the forehand.

In his analysis of the win, Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander gave credit to Hartford’s fourth line, whose play allowed the Wolf Pack to roll their lines in their third game in three days.

“I thought we were a fairly deep team tonight when you look at the contributions of (Oscar) Lindberg, (Justin) Vaive and O’Donnell,” Gernander said. “Top to bottom I think all four lines were very strong tonight.”

The Wolf Pack’s next three games are on the road, starting this Wednesday night, April 9, when the Pack travel to Worcester to meet the Sharks at 7:00 PM.  All of the action of that battle can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home game is Friday, April 18, when the Springfield Falcons invade the XL Center for a 7:00 PM game.  That is the last chance this season for fans to enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by Marc’s Appliance Warehouse, located at 75 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Norfolk Admirals 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3
Sunday, April 6, 2014 – XL Center

Norfolk 1 0 1 – 2
Hartford 1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Hartford, Bourque 20 (Fast), 0:56. 2, Norfolk, Friberg 15 (Blacker, Karlsson), 7:56 (PP). Penalties-Hrivik Hfd (interference), 7:04; Manson Nor (holding), 8:38; Sauve Nor (hooking), 13:10.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, Fast 16 (Miller, Syvret), 15:04 (PP). 4, Hartford, Fast 17 (Bourque, Johnson), 16:34. Penalties-Miller Hfd (high-sticking), 8:57; Steckel Nor (tripping), 14:57; Stortini Nor (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 19:53; Vaive Hfd (fighting), 19:53.

3rd Period-5, Norfolk, Etem 21 (Friberg, Petersson), 3:41 (PP). Penalties-O’Donnell Hfd (hooking), 2:23; Sauve Nor (tripping), 4:35; Miller Hfd (hooking), 5:10.

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 10-9-13-32. Hartford 7-13-7-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 2 / 4; Hartford 1 / 5.
Goalies-Norfolk, Thiessen 4-5-2 (20 shots-17 saves); Bobkov 5-2-1 (7 shots-7 saves). Hartford, LeNeveu 9-8-0 (32 shots-30 saves).
A-2,907
Referees-Pierre Lambert (39), Nic Leduc (12).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Paul Simeon (66).

 Hartford, CT, April 5, 2014 – Hartford Wolf Pack goaltender David LeNeveu had his shutout streak ended Saturday night at the XL Center against the Providence Bruins, but LeNeveu made 26 saves in regulation and overtime, and stopped five out of six in the shootout, as the Wolf Pack pulled out a 2-1 win.

“Every point is important right now, tonight we just had to bear down and make sure we got two instead of one,” LeNeveu said.  “It’s not about the streak or personal stats, it’s not about anything except for team points right now.  I’m just trying to go out there and make the next save and the next save after that.”

The victory was the first for the Wolf Pack in six games against the Bruins on the year, and improved the Pack’s season record to 32-31-1-6 for 71 points, marking the first time Hartford has been over .500 since November 27.

Ryan Bourque scored the shootout winner Saturday and T.J. Hensick also scored in the shootout, and J.T. Miller had the only Wolf Pack goal in regulation.  Alexander Khokhlachev scored for Providence, and Malcolm Subban made 24 saves and went four-for-six in the shootout.

LeNeveu, who brought a franchise-record streak of three straight shutouts into the game, had a scoreless run snapped at 200:31 at 14:37 of the first period, when Khokhlachev scored his seventh goal in six games against the Wolf Pack.

Zach Trotman grabbed off a Wolf Pack dump-in in his own zone and sent Khokhlachev off on a break through center.  Khokhlachev carried down left wing in the Hartford zone and fired a shot that went off of LeNeveu and found its way into the net.

The Wolf Pack tied the score only 1:12 into the second period, on a goal by Miller that turned out to be the only scoring of the second.

Tommy Hughes fed the puck from the blue line to Miller on the right-wing boards, and Miller’s one-timer beat Subban, whose view was obscured by the Wolf Pack’s Micheal Haley and Bruin defenseman Mike Moore, who were battling for position in front.

The rest of regulation was scoreless, and both teams had a power play in overtime but neither was able to convert.  In the shootout, the Wolf Pack were down to their last chance, after Subban had stopped Danny Kristo, Miller, Jesper Fast and Marek Hrivik in succession, and Seth Griffith had beaten LeNeveu on the Bruins’ third shot.

Hensick kept the Wolf Pack alive, though, scoring in the fifth round, and Bourque converted on the Pack’s sixth shot.  LeNeveu then denied Craig Cunningham on Providence’s sixth attempt to secure the win.

The Wolf Pack are back in home ice action Sunday, as the Norfolk Admirals visit the XL Center for a 5:00 PM game.   This is the last chance for fans to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Sunday Family Value Packs”.  Those include two tickets, two hot dogs and two sodas, starting at only $35.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Providence Bruins 1 at Hartford Wolf Pack 2 (SO)
Saturday, April 5, 2014 – XL Center

Providence 1 0 0 0 – 1
Hartford 0 1 0 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Providence, Khokhlachev 21 (Trotman), 14:37. Penalties-Robins Pro (fighting), 3:32; McIlrath Hfd (fighting), 3:32; Khokhlachev Pro (tripping), 5:02; Bourque Hfd (interference), 10:05; McIlrath Hfd (tripping), 17:36; Cunningham Pro (interference), 18:56.

2nd Period-2, Hartford, Miller 13 (Hughes, Johnson), 1:12. Penalties-Fraser Pro (goaltender interference), 7:55; McIlrath Hfd (roughing), 12:36.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Cunningham Pro (high-sticking), 4:02; Bourque Hfd (slashing), 5:11.

OT Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Miller Hfd (hooking), 0:30; Moore Pro (tripping), 3:49.

Shootout – Providence 1 (Knight NG, Spooner NG, Griffith G, Khokhlachev NG, Johnson NG, Cunningham NG), Hartford 2 (Kristo NG, Miller NG, Fast NG, Hrivik NG, Hensick G, Bourque G).
Shots on Goal-Providence 9-6-10-2-0-27. Hartford 9-4-10-2-1-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 0 / 5; Hartford 0 / 5.
Goalies-Providence, Subban 14-8-5 (25 shots-24 saves). Hartford, LeNeveu 8-8-0 (27 shots-26 saves).
A-4,421
Referees-Geoff Miller (28), Chris Ciamaga (24).
Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Luke Galvin (2).

Manchester, NH, April 4, 2014 – David LeNeveu set a Hartford Wolf Pack franchise record with his third straight shutout Friday night at Verizon Wireless Arena, making 37 saves in a 2-0 Wolf Pack win over the Manchester Monarchs.

The victory lifted the Wolf Pack to the .500 mark, 31-31-1-6 for 69 points, for the first time since November 29.  LeNeveu had also shut out Bridgeport in the previous two Wolf Pack games, a 4-0 home win on Saturday and a 3-0 victory in Bridgeport Sunday.

The Wolf Pack, who were outshot 37-16, had consecutive shutouts eight previous times in franchise history, but had never had a third straight.

Danny Kristo and Aaron Johnson scored second-period Hartford goals for the game’s only offense, and Conor Allen assisted on both.  J.F. Berube made 14 saves for Manchester.

The first period was scoreless, but the Wolf Pack were hit with a pair of penalty calls just 30 seconds apart in the final minute.

Darroll Powe went off for slashing at 18:55, and Ryan Bourque was called for slashing at 19:35.  The Wolf Pack survived the rest of the first period without any damage, but 1:06 of the five-on-three carried over into the second frame.

The Wolf Pack killed that all off, though, and then scored twice in the second period, despite being outshot by a margin of 17-6.

Kristo opened the scoring in a four-on-four situation at 7:25, after T.J. Hensick won a faceoff.  Hensick got the puck back from Allen and fed a great pass to the right side of the slot to Kristo, who faked Berube to the ice and slipped a forehand shot past his left pad.

Johnson then made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 13:34.  With Kevin Gravel in the box for closing his hand on the puck, Johnson took a pass from Oscar Lindberg and snapped a shot from the middle of the blue line, and it deflected off of a Manchester defender, went through a Marek Hrivik screen and past Berube on the stick side.

Manchester outshot the Wolf Pack 12-2 in the third period, but could not solve LeNeveu, who improved his Wolf Pack record on the season to 7-7-0.

The Wolf Pack are back on home ice Saturday night, hosting the Providence Bruins in a 7:00 PM game.  Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Manchester Monarchs 0
Friday, April 4, 2014 – Verizon Wireless Arena

Hartford 0 2 0 – 2
Manchester 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Berube Mch (interference), 10:04; Haley Hfd (hooking), 13:01; Powe Hfd (slashing), 19:05; Bourque Hfd (closing hand on puck), 19:35.

2nd Period-1, Hartford, Kristo 22 (Hensick, Allen), 7:25. 2, Hartford, Johnson 5 (Lindberg, Allen), 13:34 (PP). Penalties-Syvret Hfd (slashing), 5:56; Weal Mch (high-sticking), 7:18; Fast Hfd (hooking), 9:02; Gravel Mch (closing hand on puck), 13:19.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Syvret Hfd (tripping), 12:08; Andreoff Mch (roughing), 12:08.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 8-6-2-16. Manchester 8-17-12-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 3; Manchester 0 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, LeNeveu 7-8-0 (37 shots-37 saves). Manchester, Berube 26-16-2 (16 shots-14 saves).
A-5,676
Referees-Geoff Miller (28).
Linesmen-Jeremy Lovett (78), Joe Ross (92).

HARTFORD, April 3, 2014:  Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Wolf Pack has signed defenseman Justin Baker to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement.

Baker, a 6-2, 190-pound native of Toronto, just completed a four-year college career at St. Lawrence University (ECAC).  In 38 games this season, the 22-year-old tallied nine goals and added 24 assists for 33 points, while serving 32 minutes in penalties.  Those offensive numbers were good for a tie for the St. Lawrence team lead, and for the ECAC league lead, in goals among defensemen, and for the second-most points among team blueliners and third-most among league defensemen.  Overall on the Saints’ squad, Baker finished third in assists, tied for fourth in goals and fifth in points.

As a Junior in 2012-13, Baker was second on the St. Lawrence team, and second overall in the ECAC, in assists by defensemen, and second on the team and tied for fourth in the league in points among defensemen, with 5-21-26 in 38 games.  He also finished fourth overall among St. Lawrence skaters in assists and points.

In 143 career games at St. Lawrence, Baker totaled 19 goals and 63 assists for 82 points, along with 105 PIM.

The Wolf Pack’s next game is this Friday, April 4, when they travel to Manchester to face off against the Eastern Conference-leading Monarchs.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM, and all of the action of that battle can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home game is this Saturday, April 5, a 7:00 PM contest vs. the Providence Bruins.  Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

By Bob Crawford

The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Marek Hrivik has not been asked to play goal or defense yet, but as far as forward positions go, Hrivik has done it all this year.

Hrivik originally joined the Wolf Pack, two years ago at this time, as a left-winger, but this season he has spent a significant amount of time at center, and has even played right wing on occasion.  The 22-year-old Slovak has proven to the Wolf Pack coaches that he can handle the differing assignments, and the back-and-forth between the middle and the flank has almost become old hat at this point.

“I’ve been doing it for a while, so I guess I’m getting used to it,” Hrivik said Wednesday.  “It’s not that different to play wing or center.  You just have a little bit more defensive responsibilities as a centerman, but it’s not that big of a difference.”

Although he admits to wanting to be better on faceoffs when playing center, Hrivik is encouraged by the progress he has made this season, after injuries last year limited him to 40 games-played with the Whale in his rookie campaign.  His latest assignment has been to center the Wolf Pack’s top line, playing between Ryan Bourque and Jesper Fast, after J.T. Miller, who had been filling that role, was recalled by the parent New York Rangers.

Bourque scored twice in Saturday night’s 4-0 home win over Bridgeport, and Hrivik netted his tenth of the season in Sunday’s 3-0 road blanking of the Sound Tigers, leading Hrivik to the conclusion that the threesome was a good fit.

“I think we were playing good [last] weekend,” he said.  “Bourquie’s a guy that skates a lot, and he can skate behind D-men and get the pucks, and Jesper’s a smart guy who can make plays, make passes.  We just have to continue doing what we did last weekend and keep scoring goals.”

And what does Hrivik think his role is on that line?

“I’ve just got to be between them, I think, I’ve just got to do a little bit of both,” he said.  “I think I’ve just got to make sure I win those draws, and get the pucks out of our defensive zone as quick as possible and get to the offense.”

Which is not to say that Hrivik is always thinking defense when he is skating with players like Bourque and Fast.

“This is a hard league to play in, it’s always, pucks are up and down, and you want to spend the least time that you can in your zone,” Hrivik explained.  “As soon as you get out of your zone, you can go for it.  But you have to take care of the D-zone first, and then you can go.”

While it’s not like the Swedish Fast and the Slovakian Hrivik grew up around the corner from one another, both cut their hockey teeth on the bigger European ice surfaces, and according to Hrivik, there is a certain shared thought process that comes from that.

“I would say it’s more that he (Fast) was playing in the Swedish League, and he would rather make a play than, let’s say, dump the puck in,” Hrivik elaborated.  “That’s the kind of thing you’d expect all the time, that’s he’s going to somehow get the puck to you.  So you’ve just got to be ready to receive it, and score, eventually, if he passes to you in the offensive zone.”

When Hrivik first came to the then-Connecticut Whale at the end of March, 2012, signed to a tryout agreement out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, he made a good splash offensively, leading the Wolf Pack in postseason goals that spring and tying for the team lead in playoff points.  Since then, the offense has not flowed as freely for him, with 26 points in 40 games last season and 10-13-23 in 66 games thus far this season, but Hrivik feels that his all-around game has grown by leaps and bounds.

“Obviously I think I’m a better player than I was when I first came here,” he said.  “Sometimes they (goals) go in and sometimes they don’t.  The points are not everything that is going on out there, there are a lot of other things that matter.  As long as the team is winning and other guys are scoring, it’s not that big of a thing.  I’ve just got to make sure that I play good hockey out there and help my teammates.”

Another thing that has factored into Hrivik’s development curve is the battles he has had with injuries.  He played barely a half-season last year, and missed significant time his last two Junior campaigns due to injury as well.

“This is probably my first full season for the past three years, I would say.” Hrivik pointed out.  “It’s a lot of games here, it’s not easy to go through a season, but everyone out there is tired, it’s not like it’s just me.  So you’ve just got to make sure that you battle harder than the other guys.”

What makes that battle even more challenging, Hrivik has found out, as so many other young players have, that the jump from Major Junior to the AHL is a big and demanding one.

“The biggest difference between Junior and the AHL is the strength of the players,” he said.  “The guys are stronger, faster.  So you’ve got to adjust to that, you’ve got to get stronger during the summers, when you train and stuff.  I think I’ve done a good job, I got stronger, I got faster, now it’s just time to cash in.”

The offensive opportunities that Hrivik has cashed in this season have tended to be less of the dazzling, highlight-reel variety and more of the hard-battling, gritty kind.  Several of his ten goals, for example, have been scored from nearly impossible angles, from along, or below, the goal line on his off-wing side.

“I have a history of goals like that,” Hrivik laughed.  “I don’t know, I just try to throw it in the net.  My first AHL goal was from behind the net, in Portland.  I have no play, I just try to throw it at the D-man’s skate or something and hope something happens.  It’s never a bad play to take a shot.”

Similarly, it’s never a bad thing to be able to play many different roles and help a team in a variety of ways, as has been Hrivik’s calling card this season.  That versatility may turn out to be just as good a ticket to the NHL as would be the kind of high-end offensive production that he showed a spark of in his first look at pro hockey.

“It’s the best hockey league in the world,” Hrivik said of the NHL.  “If you’re going to get there, you just try and prepare for it the best you can.  It’s just a plus if you can play all the positions out there, because you never know what’s going to happen.  I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think it’s something that could help me to get there.”

photo credit: chris rutsch