THE FINAL ROSTER MOVES

The Hartford Wolf Pack 2008-2009 roster is set. There were no major surprises as to who is going where.

The Rangers did, as expected, send goaltender Miika Wiikman back to Hartford to be the top netminder in the Connecticut capitol.

As to the names of the new guys joining last year's returning veterans, on the blueline, add the names of Vladamir Denisov, Tysen Dowzak, Ethan Graham, Chris Murray and former first round draft pick Bobby Sanguinetti, who did see some time with the team as a junior call up last season. Veteran Brian Fahey joins Hartford after winning a Calder Cup last season with the Chicago Wolves. Also on the rearguard is second year blueliner Corey Potter who is certain to get some call ups this year in NY. Finally, the team includes the return of Maxim Kondratiev, who has apparently agreed to stay and play in the AHL and was part of the trade that sent the legendary Brian Leetch to Toronto. Last, but certainly not least, is Michael Sauer. In the playoffs last season Sauer suffered a severe knee injury that required surgery. He is rehabilitating with the team and will most likely not see any action until late November at the earliest.

Up front, The pack will have a mix of both new and familiar faces. Artem Anisimov returns as do Dane Byers, Brodie Dupont, Hugh Jessiman, Greg Moore, Mike Ouellette, Jordan Owens and P.A. Parenteau. Tom Pyatt and Mike Taylor, who saw a little time with the team last season, are also back.

Among the new faces up front are, Joe Barnes, Sergei Demagin, Andreas Jamtin, Justin Soryal and Dale Weise.

For those curious about Lyon Messier, son of Hall-of-Famer Mark Messier, he has been assigned to Charlotte.

Three players, Michael Busto, Ryan Hillier and Tomas Zaborsky have been reassigned to Charlotte while David Skokan and David Urquhart have been loaned to their North Carolina affiliate.

Check below for the list of players who've been flat out released to Charlotte.

Here is the official release concerning Miika Wiikman's reassignment to Hartford.

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that goaltender Miika Wiikman has been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). Wiikman, 23, did not dress for the Rangers in two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague, Czech Republic. Last season, Wiikman registered a 21-8-3 record, along with a 2.30 goals against average in 34 AHL games. The 6-0, 180 pound goaltender also appeared in four contests with Charlotte (ECHL), posting a 1-1-2 record with a 2.36 goals against average.

Here is the official release of the movement of players and final cuts for the Wolf Pack.

Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has deleted a total of 19 players from its training camp roster. Following is a summary of the transactions:

PLAYERS REASSIGNED BY NEW YORK RANGERS FROM WOLF PACK TO CHARLOTTE (ECHL):
Michael Busto (D)
Ryan Hillier (LW)
Tomas Zaborsky (LW)

PLAYERS LOANED BY WOLF PACK TO CHARLOTTE (ECHL):
David Skokan (C)
David Urquhart (D)

PLAYERS RELEASED BY WOLF PACK TO JOIN CHARLOTTE (ECHL):
Julien Brouillette (D)
Peter-James Corsi (C)
Matt Ford (F)
Marty Guerin (RW)
Jeff Jakaitis (G)
Michel Leveille (LW)
Lyon Messier (D)
Jared Nightingale (D)
David Rutherford (RW)
Peter Tsimikalis (C)

PLAYER RELEASED BY WOLF PACK TO JOIN UTAH (ECHL):
Will Bodine (LW)

PLAYERS RELEASED BY WOLF PACK:
Andrew Gallant (G)
Martin Houle (G)
Guillaume Parenteau (F)

Those moves leave the Wolf Pack with 26 players on the training camp roster:

Goal (2): Miika Wiikman, Matt Zaba
Defense (9): Vladimir Denisov, Tysen Dowzak, Brian Fahey, Ethan Graham, Maxim Kondratiev, Chris Murray, Corey Potter, Bobby Sanguinetti, Michael Sauer
Forwards (15): Artem Anisimov, Joe Barnes, Dane Byers, Sergei Demagin, Brodie Dupont, Andreas Jämtin,
Hugh Jessiman, Greg Moore, Mike Ouellette, Jordan Owens, P.A. Parenteau, Tom Pyatt, Justin Soryal, Mike Taylor, Dale Weise

The Wolf Pack drop the puck on their 2008-09 regular season this Saturday, October 11th, with a home game at the XL Center vs. the Springfield Falcons. That game is “Everyone’s a Kid Night”, meaning that all fans, regardless of age, can purchase tickets at the kids’ price of $10 each.

Voice of the Wolf Pack, Bob Crawford explains the classifications of the different moves made today by the organization, "A player is “reassigned” from the AHL club by the NHL affiliate to a lower league (e.g., the ECHL) if he is under an NHL contract (e.g., Busto). A player that is “loaned” from the AHL club to a lower league is if he is under an AHL contract (e.g., Urquhart) while a player is “released” if he was on a tryout basis and had neither an NHL nor an AHL contract (a lot of these guys were just brought to Wolf Pack camp for a look and had ECHL deals already lined up with Charlotte, or other places)."

Comments

[Elsie]

Congrats to Dowzak and to Potter's college teammate Graham for making the roster as tryouts.

At 26, Graham is an older second year pro, and played in the AHL last year.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=67645

Interesting, that of the 1st year pro Forwards, Soryal, Taylor and Demagin stay in AHL, while Ranger draftees Zaborsky, Hiller and Skokan go to ECHL.

Demagin, having 2-3 fellow Russian speakers in Hartford may have been a factor.

Thanks for the coverage.

[David]

Where is Mike Brodeur, the goalie that the Pack signed to an AHL contract?

[cwede]

Often you've posted movements of ex-Wolfpack players.
I came across this last evening:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/sep/11/blades-sign-forward-mark-lee/

[oleosmirf]

Elsie

I don't think they beat out Zaborsky, Hillier and Skokan.

I think that it would be detrimental to give those guys just 4th line duties.

Those 3 will play top line minutes in Charlotte and when injuries set-in they'll see top line spots, not the current 4th liners of the Wolf Pack

[Mitch Beck]

Quite a few of you have asked me about goalie, Mike Brodeur. I just checked with the team and all they will say he that he is out injured. There is no indication what that injury is or when he might return.

[prescott]

I believe these 3 are not yet under contract to either NYR or HWP, right? Tysen Dowzak, Ethan Graham, Max Kondratiev

[Mitch Beck]

They've all made the team. The only question mark would be Max Kondratiev, but if they're listed on the roster, then all that needs doing is signing the paperwork. I'm sure they're aware of what the league pays and such and it should to take long before I'm writing a piece on their signings...

[bmoak]

Is the Pack really going to carry 3 extra forwards and three extra defensemen?

[elsie]

bmoak - Some thoughts why the roster is not overloaded
- Barnes and Sauer aren't healthy.
- The AHL is expanding game rosters to 18, so dressing 12 F's will be common.
- Last year Gernander would usually change the lineup from game to game.
- Kondratiev has not yet formally/publically committed to stay.
- The Rangers will likely recall a defenceman before long.
As I recall, you're a Checkers fan. Please, if now and then, you could comment on the play of Hillier, Zaborsky, Skokan, Busto etc, we'd be grateful.