TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: OCTOBER 16TH, 2024

The 2024-25 season is officially underway. The Hartford Wolf Pack kicked off their 28th season of play last Saturday night in Allentown, PA, earning a point with a late six-on-four power play goal. After dipping their toes in with just one game last weekend, the Pack hit the grind this weekend with the first three-in-three weekend of the campaign.Regular season hockey being back means I’m back for a fourth year of our weekly ‘Two Minutes for Thoughts’ blog!Let’s get started with a new season, shall we?1.) Let’s start with the season opener in Allentown, a 4-3 shootout loss against the Phantoms. Despite being outshot 48-25 through 65 minutes, the Wolf Pack were able to secure a point thanks to some quality offensive chances and some strong play form Louis Domingue in net.It’s hard to go into an opponent’s building on opening night, with all kinds of emotions at play, and win a hockey game. The Wolf Pack nearly did just that.Banking points early in the season is a huge positive, and the Wolf Pack were able to snag one thanks to never giving up despite trailing both after two periods of play and late in regulation time.The team will be the first to say that they can be better than they were on Saturday night. After all, it’s the start of the season and things are rarely perfect for anyone. The fact they battled until the end and found a way to get a point is a good sign for this team early in the season.2.) Quite a debut for defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, the Massachusetts native who signed with the Rangers in July. Fitzgerald picked up an assist on Brett Berard’s power play goal 17:56 into the hockey game, then blasted home the game-tying goal at 18:55 of the third period.Fitzgerald is a well-respected veteran who adds a calming presence to the defensive group. Coming off a career year in Charlotte with the Checkers, he’ll be a key piece for the Wolf Pack this season.3.) Speaking of defensemen, it was great to see Ben Harpur back on the ice in game action for the first time since last November. You’ll recall, it was in Allentown where Harpur suffered an upper-body injury that ended his 2023-24 season.Like Fitzgerald, Harpur is slated to be a key veteran piece for the Wolf Pack on the backend this season.4.) Louis Domingue was terrific in the loss. The veteran netminder, playing in his 199th career AHL game, made 45 saves to help secure a point for the Wolf Pack. He had a few candidates for his best save of the night, including a breakaway save on Hunter McDonald and a high-danger stop on Rodrigo Abols.Domingue’s 45 saves are his most in a single game as a member of the Wolf Pack. His previous high was 43 in a wild 5-4 overtime victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Feb. 2, 2024. In fact, his 45 saves on Saturday night were an AHL career-high.5.) Anton Blidh had the only five-on-five goal of the hockey game, finishing a really pretty passing play between he and Adam Sýkora. With 44 penalty minutes combined (22 each) it was hard for either team to get into a real rhythm in this game at five-on-five. Winning that goal battle most nights during the season should lead to a lot of success for this Wolf Pack team.The high amount of penalty calls isn’t surprising, either. One thing I’ve noticed over the last few years, in multiple sports, is that we see a higher number of calls early, when a standard is established. Then, as players adjust, those numbers go down. I’d be surprised if we see another 16 power play game in the near future.6.) Are you excited for this weekend, Wolf Pack fans? The crowds at the XL Center have been great, and the energy has been noticed over the years by both the players and the coaches. New Head Coach Grant Potulny raved to me about the turnout for the club’s annual ‘Meet the Team’ event for ticket holders last week. I know he’s excited to get behind the bench for the first time at the XL Center on Friday night.  7.) Just a reminder of what is coming up this weekend for you if you are coming down to the XL Center! On Friday night, for the home opener, there will be $2 hot dogs and $2 drafts until the end of the first intermission! It’s also the first College Night of the season, the first Hockey Happy Hour presented by Minuteman Press Hartford, AND we’ll have DJ Meechie in the house handling the music. Oh, and the first 5,000 fans will received Wolf Pack rally towels thanks to our friends at CM Concessions and Xfinity.On Saturday night, Hockey Happy Hour is back inside the Electric Boat Heritage Club two hours prior to puck drop! The first 1,500 fans will receive a 2024-25 Wolf Pack Magnetic Schedule thanks to Pepsi! Remember, this game is set for 6:00 p.m.8.) While we’d love to see you at the XL Center, if you can’t make it, you can still tune in! We’ll have you covered all season long, with live play-by-play coverage of all 72 Wolf Pack games. ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starts like 15 minutes prior to puck drop each night on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr!9.) While the jerseys will look familiar this weekend, the Springfield Thunderbirds and Bridgeport Islanders will both look significantly different on the roster sheets.The Thunderbirds saw eight of their top ten point producers from the 2023-24 season depart over the summer. The young Thunderbirds will bring a new-look to the XL Center on Friday night with a number of key St. Louis Blues prospects in the lineup.As for the Islanders, veterans Pierre Engvall and Hudson Fasching headline a new look attack as the Isles attempt to return to the Calder Cup Playoffs after a two-year absence.10.) Lauri Pajuniemi did it in 2021. Julien Gauthier did it in 2022. In 2023, it was Berard. Who will be the first Wolf Pack player to light the lamp at the XL Center this season? Let me know your thoughts on X @AlexThomasHWP! Me? I’m going with Alex Belzile.# # #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.