Hartford Wolf Pack Three Stars of the Month—April

For the final time in the 2025-26 season, it's time to name the Hartford Wolf Pack's three stars of the month. We'll highlight the three best players from the month of April. You can view stars for previous months here:

• October
• November
• December
• January
• February
• March

The Wolf Pack played eight games in April, posting a record of 2-6-0-0. From these games, I've selected the three players that I think had the best overall performances of the month. Let's get into the three stars for April!

Third Star - Carey Terrance, Forward

April stats: 4 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 Pts, -1, 6 PIMs

An injury prevented Carey Terrance from playing half of the Wolf Pack's games in April, but it didn't prevent him from earning a spot on this list. Terrance played at over a point-per-game pace over April, notching five points across four games. His lone goal of the month was the game-winner in Hartford's thrilling 7-5 comeback win over the Springfield Thunderbirds in their final home game of the season on April 17th.

For much of his rookie AHL campaign, Terrance was used in a depth role, centering the Wolf Pack's fourth line and carving out a role as a key penalty killer. However, injuries to the Wolf Pack's top two centermen, Justin Dowling and Juuso Pärssinen, allowed Terrance the opportunity to play up in the lineup to end the season. The rookie made the most of the opportunity, a satisfying ending to his inaugural professional season.

"He's come a long way this year," Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny told Blueshirt Banter following the April 17th game. "He started the year, wasn't getting any penalty killing time, just kind of playing fourth line center minutes. He [improved], then hit a plateau, and I was waiting for [improvement] again. I think you're seeing it again. He's a really valuable player for us and he's had a very good rookie year."

The strong April performance caps off what's been a whirlwind year for Terrance. After wrapping up his junior career with the OHL's Erie Otters, Terrance signed his entry-level contract with his draft team, the Anaheim Ducks, last April. Just two months later, he was dealt to the New York Rangers in exchange for longtime Blueshirt Chris Kreider. He then played out his rookie campaign in Hartford, appearing in all but four of the Wolf Pack's games.

"I learned a ton," Terrance told Blueshirt Banter when asked about his first year as a pro following the game on April 17th. "Whether it's from the coaches, even medical staff and strength guys. You just want to come in and soak up as much information as you can. That was my goal coming into this year. I can say I learned a lot in my first year, and I'm happy."

Terrance will have ample opportunity to take the a step forward in his development next season. After a strong finish to his rookie campaign, Terrance is an easy choice for third star honors.

Second Star - Bryce McConnell-Barker, Forward

April stats: 8 GP, 4 G, 1 A, 5 Pts, -5, 2 PIMs

You cant't talk about Wolf Pack players who ran with new opportunities late in the season without talking about Bryce McConnell-Barker. The second-year forward had a strong ending to March and carried it over into April, finding the net four times across eight contests.

Thanks to a myriad of recalls, injuries, and trades, McConnell-Barker got an opportunity to play big minutes for the Wolf Pack during the final stretch of the season after playing mainly bottom-six minutes throughout his pro career thus far. McConnell-Barker rose to the challenge and provided quality play for the Wolf Pack, showcasing a heavy forecheck and a timely offensive ability.

"Bryce is skating. Bryce is taking pucks to the net," Potulny noted to Blueshirt Banter following the Wolf Pack's game against Charlotte on March 28th, a game in which McConnell-Barker scored a goal. "He's playing an inside game. At times, players, when they think about scoring, they think about having the puck on their stick and they end up playing perimeter hockey. Bryce is just playing north-south, and he does have a very good shot. Anytime he can get it off, it's dangerous."

Over the home stretch, McConnell-Barker played a role similar to the role Adam Sýkora played in Hartford. He played hard on the forecheck and got to the net front for easy tap-ins or rebounds. That style of play helped the second-year forward notch ten points (6 G, 4 A) over the final 13 games of the season.

A strong finish to the season could help McConnell-Barker further elevate his game next season. For April, he earns second star honors.

First Star - Trey Fix-Wolansky, Forward

April stats: 8 GP, 5 G, 5 A, 10 Pts, -2, 19 PIMs

This is the seventh month I've done a three stars of the month piece.

This is the fourth time Trey Fix-Wolansky has been named first star of the month.

It might seem repetitive, but Fix-Wolansky has been far and away the Wolf Pack's best player throughout the season. He played over a point-per-game pace in April, notching ten points across eight contests. He's the only Wolf Pack player to have a month over a point-per-game pace; the only other player to play at a point-per-game pace across a full month was Gabe Perreault, who tallied four goals and four assists across eight games in October.

The feather in the cap that was Fix-Wolansky's April came in the Wolf Pack's final home game of the season on April 17th. Fix-Wolansky recorded his second hat trick of the season to help lead the Wolf Pack to the thrilling comeback victory.

The veteran forward also hit a pair of milestones in the game; his second goal helped him reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career, while a pair of assists gave Fix-Wolansky a five-point night, the first by a Wolf Pack player since Jonny Brodzinski tallied five points (1 G, 4 A) against Springfield on March 24th, 2023.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about [scoring 30 goals] coming into today," Fix-Wolansky noted to Blueshirt Banter following the contest on April 17th. "To be able to hit that in one game and get 31 is pretty special."

"The milestones mean something to the players," Potulny told Blueshirt Banter following the game. "I understand that. I said, you're gonna get [to 30 goals] by playing the right way. When he plays the right way, the puck finds him. He was incredible tonight, and I'm really happy for him that he hit that milestone. This is a game he won't forget."

The electric performance wraps up another strong offensive year for Fix-Wolansky. In his first season outside the Columbus Blue Jackets system, he ended with 55 points, 18 more points than the next best figure on the team.

"It's been great," Fix-Wolansky told Blueshirt Banter when asked about his experience in Hartford as a whole. "The group of guys in there has been awesome. The product on the ice hasn't always been there, but we always have each other's backs, and we want each and every guy in that locker room to succeed and move on to the next level."

For one final time this season, Fix-Wolansky is your first star of the month.

Let's take a look at some final numbers for stars across the campaign.

Fix-Wolansky finished with the most overall stars, with five, as well as the most first stars, with four. Fix-Wolansky is the only player to earn different stars over the course of the season, appearing in both the first and second star spots.

The first star spot was shared by just three players this season: Fix-Wolansky (November, January, March, April), Perreault (October), and Dylan Garand (December and February). Fix-Wolansky, Garand, and McConnell-Barker are the only players to earn stars across multiple months, and McConnell-Barker is the only player to have multiple appearances without earning a first star.

Only one player who earned a star did not finish the season in the Rangers organization: defenseman Derrick Pouliot, who received second star honors in December before he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks at the NHL trade deadline.

Of the 15 players to earn star honors throughout the season, eight were Ranger draft picks: Perreault, Garand, McConnell-Barker, Brett Berard, Adam Sýkora, Brody Lamb, Dylan Roobroeck, and Jaroslav Chmelař. Four were acquired by trade - Terrance, Brendan Brisson, Jackson Dorrington, and Scott Morrow - while Fix-Wolansky, Dowling, and Pouliot were all free agent signings.

We'll have plenty more awards to give out later this spring—stay tuned!