Hartford Wolf Pack Three Stars of the Month—December

December has come and gone, which means it's once again time to highlight the Hartford Wolf Pack's three best players of the month. As a refresher, you can view the Wolf Pack's three stars of October here and the three stars of November here.

The Wolf Pack played nine games in December, posting a record of 3-5-0-1. 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 December!

Third Star - Jaroslav Chmelař, Forward

December stats: 5 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 Pts, EV, 14 PIMs

Despite playing in just five of the Wolf Pack's nine games in December, Jaroslav Chmelař was arguably the team's best forward during the month. The second-year forward played at a near point-per-game pace, with four points across the five contests while adding in his signature speed and heavy forecheck.

Chmelař had a rollercoaster season last year; he showed a promising combination of speed, checking, and physicality, all while being snakebitten on offense and struggling on defense. This season, he's made massive leaps in all three phases of the game and is being rewarded, both on the ice with a big improvement in his stats and off the ice with his NHL debut on November 7th.

"I just gotta keep doing the little things right, and everything else comes," Chmelař told Blueshirt Banter following a two-assist performance on October 29th. "I gotta be heavy on their D, bump them a little bit every time I get a chance. Win some pucks, keep them in the o-zone. That's what I'm trying to build."

Chmelař's contributions have earned him praise from coaches and teammates. Forward Gabe Perreault, who often played on a line with Chmelař while in Hartford this season, noted to Blueshirt Banter on December 5th that Chmelař "doesn't get enough credit for what he's doing for us." Fellow linemate Justin Dowling highlighted Chmelař's strength and checking, telling Blueshirt Banter after the same December 5th game that the Czech forward is "good at protecting pucks [and] getting in on the forecheck."

Head coach Grant Potulny put it best, describing Chmelař as "a bull" to Blueshirt Banter on December 5th. With Chmelař's combination of speed and strength being a focal point of his game, it's a fitting term. It's also fitting that Chmelař earns third star honors for the month of December.

Second Star - Derrick Pouliot, Defenseman

December stats: 9 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 Pts, -3, 2 PIMs

For much of the 2024-25 season, the Wolf Pack lacked a true puck-moving defenseman and power play quarterback. Erik Brännström and Zac Jones each had short stints with the Wolf Pack last season, but in general, there was no consistent player to run the power play.

This past offseason, veteran defenseman Derrick Pouliot was brought in to fill that hole. A longtime offensive threat from the blue line, Pouliot leads all Wolf Pack players in assists with 14 on the campaign.

After a bit of a slow start to the season, Pouliot began to find his game in late November, and the consistency carried over into December, with the veteran regularly picking up points. The former first-round pick has also been a leader for the Wolf Pack on the back end, often skating alongside rookie defenseman Jackson Dorrington. Pouliot has showcased versatility as well, playing on his natural left hand side and sliding to the right when necessary.

"It's come together for him," Potulny told Blueshirt Banter following the Wolf Pack's 5-2 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on November 21st, a game in which Pouliot had three points. "There's even more plays he makes that maybe just haven't resulted in points. But he's playing a lot of minutes for us, he's playing important minutes."

Pouliot's game has continued to come together throughout December. He gets pucks to the net, resulting in key assists. The veteran recorded two helpers, including one that put the game out of reach, in the Wolf Pack's win over Bridgeport on December 27th.

If the Wolf Pack want to move past their inconsistent start and continue to pick up points in the standings, they'll need veterans like Pouliot to lead the way both on and off the ice. For a strong December, Pouliot earns second star honors.

First Star - Dylan Garand, Goaltender

December stats: 5 GP, 4 GS, 3-1-0-0, 2.39 GAA, 0.923 SV%

Something about December helps bring out the best in Dylan Garand. Last season, he was named AHL Goaltender of the Month for December, becoming the first Wolf Pack goaltender to earn the honors since Igor Shesterkin in October 2019. This season, Garand had another strong December, winning three of his four starts and posting a sparkling 2.39 GAA and 0.923 SV%.

Garand has earned the lion's share of starts in net for the Wolf Pack, as they've had a rotating cast of tandem partners including Spencer Martin, Callum Tung, and Talyn Boyko. Garand has taken the opportunity and ran with it, consistently giving the Wolf Pack a chance to win whenever he gets the nod. He's only gotten better as the year has gone on, with his work in December being his best yet.

"I thought Dylan was outstanding," Potulny told Blueshirt Banter following the Wolf Pack's December 5th game where Garand made 34 saves on 36 shots and earned the win. "Any pucks he could, he covered. He made a lot of plays."

After sharing the net with veteran netminder Louis Domingue throughout his first three seasons in Hartford, Garand entered the 2025-26 campaign as the Wolf Pack's clear-cut number one. Despite the increased workload, Garand has continued to give the Wolf Pack a chance to win every time he's in net.

"I've learned a lot over the past three year. Pretty rare to have a tandem together for three years like we had," Garand told Blueshirt Banter following a 28-save shutout against Springfield on October 22nd. "Now it's switched a bit. My job, whenever I'm in net, give the guys a chance to win."

It's a job Garand was made for.

"I would play all 72 games if they'd let me. I love playing. As much as they need me, I'm going to go in there and give the guys a chance to win."

Whenever the Wolf Pack send Garand to the net, they know they'll be getting his best effort. For his strong December, Garand earns first star honors.

Check back next month for the Three Stars of January!