Hartford Wolf Pack Three Stars of the Month—January

As we move on from the first month of 2026, it's once again time to highlight the Hartford Wolf Pack's three best players of January. You can view the stars for previous months here:

• October
• November
• December

The Wolf Pack played 14 games throughout January, posting a record of 6-8-0-0. 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 January!

Third Star - Brett Berard, Forward

January stats: 10 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 Pts, -6, 4 PIMs

It's been a season of ups and downs, both literally and figuratively, for Brett Berard. He's shuttled between Hartford and New York and has struggled to find consistency in his game.

However, things took a turn for Berard in January. He played at a near point-per-game pace, notching nine points through 10 games played. Highlights from the stretch include a two goal performance, including the overtime game-winner, on January 14th in Hershey and three point night against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 16th.

Early in the season, Berard struggled to get the results he deserved. It took him over a month to score his first goal of the season despite playing his signature hard forechecking game.

Despite the early lack of success on offense, Berard believes the drought made him mentally stronger.

"It's a long year. It's easy to think about [not scoring a goal] too much," Berard told Blueshirt Banter after recording a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over Springfield on November 18th. "For me, it's just generating the chances. They're gonna go in, it's just how hockey works."

In January, the chances did start to go in. Berard tripled his goal output in the month and tacked on five assists to boot. It's rewarding for the third-year forward, who has stuck with his game throughout the season and can now reap the benefits. With the New York Rangers' roster about to change drastically as the trade deadline approaches, one of those benefits may just be another extended look on Broadway.

For a strong performance throughout January, Berard earns third star honors for the month.

Second Star - Brendan Brisson, Forward

January stats: 14 GP, 4 G, 7 A, 11 Pts, -4, 10 PIMs

The Wolf Pack offense lost a lot of firepower in January. Brennan Othmann played just four games during the month, and Gabe Perreault did not make an appearance for the club. The Wolf Pack needed to find someone who could help supplant that production, and Brendan Brisson stepped up.

Brisson tallied 11 points throughout January, tied for the most on the team in the month. The strong play from the 29th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft was highlighted by a three point night against Bridgeport on January 3rd, earning him league-wide third star honors for the night. Brisson also became the third member of the Wolf Pack to hit double-digit goals on the campaign.

The opportunity to play up in the lineup and get top power play time helped Brisson's offensive production explode over January. However, his philosophy on racking up more points has been a simple one.

"Just keep going to the net and the puck will find me there," Brisson told Blueshirt Banter when asked about his offensive success following a two goal performance against Bridgeport on December 27th.

Brisson finding his offensive game is a massive boost for a depleted Wolf Pack offense. There's no guarantee that any of Othmann, Perreault, or Berard play any more games in Hartford this season, leaving three big holes up front for the remainder of the campaign. Brisson becoming a consistent threat to score, as he has been in the past, will help lessen the impact of those losses.

If the Wolf Pack want to string together victories and turn their season around before it's too late, they'll need guys like Brisson to continue to perform. For a consistent January, Brisson earns second star honors.

First Star - Trey Fix-Wolansky, Forward

January stats: 14 GP, 6 G, 5 A, 11 Pts, -6, 20 PIMs

For the first time since I've been selecting stars of the month, we have a repeat, and for good measure. After a down month of December, Trey Fix-Wolansky had a bounce-back January that once again lands him at the top of this list.

Fix-Wolansky tied Brisson for the team lead in points over the month, with 11, and led the Wolf Pack with six goals in January. His torrent offense was on display in the month, culminated by a stellar performance against Hershey on January 20th. In that game, Fix-Wolansky notched the Wolf Pack's first hat trick of the season, as well as the club's first in over a calendar year.

December represented a tough month for Fix-Wolansky. The veteran forward managed just three assists through nine games in the final month of 2025, a far cry from the strong offensive game he's played throughout his AHL career. January represented a righting of the ship for Fix-Wolansky.

"It felt good to get that monkey off the back," Fix-Wolansky told Blueshirt Banter after snapping a ten-game goalless drought in a game against Bridgeport on January 3rd. "Probably one of the longest stretches in my career without a goal, so it felt really good."

Fix-Wolansky has stepped up in more ways than one for the Wolf Pack throughout the season. His strong offensive play has helped lessen the impact of the aforementioned losses of Othmann, Perreault, and Berard. In addition, the longtime Cleveland Monster has lined up at center instead of his natural position on the wing thanks to an injury to Juuso Pärssinen and a Justin Dowling recall. Both have helped the Wolf Pack immensely throughout the month.

Throughout the remainder of the season, Fix-Wolansky will be a player the Wolf Pack will heavily rely on. For answering the call in January, he earns first star honors.

Check back next month for the Three Stars of February!