The 2025-26 Hartford Wolf Pack: Sugar, We're Goin' Down

On April 18, the Hartford Wolf Pack wrapped up their 2025-26 season. They visited their rivals, the Springfield Thunderbirds, to cap off the campaign.

The Wolf Pack put up a strong effort in their final contest, firing 40 shots on goal. However, the equalizer eluded them, and they fell to the T-Birds by a 4-3 final score.

That result, combined with a comeback win by the Calgary Wranglers on the same night, dropped Hartford to last place in the entire AHL to end the season. They finished with just 60 points on the campaign. It's the first time the Wolf Pack have finished in last place league-wide since the 2016-17 season, where their 54 points through 76 games saw them finish 30th out of 30 teams.

In each of the past two seasons, I've been able to pinpoint a specific moment that serves as a microcosm of the Wolf Pack's season. Two years ago, it was Louis Domingue scoring a goalie goal to clinch the Wolf Pack's playoff spot and kickstart a miraculous run to the Atlantic Division Final. Last season, it was the own goal they suffered while on a delayed penalty against the Utica Comets.

This season, there's no such moment. I can't point to one play or game that truly represents how the Wolf Pack's season went. Instead, I'll use a song: Fall Out Boy's 2005 pop-punk hit "Sugar, We're Goin' Down." On the track's chorus, lead singer Patrick Stump melodically croons:

We're goin' down, down in an earlier round
And sugar, we're goin' down swingin'

The lyrics may have been first sung 21 years ago, but there's no better description for the Wolf Pack's season. Now, with the campaign officially wrapped up, let's take a long look back at it.

After a disappointing ending to the 2024-25 season, the Wolf Pack came into this year's campaign with heightened expectations. The rebuilt roster saw a plethora of new faces. Veterans Justin Dowling and Trey Fix-Wolansky provided offense and experience up front, while Derrick Pouliot became a puck-moving presence on the blue line. Trade acquisition Scott Morrow aimed to build on an All-Star campaign from last season, while rookie and 2023 first round draft pick Gabe Perreault looked to make his mark on professional hockey.

There were plenty of returnees, as well. Fan favorites Adam Sykora, Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard returned for their third tours of duty in the Connecticut capital. Gritty veteran Anton Blidh re-upped on a two-year contract. Dylan Garand took hold of the starter's crease after an All-Star selection of his own the previous year. On paper, this Wolf Pack roster looked like one built to return to the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Hartford stumbled right out of the gate, winning just one of their first five contests. They'd turn around and win their next two games, exploding for ten total goals. It looked like they'd found their footing.

The bottom would fall out from there. The Wolf Pack lost each of their next seven games. Five of the contests were decided by one goal, with four requiring overtime. In the midst of the extended losing streak, head coach Grant Potulny remarked to Blueshirt Banter: "We're finding ways to continue to hurt ourselves."

The losing streak wouldn't last forever, but the Wolf Pack's lack of consistency would plague them throughout the remainder of the season. At multiple times during the campaign, they'd come close to moving into a playoff spot. However, Hartford was simply unable to catch any of the teams they were chasing. The hole got bigger late in the season after losing out on multiple key players thanks to injuries and recalls. Their playoff hopes finally ended with a 4-1 loss to the Providence Bruins on April 10, combined with a Springfield win over the Rochester Americans. For the second straight year, there would be no playoff hockey in Hartford.

The Wolf Pack were dealt one final blow on the final night of the season, as their loss and Calgary's comeback win secured their league-wide last place finish.

There's a multitude of things that went wrong for the Wolf Pack this season.

Let's start with the aforementioned lack of consistency. The Wolf Pack often struggled to play a full 60-minute game. They'd either get off to a strong start and be unable to put the game away, or start the game slowly and be forced to play catchup. There were countless times where Potulny noted to Blueshirt Banter that he didn't love their start or finish to games, and Hartford was often on the losing side of those outcomes. That's simply not a recipe for success as a team.

The lack of consistency extends beyond individual games. The Wolf Pack didn't win more than three games in a row at any point during the 2025-26 season. The constant rollercoaster of wins and losses prevented them from truly making up ground in the playoff race.

The Wolf Pack, at times, also struggled with adversity during the season. They had multiple losing streaks of seven or more games, a true embodiment of the colloquial definition of Murphy's Law, the adage that states anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Long losing streaks like that, especially in a league where a majority of a team's games are intra-divisional matchups, simply cannot happen.

Furthermore, the Wolf Pack heavily struggled at home this season. In 36 games at the PeoplesBank Arena, the Wolf Pack posted a record of just 11-19-4-2. The 11 home wins are the lowest figure in franchise history. Among AHL teams this season, only Calgary (10) had fewer victories on home ice. The Wolf Pack's 28 points at home was also second to last league-wide, with only the Iowa Wild and Rockford IceHogs (27 each) recording fewer points at home. If you can't win in your building, you're going to struggle throughout a season.

Lastly, the Wolf Pack were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the AHL this season. They recorded just 190 goals on the season, placing them in fourth to last place; only the Manitoba Moose (185), Iowa (179), and Abbotsford Canucks (173) had fewer tallies. This is despite Fix-Wolansky notching 31 goals on the season, placing fifth in the AHL and becoming the Wolf Pack's first 30-goal scorer since Nicklas Jensen found the net 32 times during the 2016-17 season. On the other side of the puck, Hartford conceded 253 goals, the third-worst figure in the league this season. Giving up over 60 more goals than you score makes it hard to win games.

All these factors contributed to the Wolf Pack going down in a much earlier round than anticipated at the start of the season. Sure, they may have gone swinging, but overall, if the Wolf Pack want to find their way back into playoff contention next year, there's a lot they'll need to improve.

Even during a season as challenging as this one, there are still plenty of positives to point out.

First, the Wolf Pack had four players make their NHL debut this season; Sykora, Garand, Jaroslav Chmelar, and Noah Laba each drew in for their first NHL action. Six Wolf Pack alumni would notch their first NHL goal this season—Sykora, Chmelar, Othmann, Perreault, Laba, and Matthew Robertson—while Garand picked up his first NHL win. Almost all of those players are on track to be key contributors for the New York Rangers next season. Even in a lost season for Hartford, seeing that many players find success at the NHL level is a huge positive.

Fix-Wolansky was an absolute joy to watch all season long. As previously mentioned, his 31 goals were good for fifth in the AHL this season and he became Hartford's first 30-goal scorer in a decade. The 31 tallies also sets a new career high for the veteran forward, as it's the first time he's crossed the 30-goal threshold.

Fix-Wolansky spoke highly of his first season in Hartford, despite the disappointing ending.

"It's been great," Fix-Wolansky told Blueshirt Banter following the Wolf Pack's final home game of the season on April 17, where he scored a hat trick and five total points. "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 room to succeed."

Late in the season, with the Wolf Pack missing out on regulars thanks to injuries and recalls, a number of younger players stepped up and played key roles. Forward Brody Lamb, who signed his entry-level contract with the Rangers on March 12th and an amateur tryout contract with Hartford the following day, recorded four goals and five assists across his first 15 professional games. Second-year forward Bryce McConnell-Barker finished the season by posting six goals and four assists across the team's final 13 games. Rookie center Carey Terrance played at a point-per-game pace to end the season, scoring two goals and six assists across his final eight games. All three will be poised to play major roles in Hartford next season.

The results certainly weren't what the Wolf Pack wanted this season, but you have to look deeper at the AHL level. Doing so reveals a few positives that the Wolf Pack can carry into the 2026-27 campaign.

I've said over and over again that change is inevitable at the AHL level, and the Wolf Pack will have plenty of change coming next season.

On Sunday, the Rangers and Wolf Pack jointly announced that Potulny, plus assistant coaches Jamie Tardif and Paul Mara, had been relieved of their duties on the Wolf Pack coaching staff. This Red Wedding of the staff shouldn't come as a surprise, especially after two straight years of no playoffs and a league-wide last place finish this season. The search for a new bench boss and staff has already commenced, and the goal will be a strong bounce back from a disappointing campaign.

Change will come to the roster as well. Sykora, Chmelar, and Garand look like bonafide NHL players. Up front, Berard and Brendan Brisson are both restricted free agents, while Fix-Wolansky is an unrestricted free agent. On the blue line, only Jackson Dorrington is under contract for next season; Morrow is an RFA, while Connor Mackey, Brandon Scanlin, and team captain Casey Fitzgerald will all hit the market as UFAs.

However, the Wolf Pack will also have some intriguing prospects coming in next year. Nathan Aspinall, the towering winger out of the OHL who the Rangers picked in the fifth round (#159) in 2024, will likely make the jump to the AHL following a dominant 94 point season with the Flint Firebirds. Fellow forwards Liam Greentree and Jacob Battaglia, acquired in trades for Artemi Panarin and Othmann, respectively, will also likely open the season in the Connecticut capital. Greentree, selected 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2024, notched 74 points in 52 games with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. Battaglia, the 62nd overall pick in 2024, is coming off a strong playoff run with Flint, posting 18 points in eight contests. All three could be major players for a revamped Wolf Pack team next season.

But before we get there, we'll go through another extended offseason.

Once again, the wait for the return of hockey in Hartford will be a long one. But for the Hartford faithful who I've gotten to know so well over the past four years, the lengthy wait will only increase their anticipation for a new season. The 2026-27 campaign is set to be a celebratory one as well; the Wolf Pack will play their 30th season in the Connecticut capital, which only adds further excitement.

What hasn't changed a bit in my four years in Hartford is the mutual respect between the Wolf Pack and their fanbase. You can tell that the players on the team genuinely appreciate the support they get from the crowd, even after a difficult season like this one.

"We wanted to give the fans something to cheer about in the last home game, and luckily we got the job done," Fix-Wolansky told Blueshirt Banter following the Wolf Pack's miraculous comeback win over Springfield in their final home game of the season on April 17.

This is just one of countless examples Wolf Pack players have provided in regards to the support from their fanbase. If you attended the April 17 game, you'd have no idea the Wolf Pack weren't going to the playoffs if you solely listened to the crowd. The building was thunderous, helping will their team to a comeback win to cap off the home slate.

The dog days of summer will eventually give way to a crisp fall breeze that blows through the streets of Hartford and signals the return of Wolf Pack hockey. That breeze will also bring with it a new era of hockey in the Connecticut capital. With the right moves, that new era can start with a deep playoff run, the likes of which this team has gone on before.

October can't come soon enough.