For the second year in a row, the Hartford Wolf Pack will be well represented at the 2023 Rookie Series: a two-game set between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp rosters. The series takes place at the PPL Center, home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms – the AHL affiliate of the Flyers.
In the past two years, it has served as a spring training of sorts for AHL hockey players, and this year appears no different.
In fact, seven of the 13 forwards playing in the games had some history with the Wolf Pack in 2022-23, as well as three of the seven defensemen, and two of the three goaltenders played for the Wolf Pack at some point last season.
Forwards in the Rookie Classic
Brett Berard
Berard will be making his first appearance in the rookie classic. In the 2022-23 season, he played just three games with Hartford where he was unable to tally a point.
Adam Edstrom
Like Berard, Edstrom too will be making his Rookie Classic debut. Like Berard, he was only able to manage to get into a handful of games for the Wolf Pack; however he was able to rack up a goal and an assist.
Karl Henriksson
Henriksson makes his second appearance in the Rookie Classic as he enters his second professional season. In his first, after coming from the Swedish Hockey League, Henriksson played in 70 games. In those 70 games, the Swedish center was able to score seven goals, while also adding 10 assists to that.
Ryder Korczak
Korczak is another forward who will be playing in this tournament again. Like Berard, he did not play in many games for Hartford last season and was unable to pick up a point.
Matt Rempe
Rempe is coming into his second professional season after playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League for three seasons. During the 2022-23 season, Rempe played in 53 games where he was able to rack up 10 points to the tune of six goals and four assists.
Adam Sykora
Sykora will be entering his first full season of professional hockey in 2023-24 after playing in six games (two in the regular season, and four in the playoffs) while only tallying one point (an assist). Sykora is just getting used to North American hockey, watch for him to have a more consistent season.
Bobby Trivigno
Trivigno will be playing in his second Rookie Series but is a lock to start on one of the top lines for the Wolf Pack come the regular season. With two professional seasons already under his belt, Trivigno is looking to stay healthier this season and to top last season’s numbers of nine goals and 20 assists. Trivigno also looks to prove he belongs in training camp with fellow UMass-alum, defenseman Zac Jones.
Defensemen in the Rookie Classic
Ty Emberson
Emberson comes into the Rookie Classic as a bit of an anomaly, entering a four-year AHL veteran after three years at the University of Wisconsin.
Emberson set career-highs in all categories last season: games played (78, including playoffs), goals (9, including playoffs), and assists (23, including playoffs). Watch for him to prove he can play with Zac Jones on the top-line on a consistent basis.
Matthew Robertson
Robertson also enters the Rookie Series with an axe to grind with the organization. He, too, set career-highs in the 2022-23 season. Robertson, however, was not as healthy as Emberson so he has more to prove. Despite injuries, Robertson set highs in goals, as well as assists, with five and 18 respectively. Watch for Robertson to try to stay healthier so he can add to that total.
Brandon Scanlin
Scanlin was a staple on defense for the Wolf Pack in 2022-23 in his second professional season out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. After being limited to just one point his first season, Scanlin broke out last season playing in 70 total games including the postseason. In that time, Scanlin scored four goals, and dished out 12 assists.
Goaltenders in the Rookie Classic
Dylan Garand
Garand will be entering his second full professional season this year (third overall) after splitting the last two seasons with Hartford and the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL.
In the 2022-23 season with the Wolf Pack, Garand played in 40 games (32 regular season, 8 playoff games) and carried a record of 18-17-3 into the offseason. He also recorded a 2.39 GAA and a .915 SV% between the playoffs and regular season. Look for Garand to fight to play more consistently in 2023-24.
Olof Lindbom
Lindbom is entering his second professional season after playing in Sweden since the 2013-14 season. In his first year of affiliated hockey, Lindbom split his time between the Jacksonville Ice Men of the ECHL and Hartford.
The Wolf Pack were barely a blip on the Swedish netminder’s radar last year, as he registered just one game. While with Hartford, he recorded a GAA of 3.51 and an .818 SV%. The rest of the season with the Ice Men, Lindbom played in 28 games where he was able to rack up a 3.01 GAA and an .890 SV% in the regular season. He also played in three games in the postseason, with a 3.15 GAA and an .885 SV%.
When is the Rookie Classic and how can I watch it?
The Rangers rookies look to avenge last year’s clean sweep. Game one is tonight, with puck drop being at 7:05 p.m., and the second, and final, game of the set is Saturday, September 16 – puck drop is at 5:05 p.m.
