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Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Bryce McConnell-Barker makes most of opportunity
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- Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Bryce McConnell-Barker makes most of opportunity
Second-year pro Bryce McConnell-Barker is stepping up for the Hartford Wolf Pack, amid a depleted forward group down the stretch of the American Hockey League season.
While the Wolf Pack are without regulars Justin Dowling , Carey Terrance , and Brett Berard due to injuries, plus Adam Sýkora and Jaroslav Chmelař are up in the NHL now with the New York Rangers , Hartford is leaning on McConnell-Barker and other depth forwards as the season winds down.
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The 2022 third-round pick (No. 97) by the Rangers found a scoring spark, recording seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past seven games. His 12 goals in 63 games are tied with Sykora for third on the Wolf Pack . And he’s also tied for third (with Dylan Roobroeck) with four power-play goals.
McConnell-Barker’s been opportunistic lately. He recorded his 11th goal of the season Friday by converting on a turnover from Cole McWard of Bridgeport. Initially stopped on his first shot attempt, McConnell-Barker followed up and scored on the rebound.
His 12th goal on Saturday stemmed from a misplay by Mitch Gibson of Hershey. Scott Morrow dumped the puck into the offensive zone, and Gibson tried to recover it behind the net. However, the puck went past the goalie, and Aidan Thompson fed McConnell-Barker for an easy tap-in goal.
The 21-year old set new career highs in goals, assists (10), and points (20) already this season. That’s impressive considering he was on a 17-game scoring drought until March 18. Consistency is key if McConnell-Barker wants a bigger role next season. He played the majority of 2025-26 in Hartford’s bottom six, and gained experience on the power play.
Hartford Wolf Pack News-n-Notes
Kalle Vaisanen — photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
Kalle Väisänen’s quiet year with Wolf Pack
After gaining pro experience back home in Finland, forward Kalle Väisänen came to North America this season and joined the Wolf Pack. The 2021 fourth-round pick (No. 106) by the Rangers had a limited role under coach Grant Potulny, playing the majority of the season on Hartford’s fourth line, with a couple of appearances on the third line. In addition, he was held out of the lineup frequently, sitting out 21 games as a healthy scratch.
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The prospect struggled to produce. He has four points (three goals, one assist) in 45 games, and is on a 17-game scoring drought. His last point was recorded on Jan. 16, a goal against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
While his numbers are not impressive, the big (6-foot-5, 200 pounds) forward provided some impact defensively, and looked good in that role helping out goalies Callum Tung and Spencer Martin by consistently blocking passing lanes, and attempting to clear the crease.
The 23-year old will enter 2026-27 as a “prove-it” year given his contract is up in the summer of 2027. He must find a spark in his overall game if he wants to return, and make an impact.
Wolf Pack p layoff hopes on life support
Losers in six consecutive games (0-4-1-1), the Wolf Pack inch closer to missing the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second straight season. The eighth-place Wolf Pack (24-34-5-3, 56 points) are 10 points out of a playoff spot with six games remaining. Hartford could be eliminated on Friday with a regulation loss to Providence, or if Springfield earns a point against Rochester.
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Hartford has not done itself any favors, conceding at least four goals in 30 games this season. The Wolf Pack will also spend an entire season below .500 for the first time in franchise history.
Last week featured the same old song and dance. They were defeated by the Bridgeport Islanders 4-1 on Friday, then followed up with an gruesome 8-1 loss to the Hershey Bears on Saturday.
Injury bug strikes again
The Wolf Pack could be without Dowling for the remainder of the season; the veteran center is week to week with a lower-body injury. Initially returning to the lineup from an upper-body injury on March 28 and centering the top line, he skated in three games before suffering another setback.
Hartford misses Dowling’s ability to win face-offs and generate offense. He’s second on the team with 20 assists, and tied for third in scoring with Sýkora (29 points each).
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Also appearing on the injured list is Terrance. He’s day to day with an upper-body injury. The Rangers prospect left the loss Friday in the second period after being elbowed in the head by Luke Rowe of Bridgeport. The league reviewed the incident, and suspended Rowe for two games. He’ll return on Apr. 12 against Hartford.
Despite a struggling with just 13 points in his rookie pro season, Terrance gained trust from Potulny for key defensive assignments, from the penalty kill to a shutdown five-on-five role. The forward didn’t miss a game until this past Saturday.
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Friday, April 10 vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 7:00pm, PeoplesBank Arena
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This is the 10th and final meeting in the season series. Hartford is 2-5-1-1 against Providence.
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Providence is 51-14-2-0 (104 points), first in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference, and the entire league.
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Georgii Merkulov leads the Bruins with 56 points (21 goals, 35 assists), tied for 19th in the AHL scoring race. Next on the Bruins is Riley Tutfe with 53 points (31 goals, 22 assists).
Saturday, April 11 vs Springfield Thunderbirds at 6:05pm, MassMutual Center
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This is the 8th of 10 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 4-3-0-0 against Springfield.
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Springfield is 29-29-6-2 (66 points), sixth in the Atlantic Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference.
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Chris Wagner leads the Thunderbirds with 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists). Next is Aleksanteri Kaskimäki with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists).
Sunday, April 12 vs Bridgeport Islanders (New York) at 5:00pm, Total Mortgage Arena
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This is the 11th of 12 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 4-6-0-0 against Bridgeport.
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Bridgeport is 30-28-3-5 (68 points), fourth in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference.
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Matt Luff leads the Islanders with 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists). Next is Adam Beckman with 46 points (27 goals, 19 assists).
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