Jan 16, 2025
On Wednesday night, the Hartford Wolf Pack played their 36th game of the season at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY. The game marked the official halfway point of the season for the club.
The Wolf Pack concluded the first half of the campaign with a record of 16-17-2-1, good for a tie for sixth place in the Atlantic Division. They wake up this morning tied with the rival Springfield Thunderbirds for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic.
As I have said all throughout the first half of this season both in this space and on the air, the playoff chase is going to be intense in the second half.
The Wolf Pack are right there but will need to find more consistency in their game during the second portion of the season if they are to return to the Calder Cup Playoffs for the third season in a row.
This week, we change up the blog by looking at ten key storylines from the first half of the season as we get ready for game 37 in Charlotte on Saturday.
1. Dylan Garand has been outstanding for the Wolf Pack during the first half of the season. In 19 appearances, Garand has a record of 11-6-2 with a .919 save percentage, 2.41 goals-against average, and two shutouts.
The third-year netminder sits top-ten in the league in wins (T-7th), save percentage (T-7th), goals-against average (10th), and shutouts (T-8th).
He will attend his first career AHL All-Star Classic next month.
2. Alex Belzile will join Garand in Coachella Valley for the All-Star Classic in February. The veteran forward leads the Wolf Pack with 33 points (11 g, 22 a) in 33 games, playing at a point-per-game pace. He is tied for seventh overall in league scoring with Emil Bemström of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Cole Guttman of Rockford, and Vinnie Hinostroza of Milwaukee.
Belzile led the Wolf Pack in scoring with 50 points a season ago and is on pace to break his career-high of 54 points, set during the 2018-19 season with the Laval Rocket.
3. Belzile’s usual centerman, Bo Groulx, is also on pace to turn in his best season in the AHL. Groulx leads the Wolf Pack in goals with 12 and sits second on the club in points with 30 (12 g, 18 a).
Groulx’s previous career-high in goals is 18, set during the 2022-23 season with the San Diego Gulls. That season, he also recorded a career-high 21 assists and 39 points. He’s looking at his first 50-point season in the AHL and has been a great addition at center for the Wolf Pack.
4. Anton Blidh tipped home his…
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