The New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack have extended their affiliation for two more season according to Patrick Williams of NHL.com. The partnership will continue through the 2019-20 season, after which the Rangers hold three one-year options.
The Wolf Pack organization has been affiliated with the Rangers for more than two decades (though they spent some time as the Connecticut Whale between 2010-13) but have unfortunately seen some struggles recently because of it. Since the Rangers have spent so much prospect and draft capital to upgrade the NHL team over the last few years, the Wolf Pack have suffered and only made the playoffs once in the last five seasons. This year, the team is going to need a huge last month to qualify, but things are headed in the right direction.
New York is in the midst of a rebuild, and seems committed to bringing exciting young talent into the organization. This year, the Wolf Pack have been able to showcase young players like Filip Chytil, Vinni Lettieri and Neal Pionk at various times, and are expected to get several new names in the coming years. With Chris Drury managing the team now, they’ll hope for some more tangible success in the AHL playoff picture.