Wolf Pack Announce Player Moves

Forward Jake Elmer has been called up to the Wolf Pack from
the team's ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners.

HARTFORD—The Hartford Wolf Pack, the American Hockey League affilliate of the New York Rangers, announced today that the Rangers have reassigned forward Jake Elmer to the Wolf Pack from its ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners. In addition, the Wolf Pack signed forward Connor Bleackley to a professional tryout agreement (PTO).

Elmer has skated in two games with the Wolf Pack on the season, going scoreless with one minor penalty. The rookie out of the Western Hockey League, who was signed as a free agent by the Rangers March 15, 2019, has registered 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 36 games with Maine, while serving 43 minutes in penalties. He ranks fourth on the Mariner team in goals.

Bleackley, a fourth-year pro out of the Western Hockey League, has seen action in ten AHL games this year with the Texas Stars, notching three goals and two assists for five points, along with six penalty minutes and a +1. In 15 ECHL games with Maine, the 6-0, 199-pound High River, Alberta native has five goals and five assists for ten points, plus 14 PIM, after having registered four goals and nine assists for 13 points, along with four PIM, in 18 games with the Idaho Steelheads.

The 24-year-old Bleackley spent last year with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, skating in 57 games and chipping in five goals and 11 assists for 16 points and posting 35 penalty minutes. He was a first-round pick (23^rd overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in 2014 and then re-entered the draft two years later and was selected in the fifth round (144th overall) in 2016 by the St. Louis Blues.

Prior to turning pro, Bleackley played 259 games over five seasons with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL, amassing career totals of 80 goals and 103 assists for 183 points, plus 180 penalty minutes.

On Monday, the Wolf Pack signed Mike O’Leary to an AHL contract. A 6-1, 200-pound forward from Notre Dame, O’Leary played four years for the Fighting Irish. As a senior, the 22-year old winger scored nine goals and added 14 assists for 23 points, while serving 20 penalty minutes, finishing third on the team in points and goals.

In 151 career games at Notre Dame, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native amassed 20 goals and 37 assists for 57 points, along with 102 PIM. He helped lead the Fighting Irish to the NCAA Frozen Four twice (2016-17 and 2017-18), including an appearance in the championship final in 2018. O’Leary’s pre-college experience included two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15) of action at Salisbury School in Salisbury, CT.

The Wolf Pack will host the Providence Bruins tonight at the XL Center. First puck drops at 7 p.m., and it “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Packs will be available—two tickets, two sodas and one large popcorn for $40. Tickets are available at the XL Center box office or by calling 860-772-9425. For more information, visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

—Staff Reports

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