NY Rangers Extend AHL Agreement With Hartford Wolf Pack

The New York Rangers have come to an agreement with the Hartford Wolf Pack to remain their AHL affiliate for the next couple of years.

Mar 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; A New York Rangers flag is seen in the crown during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers will be getting set for training camp and the upcoming season with the hopes of being an improved franchise. Furthermore, as the team seeks improvements, a key phase of how they develop their young talent has been addressed. 

This summer, the goal for the Rangers was very clear. Chris Drury let it be known that he wanted to retool instead of rebuild, and that meant adding talent to make the team better for the 2026-27 campaign. 

That certainly appears to have been a goal achieved by the team, and the Rangers could contend for a playoff spot if things go right. However, while winning and being better this year is important, the team also has their eye on the future. 

One of the reasons for the struggles of the team the last couple of years has been their inability to identify and develop young talent. With a bunch of changes in the organization, the hope will be that they have improved. However, while there are a lot of changes, one thing that will remain the same for the next couple of years is where their AHL team is. 

Rangers Agree to Extension with Hartford

NEWS: The Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) and New York Rangers (NHL) announced today an extension to their affiliation agreement. The agreement runs through the end of the 2028-29 season. pic.twitter.com/NaJg0zg8kf

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) August 20, 2026

With the agreement between the two sides going through the 2028-29 season, some of the young talent for New York will be continuing to develop in Hartford for the next couple of years. 

The Rangers have made some organizational changes to improve their development of young players, and that will be focused on the Wolf Pack. 

New York has seemingly had some issues in this area in recent years, and the lack of players coming up from their system has hurt the team. Now, things are starting to look up in terms of how their prospect pool is being regarded. 

With the fifth overall pick, the Rangers landed Alberts Smits to help improve their blueline. Smits is someone who was regarded as one of the most NHL-ready prospects, but New York won’t have to rush him if they choose not to. 

Furthermore, a couple of other key players to keep an eye on in Hartford going forward will be Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin. Both of these players were key pieces in trades that New York was looking to bring in young talent. 

The development of these two will be really important, especially considering New York parted ways with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. Overall, it is good to see the Rangers extend their agreement, and the franchise will be hoping that their next wave of talent comes through there.