Hartford, CT, October 5, 2019 – Matt Beleskey scored twice, Vinni Lettieri had a goal and an assist, and Danny O’Regan added three assists Saturday night at the XL Center, as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the defending Calder Cup-champion Charlotte Checkers, 5-3, in the AHL season opener for both teams.
“We didn’t look great from the start, but we were able to settle it down,” said Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch, who was making his debut behind the Wolf Pack bench. “We didn’t get rattled, we responded.”
The Checkers were the first to jump on the board, as Janne Kuokkanen snuck a shot through the legs of Wolf Pack goaltender Igor Shesterkin (26 saves) 1:18 into the first period.