BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Hartford Wolf Pack will remain the primary developmental affiliate of the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers, who announced this week that the club has entered into a five-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison.
A release from the Rangers said the Illinois-based Bison will function as a developmental affiliate of the Rangers and the Wolf Pack of the AHL. The 2024-2025 season will be the Bison’s inaugural campaign.
“Entering an affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s newest team in the Bloomington Bison is an exciting opportunity for the New York Rangers,” said Rangers Assistant General Manager and Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin, in the release. “We take pride in building our team with competitive players from our minor league affiliates. Bloomington, as well as the continued partnership of the Hartford Wolf Pack, will provide us with even more resources to succeed in developing our prospects.”
In all likelihood, numerous players will play games for both the Bison and the Wolf Pack in the coming seasons. The Bison will play home games at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, Ill.
The Bison’s first coach will be Phillip Barski, an Ontario native who spent the previous two seasons on the coaching staff of the OHL’s Barrie Colts, where he was the associate coach last year. According to the release, before spending time with the Colts, Barski worked as an assistant with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Bloomington City Manager Jeff Jurgens spoke positively in the release about the newly announced affiliation with the Rangers.
“This affiliation with such a celebrated franchise as the New York Rangers brings a new level of excitement and prestige to Bloomington,” Jurgens said. “We look forward to the positive impact this partnership will have on the city and the electrifying hockey it will bring to Grossinger Motors Arena.”
The Bison are a class AA minor league hockey franchise, and most ECHL teams are affiliated with the NHL.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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