The Hartford Wolf Pack will remain the New York Rangers’ top minor league affiliate through the 2028-29 season under an extension announced Thursday, keeping the American Hockey League franchise in Hartford through its fourth decade.
The agreement covers the Wolf Pack’s 30th anniversary season, which begins in October, and extends one of the longest-running affiliations in the AHL.
“We are beyond thrilled to continue our long-term partnership with the New York Rangers in Hartford,” said Peter Luukko, co-chairman of Oak View Group’s Stadium and Arena Alliances. “Hartford is a premier market in the AHL, and the relationship between this franchise and the Rangers is one of the most successful in league history.”
Oak View Group operates PeoplesBank Arena under an agreement with the quasi-public Capital Region Development Authority and handles the Wolf Pack’s business operations in Hartford.
The extension comes as the Wolf Pack’s corporate ownership structure is set to change.
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. recently filed plans for a proposed spinoff that would place the Rangers, Wolf Pack and the team’s training center in Greenburgh, New York, into a new publicly traded company called MSG Rangers Corp. MSG Sports expects to complete the tax-free separation by the end of October, HBJ previously reported.
The Wolf Pack’s business has grown at PeoplesBank Arena in recent seasons. The team has broken its single-season paid-ticket record four times since the 2022-23 season, while average attendance has increased 50% since 2019-20. Its full-season ticket base has doubled over the same period.
The 2024-25 season also set a franchise record for group-ticket sales, ranking among the AHL’s top 10 that season.
The affiliation has also continued to serve as a pipeline to the Rangers. Twenty-two former Wolf Pack players appeared in at least one game for New York during the 2025-26 NHL season, including goaltender Igor Shesterkin, captain J.T. Miller, Gabe Perreault and Matt Rempe.
“We look forward to continuing to provide our players with a first-class experience in Hartford, and to giving the great fans of Hartford an opportunity to see our prospects as they continue to develop and graduate to the Rangers,” said Ryan Martin, Wolf Pack general manager and Rangers associate general manager.
The Wolf Pack have won more than 1,000 games in Hartford and made the Calder Cup Playoffs 17 times. Their 2000 Calder Cup title remains the city’s only professional hockey championship.
Hartford opens the 2026-27 season Oct. 3 at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and will host its home opener Oct. 10 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
