by Sean Dufresne | AHL On The Beat
In the final year of his entry-level contract, Dylan Garand has been nothing short of exceptional between the pipes this season for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The 2020 fourth-round draft pick by the New York Rangers has shined in his third pro season, with statistics across the board reflecting his meteoric rise to being one of the top goaltenders in the American Hockey League.
In order to understand the strong start for Garand, we must look back to the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, a defining moment in the young goaltender’s pro career which saw him appear in nine of the 10 postseason games for the Wolf Pack.
“I think that experience going into this year helped me really mature,” Garand said. “In playing those games, I was really able to find my game and what works for me.”
He played a pivotal role in the Wolf Pack taking down the Charlotte Checkers on the road in a down-to-the-wire best-of-three series. Garand posted a .954 save percentage and a 1.61 goals-against average in the series.
The 22-year-old netminder prides himself on his preparation, and attributes it to impacting his play in a positive way on all fronts.
“I think my approach to preparation has been the most important part of my development and ultimately my performance throughout my career,” Garand stated. “If you put in the work and do everything you need to do to be ready to go to battle, there’s no doubt in your mind and you’re able to just play free and go to work.”
And the work has paid off for Garand. He opened his 2024-25 campaign with a 4-0-1 record in his first five games and followed it up with an even more impressive stretch as Hartford entered a four-game homestand in early December.
Garand recorded back-to-back shutouts over the Rockford IceHogs and Hershey Bears, a feat not done by a Wolf Pack goaltender in over a decade. The shutouts came in the midst of a stretch that saw Garand let up just four goals in a five-game span from Dec. 4-20, which rocketed him into the top 10 in the AHL for wins, GAA, save percentage and shutouts.
As the Wolf Pack gear up to celebrate 50 years of professional hockey in Hartford this month, Garand reflected on playing in front of the devoted Hartford fanbase.
“I’ve genuinely loved my time here,” he said. “The fans here are awesome and have really shown a lot of support to us as a team, and myself individually.”
The parity in the Atlantic Division is as high as it’s ever been this season, and with the consistent goaltending on the backend, it has given the Wolf Pack a fighting chance night in and night out.