Wolf Pack Sign Caige Sterzer to AHL Contract, Add ATO for 2025-26

The Hartford Wolf Pack added a big body to their forward group Thursday, signing University of St. Thomas forward Caige Sterzer to a one-year standard AHL player contract for the 2026-27 season. To get him in uniform before the offseason, the team also signed the 25-year-old to an amateur tryout agreement that covers the remainder of 2025-26. General Manager Ryan Martin, who holds the dual title of New York Rangers Associate General Manager, made the announcement.

Sterzer signed a one-year AHL-only contract on Thursday, March 26, covering the 2026-27 season, and will play out the rest of the current season on an amateur tryout agreement.

The size is the first thing that stands out on Sterzer's sheet: the Kimberley, B.C. native stands 6-foot-5 and checks in at 227 pounds, the kind of frame the professional game covets when it comes attached to a player who can actually produce. Over four NCAA seasons, he showed he can. At Lindenwood in 2023-24, Sterzer skated in 28 games and recorded a team-high 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists, the best single-season output of his college career. He then transferred to St. Thomas, where his production remained consistent across two seasons. This year with the Tommies, he posted 15 points on four goals and 11 assists in 34 games. Across his full time at St. Thomas, he appeared in 72 games and collected 29 points. Taken across all four college seasons, Sterzer leaves the NCAA with 62 points in 126 career games.

That career arc tells a useful story. His best season came in 2023-24 at Lindenwood, where his 22 points in just 28 games translated to a 0.79 points-per-game clip. His numbers at St. Thomas settled into a more measured range, but the sample size is larger and the competition in the CCHA is a credible proving ground for professional scouts. For an organization that has developed forwards like Will Cuylle and Matt Rempe into NHL contributors, adding a player with Sterzer's size and a proven college scoring track record fits a recognizable template.

The Wolf Pack blue line received a boost earlier this week when Connor Mackey was reassigned by the Rangers, and the transaction activity around the club has been constant. The Rangers recalled forward Adam Sýkora from Hartford around the same time, a move that opens minutes in the forward group. Sterzer steps into that environment immediately, per the official announcement, which stated he will join the Wolf Pack right away.

The Hartford Wolf Pack have been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since 1997 and serve as the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers, playing their home games at PeoplesBank Arena. With a slate of games remaining against Rochester, Charlotte, Bridgeport, Hershey, and Providence, Sterzer will have no shortage of opportunities to make a first impression before his contract officially kicks in next fall.