NEWS FROM HARTFORD 

The mystery of which Defenseman could be recalled by the parent New York Rangers has been answered. This morning the AHL transaction Wire lists Corey Potter headed to the big club. More than likely Potter will be playing and not just watching from the press box due to the Wade Redden injury which is listed as simply a “lower body injury.”  If he does play, this will be Potter’s NHL debut. The Lansing, MI native has potted two goals and helped on nine others in twenty-three games and sports a minus-2 for his efforts. Potter was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2003 NHL draft, 122nd overall.

Here’s the official release:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that defenseman Corey Potter has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Potter, 24, has registered two goals and nine assists for 11 points, along with 26 penalty minutes in 23 games with Hartford this season. He currently ranks second on the team among defensemen in assists (nine) and points (11), and is tied for first in goals (two). The 6-3, 200-pounder has recorded two multiple-point games this season, including a multiple-assist effort on October 22 at Worcester. In 2007-08, Potter appeared in 80 games with Hartford (AHL), recording five goals and 27 assists for 32 points, along with 102 penalty minutes. He led the Wolf Pack in games played (80) and ranked fourth on the club in penalty minutes (102). He also ranked third among team defensemen in assists (27) and points (32), and tied for third in goals (five).

The Lansing, Michigan native was originally the Rangers’ third choice, 122nd overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

In other news:

The Wolf Pack announced this morning that they have signed journeyman forward Matt Stefanishion to a professional try-out contract. After doing some checking on Stefanishion’s background, it would appear that the 6’3″ right-wing is a young man who has the ability to put the puck in the net, but also given his 243 PIM last season with Fresno of the ECHL it is a safe bet that either A) he’s the most irresponsible forward on planet Earth or the more likely, B) is that he isn’t afraid to throw down the gloves either.

The move is most likely a challenge to Brandon Sugden’s job. While the thirty year old Sugden has done an admirable job standing up for his teammates taking 51 PIM, he’s only contributed one lone assist in sixteen games and has a plus/minus of minus-5. It could be the thinking of the Pack leadership that if their offensive deficient team can add some offensive capability from the “enforcer” that the team could be better off. It could also mean that they are considering moving another forward out or shipping one to Charlotte. At this point, it’s all just speculation and time will tell what the direction and the reason for this move is.

Here are a few notes that checking out the young man’s background revealed:

Stefanishion was undrafted. He did eventually get signed and attended training camp with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and the AHL’s Iowa Chops . . . Finished third in the ECHL last season with 260 penalty minutes . . . Set new Falcons ECHL record with 243 penalty minutes last season . . . Acquired by the Falcons from the Columbia Inferno, who had acquired him earlier in the day from the Reading Royals, in exchange for Dan Glover on 11/27/07 . . . Made pro debut in 2006-07 season with South Carolina Stingrays, scoring 40 points and adding 90 penalty minutes, in 56 games . . . While in South Carolina, was a teammate of Jarrett Konkle . . . Also appeared in three games as a rookie with the Hershey Bears . . . Played two years of college hockey at Ferris State University, scoring 34 points in 57 games

The Wolf Pack take to the ice this evening at 7pm after getting hammered by the Philadelphia Phantoms last night 6-3 when they visit the first place overall in the entire AHL, Hershey Bears in Chocolate City. The Bears are on a 9-0-0-0 streak and have only lost once in their last ten games. This one can either be a humongous building block for  Ken Gernander and his crew or it could get ugly very quickly. Two old friends of the Wolf Pack, Alexandre Giroux and Dean Arsene lead the Bears. If that weren’t enough everyone’s favorite referee, Terry Koharski will be officiating this one… watch out for power plays Wolf Pack…

Hershey leads the league in just about everything. They average 8479 screaming fans per game, tops in the AHL. On the bright side, Keith Aucoin, the leading scorer in the AHL, is on recall from Washington, but Giroux will play and he he currently sits third overall in scoring with seventeen goals and twelve assists.  Graham Mink is tenth overall and is back in the Hershey line-up with his eleven goals and thirteen assists.

Want some more good news, the Bears sport the top three leaders in the AHL in plus/minus. Rookies, François Bouchard, Mathieu Perreault and Oskar Osala all are a plus-seventeen.

On special team,Hershey is seventh overall with a 19.7% success rate. The Pack, after a three for four night have jumped up to thirteenth at 17.9%. Remember, just a couple of games ago they were hovering in the low 20’s. On the other hand, neither penalty kill is very good. Hershey has surrendered 26 goals in 137 chances for 81% while the Pack have also allowed 26 man down goals in 126 chances for 79.4%.

Here’s the official release on Stefanishion:

Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed forward Matt Stefanishion to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.

Stefanishion, a third-year pro, comes to the Wolf Pack from the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL. In 19 games of action this year, Stefanishion was leading the Falcons in points, goals and penalty minutes, with 10 goals, seven assists, 17 points and 68 PIM. Last year, the 6-3, 225-pound native of Daysland, Alberta split the season between the Falcons and the Reading Royals of the ECHL, totaling 20 goals, 19 assists, 39 points and 260 PIM in 69 games. That PIM total was the third-highest in the league, and his 20 goals were good for third on the Falcons’ team.

Stefanishion has previous AHL experience with the Hershey Bears, for whom he played three games in his rookie season of 2006-07. In 144 career ECHL games with South Carolina, Reading and Fresno, the 25-year-old has registered 46 goals, 50 assists, 96 points and 418 PIM. Prior to turning pro, Stefanishion played two seasons of CCHA hockey for Ferris State University.

(Corey Potter photo courtesy of Hartfordwolfpack.com, Matt Stefansishion photo courtesy of www.7641.com)