With the injury to Ruslan Fedotenko, a left shoulder second degree AC sprain, John Tortorella announced in his press conference that Brodie Dupont will get his first NHL call-up to take his place.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy,” an elated Dupont told Howlings. “My head is spinning.”
The Russell, Manitoba native received notification of his call-up while he was out seeing the new Ron Howard film, “The Dilemma,” with his girlfriend. He had his phone on vibrate and didn’t realize that the repeated vibrations were coming from head coach Ken Gernander, who was furiously trying to reach his left winger to give him the news of his promotion. Dupont said that Gernander emailed his girlfriend and that she finally told him. He said at first he didn’t believe it and told her that he hoped she wasn’t joking because that would just be too upsetting. When Dupont found out that it was NOT a joke, he immediately notified his parents and shared the news of his first career NHL call-up.
Unfortunately Dupont’s parents will not be able to make it to Carolina to see the first game.
Dupont made his own travel arrangements and will meet the team in Raleigh in the morning.
“There are a lot of familiar faces there for me (Dale Weise, Kris Newbury, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan McDonagh) so it will help me with the butterflies, but I’m sure I’ll be nervous.”
It is likely that Weise, Dupont and Newbury will skate together since they’ve spent a lot of time on the same line and have had good chemistry in Hartford.
Dupont has been playing exceptionally well the past couple of weeks. He’s tallied four goals and added three assists over his last ten games. Dupont was the New York Rangers 3rd round pick, #66 overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and will join the team immediately in Raleigh for the team’s second game of a 5-games-in-7-nights run. This game will be against Marc Staal’s brother Eric and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Dupont can play wing or center. He’s VERY strong on face-offs and at 6’2” and 210 pounds, he can handle himself. He sticks up for teammates and plays excellent defensive hockey. He’s also a left handed shot.
Dupont was one of the earliest cuts made by John Tortorella and his staff in training camp and rather than sulking, used it as motivation.
Over several conversations with Dupont this season, he has remained confident and worked exceptionally hard. He’s also been solid despite being pretty banged up. A couple of weeks ago, Dupont took a stick to the eye that required several stitches.
Through all of it, Dupont has stayed steadfast and sure that he would get his chance to play in the NHL. Now he’s done that.
It’s a promotion that’s well deserved and has throughly been earned.
Here’s the official release:
RANGERS RECALL BRODIE DUPONT FROM WHALE
* * * *
Fourth-year Pro Receives First Career NHL Summons
HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather announced last night that the Rangers have recalled forward Brodie Dupont from the Connecticut Whale.
The callup is the first of Dupont’s four-year pro career.
In 40 games with the Whale this season, Dupont has registered eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points, along with 54 penalty minutes. Dupont’s assist total is tied for fifth on the Whale club, and he is also fifth in PIM. In 265 career games with the Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack, the 23-year-old native of Russell, Manitoba has 52 goals and 71 assists for 123 points, along with 365 PIM.
Dupont was a third-round selection (66th overall) by the Rangers in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
The Whale are back in action tomorrow night, Friday, January 21, hosting the Hamilton Bulldogs in a 7:00 PM game at the XL Center. Fans can meet ex-Hartford Wolf Pack favorites Todd Hall and Terry Virtue, who will be signing autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6:00-7:00 PM, and being a Friday night, it’s a Guida’s Family Value Night. Family Value packages start as low as $48 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Whale souvenir. Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center ticket office and on-line at www.CTwhale.com.
Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center ticket office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com. Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.
For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.
The AHL’s CT Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin. The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.
Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated more than $19.3 billion in sales and has transferred nearly $6.7 billion to the state’s General Fund. Prizes have exceeded more than $11.1 billion. Purchasers must be 18 years or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238. For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, call (860) 713-2000, or visit the CT Lottery web site at ctlottery.org
mitch – since they also called up kolarik 1st it seems and have 13 forwards – he might not be in the lineup. right?
Unless someone else is dinged up too. They had no extras last night and lost one, so that is Kolarik. If they called up two, then my guess is that someone else is hurting also. It doesn’t do either the players or the Rangers any good to stop a kid from playing. But to answer your question, there is a chance Brodie doesn’t play and he’s insurance with the road trip coming up. I’m guessing with 5 games in 7 days is that he gets into at least one.
Brodie Dupont has been waiting five years to play for rangers . But for Carolina game Koralik is playing who has been traded from Columbus tells you all about the guy. Give a shot to your own draft pick.
Azfar,
First thank you for joining the conversation here on Howlings. I greatly appreciate it. Second, the reason that Dupont is sitting and not Kolarik is that Chad has more offensive upside to his game than Brodie does. If Brodie is to get a start it will likely come at either Newbury or Weise’s expense…or heaven forbid, someone else gets hurt.