WHALE SIGN GOALTENDER JASON MISSIAEN TO ATO * * *
Six-foot-eight Backstop had Third-most Saves in QMJHL
HARTFORD, CT: Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed goaltender Jason Missiaen to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement.
Missiaen, who agreed to terms on an NHL contract with the parent New York Rangers March 24, played for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) this season. In 53 games for Baie-Comeau, the 6-8, 220-pound native of Chatham, Ontario was 10-33-8, with a 3.33 goals-against average, an 89.3% save percentage and one shutout. Missiaen finished third among QMJHL goaltenders in saves (1,403) and was fourth in the league in minutes-played (3,026).
Prior to spending this year with the Drakkar, Missiaen, 20, played 131 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games over four seasons with the Peterborough Petes. He was 48-65-6 in his Petes career, with a 3.77 GAA, a 90.1% save percentage and three shutouts.
Missiaen was a fourth-round selection (116th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
The Whale’s next action is this Friday night, April 1, as they travel to Providence to take on the Atlantic Division-rival Bruins at 7:05 PM (WTIC HD-2, www.ctwhale.com, www.wtic.com).
The next XL Center home game is coming up this Sunday, April 3 against Head Coach Kevin Dineen and his Portland Pirates, the Atlantic Division leaders, with faceoff at 3:00 PM. There will be a giveaway of Whale team posters to 3,000 fans that day, courtesy of Supercuts, and it’s a Guida’s Family Value game. 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 packs are available at the XL Center ticket office and on-line at www.CTwhale.com. Also, fans are encouraged to bring their skates to Sunday’s game, as there will be a free post-game skate on the XL Center ice, presented by Stone Academy.
Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center box 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.
Comments (4)
dougsays:
March 31, 2011 at 8:19 AMIt seems to be getting very crowded in the crease. The Whale have been the benefactors of very steady and at times, outstanding play from Gromet-Morris. Even though injuries have had a negative impact, Talbot has had a good year. Johnson has struggled with consistancy but has also showed flashes of brilliance. Unless one of the aforementioned three go to the show, the new addition gives the Whale four goaltenders. In my opinion, too much competition for spots on the roster does not lend itself to building confidence but rather leads to guys playing with a burden of fear to make a mistake (or they just leave as Zaba did).
Your thoughts ?
Mitch Becksays:
March 31, 2011 at 8:53 AMDoug,
You bring up some good points. I have been a big supporter of DGM since I first saw him play in Shelton in the pre-season. I just like the way the guy plays between the pipes. I also like CT a lot also. He has been good but, at least this season anyway, has been injury prone. I would love the Rangers/Whale to build around these two guys. They’re steady, get along well, and stabilize the net. They remind me of the year when the LaBarbera-Valiquette tandem defended the goal for the Wolf Pack. You knew before the puck even dropped that you were going t o be in the game and that the loss wasn’t coming as a result of shoddy net-minding.
I love Chad Johnson as a person. He is one of the finest young men I’ve had the good fortune to meet. I’ve watched him play now for a couple of seasons and I am not a big fan of the way he plays the game. That’s NOT a knock on him as a goaltender, I’m just not a fan of that style. I prefer the DGM and CT style where they freeze the puck a lot more and give up FAR fewer rebounds. Chad also needs to work on his catching glove which at times can be brutal. You’re also right that consistency from Johnson has been a VERY large problem this season.
I know they’d never do it, but if the Rangers needed a goaltender to play one of these big games I’d play DGM over the other two. DGM gives his team the chance to win every time he gets in the net. Frankly the way that he’s played this season, I think he gets a two-way contract from someone in the off-season and has a shot at becoming an NHL backup. Talbot I think needs another year and to have the team on his back to see whether he can get it done.
As far as the competition, remember there’s always Greenville. Someone will be playing there and it’s my guess that it will be Missiaen. Chad Johnson is an RFA and I’m really curious as to what the team is going to do with him… We’ll have to see…
dougsays:
March 31, 2011 at 12:59 PMI couldn’t agree more regarding DGM. I can’t honestly remember him letting in a “bad” goal. I hope it’s the Rangers/Whale that sign him. With the list of shortcomings that you provide regarding Johnson, even though you don’t come right out and say it, I get the sense that you don’t think that he will re-sign with the Ranger organization.
Mitch Becksays:
March 31, 2011 at 1:13 PMI really can’t say about Johnson. I haven’t had a conversation with Benoit Allaire lately where I could get a better sense of where the franchise is with him. If I were guessing, mine would be they resign him, keep Talbot in Hartford and let DGM go or try and sign him and keep him in Greenville with Missiaen. But if it were me, I’d keep the tandem they have and trade Johnson…despite the fact that writing this may mean that my children may never speak to me again. 🙂 They both love him…