2017 RANGERS PROSPECT DEVELOPMENT CAMP

2017 RANGERS PROSPECT DEVELOPMENT CAMP

BY: The New York Rangers

NEW YORK, June 25, 2017 – The New York Rangers announced today that the team will hold its annual prospect development camp from Monday, June 26 to Friday, June 30 at MSG Training Center. The camp will feature several of the Blueshirts’ top prospects, including the Rangers’ two first-round picks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Lias Andersson, and Filip Chytil, as well as Neal Pionk, Ryan Gropp, Adam Huska, and Sean Day.

Thirty-eight (38) players are attending the Rangers’ prospect development camp this year. In addition to Andersson and Chytil, all of the Blueshirts’ other five selections in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft will attend the team’s prospect development camp: Brandon Crawley, Calle Sjalin, Dominik Lakatos, Morgan Barron, and Patrik Virta.

Andersson, 18, skated in 42 games with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this past season, registering nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points, along with a plus-21 rating and 18 penalty minutes. He established SHL career-highs in several categories in 2016-17, including games played, goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating. Andersson ranked eighth in the SHL – and led all junior players (younger than 20 years old) in the league – in plus/minus rating this past season. He also ranked second among all junior players in the SHL in goals and assists and tied for second among all junior players in the SHL in points in 2016-17.

The 6-0, 200-pounder registered five points (four goals, one assist) and 18 penalty minutes in 16 playoff games while helping HV71 win the Le Mat Trophy as Swedish Hockey League Champions this past season. He tied for fifth on HV71 in goals in the playoffs, and he also ranked second among all junior players in the SHL in playoff goals this past season. Andersson played seven games in the Champions Hockey League with HV71 in 2016-17, recording one assist and two penalty minutes. He also registered three goals and posted a plus-two rating in seven games while representing Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Smogen, Sweden, native was selected by the Rangers in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Chytil, 17 (turns 18 years old on September 5), skated in 38 games with PSG Zlin in the Czech Extraliga this past season, registering four goals and four assists for eight points, along with 16 penalty minutes. Chytil was one of 21 players younger than 18 years old who played in the Czech Extraliga in 2016-17, and he ranked second among players younger than 18 years old in the league in games played, goals, and points during the season.

The 6-2, 192-pounder skated in two relegation games with PSG Zlin this past season, recording two points (one goal, one assist). In addition, Chytil played two regular-season games and one playoff game with PSG Zlin’s junior team in 2016-17. He also registered five points (two goals, three assists) and two penalty minutes in five games at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championship.

The Kromeriz, Czech Republic, native was selected by the Rangers in the first round, 21st overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Pionk, 21, skated in 42 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs of the NCAA this past season, registering seven goals and 27 assists for 34 points, along with a plus-24 rating and 25 penalty minutes. He established collegiate career-highs in several categories during his sophomore year in 2016-17, including games played, goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating. Pionk helped Minnesota-Duluth win the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Championship and also helped the team advance to the Frozen Four and the National Championship Game. In addition, he was selected to the NCHC Second All-Star Team and the NCHC All-Tournament Team during the season.

The 6-0, 190-pounder tied for fourth among NCAA defensemen in assists, ranked fifth among NCAA defensemen in points and ranked sixth among NCAA defensemen in plus/minus rating in 2016-17. Pionk also tied for fifth among NCAA defensemen in power play assists (15) and tied for sixth among NCAA defensemen in power-play points (19) in 2016-17. He registered a point in 26 of the 42 games he played, and Minnesota Duluth earned at least one point in 23 of those 26 contests (17-3-6 record). Pionk tallied six assists/points in the final eight games of the season, which included contests as part of the NCHC Playoffs, the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, the NCAA Tournament, and the NCAA Frozen Four, and he was named to the NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

The Hermantown, Minnesota, native was signed by the Rangers as a free agent on May 1, 2017.

          Gropp, 20, skated in 66 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this past season, registering 35 goals and 49 assists for 84 points, along with a plus-25 rating and 26 penalty minutes. He established WHL career-highs in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating, and tied WHL career-highs in games played and game-winning goals (six) in 2016-17. Gropp led Seattle in goals, points, and shorthanded assists (three), ranked second in assists and power play goals (11), tied for second in game-winning goals, and ranked fifth in plus/minus rating this past season.

The 6-2, 190-pounder registered a point in 27 of his final 29 regular season games in 2016-17, tallying 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) over the span. Gropp posted a WHL career-high, 16-game point streak from Jan. 21 vs. Vancouver to Feb. 18 vs. Portland (14 goals, 21 assists), including a WHL career-high, eight-game goal streak from Feb. 3 vs. Kamloops to Feb. 14 vs. Red Deer. He recorded 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) and posted a plus-seven rating in 16 playoff games while helping the Thunderbirds win the WHL Championship, and he tied for fourth on Seattle in goals and ranked fifth on the team in assists in the playoffs. Gropp concluded the WHL playoffs with three consecutive multi-point games in the final three contests of the WHL Championship series against Regina. In addition, he notched one assist in three games during the Memorial Cup.

The Kamloops, British Columbia, native was selected by the Rangers in the second round, 41st overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Huska, 20, appeared in 21 games with the University of Connecticut Huskies of the NCAA this past season, posting a 7-9-4 record, along with a 2.87 GAA, a .916 SV%, and 1 SO. He ranked ninth among NCAA freshmen goaltenders in SV% in 2016-17. Huska made at least 30 saves in 13 of his 21 appearances this past season, including 40 or more saves in three appearances. Huska stopped 36 of 37 shots he faced while making his NCAA debut on Oct. 15 at RIT, and he also made a season-high, 47 saves while earning his first career NCAA win on Oct. 27 at Notre Dame.

The 6-4, 199-pounder appeared in three games while representing Slovakia at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. Huska was selected as one of the Top Three Players on his team in the tournament, as he made 103 saves in three appearances. In 2015-16, Huska posted a 26-9-2 record, along with a 1.82 GAA, a .931 SV%, and 4 SO in 37 games with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), and he was named the USHL Goaltender of the Year.

The Zvolen, Slovakia, native was selected by the Rangers in the seventh round, 184th overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Day, 19, skated in 63 games with the Mississauga Steelheads and the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this past season, registering 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points, along with a plus-15 rating and 24 penalty minutes. He established OHL career-highs in games played, goals, points, plus/minus rating, and shots on goal (185) in 2016-17. Day tied for sixth among OHL defensemen in goals and ranked 10th among OHL defensemen in shots on goal this past season.

The 6-2, 231-pounder skated in seven OHL playoff games with Windsor, registering five assists and a plus-five rating. Day Established OHL playoff career-highs in assists, points, and plus/minus rating during the 2017 Playoffs, and he also led the Spitfires in assists, tied for the team lead in plus/minus rating, and tied for second on the team in points. Day tallied one assist and posted a plus-three rating four games while helping Windsor win the Memorial Cup this year. He agreed to terms with the Rangers on an entry-level contract on Mar. 8.

The Leuven, Belgium, native was selected by the Rangers in the third round, 81st overall, of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Players will be on the ice during the following times throughout the week:

• Monday, June 26 – 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

• Tuesday, June 27 – 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, June 28 – 8:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

• Thursday, June 29 – 8:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

• Friday, June 30 – 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. 

The players will participate in scrimmages on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (each scrimmage begins at 10:00 a.m.)