RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH MAREK MAZANEC
BY: The New York Rangers
NEW YORK, June 12, 2018 – New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced today that the team has agreed to terms with restricted free agent goaltender Marek Mazanec on a one-year contract.
Mazanec, 26, split this past season between HC Slovan Bratislava of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). He appeared in 20 games with the Wolf Pack in 2017-18, posting an 11-6-2 record, along with a 2.97 GAA and a .905 SV%. Mazanec earned a win in his debut with Hartford on December 10, 2017 vs. Springfield, and he helped the Wolf Pack earn at least one point in each of his first five appearances with the team (4-0-1 record in the five contests). He made a single-game season-high 46 saves in regulation and overtime, stopped all three shooters he faced in the shootout to earn the win, and was selected as the game’s First Star in Hartford’s 2-1 win on January 10, 2018 against Bridgeport.
The 6-4, 187-pounder has appeared in 31 career NHL games over parts of three seasons (2013-14 – 2014-15; 2016-17), all with Nashville, posting an 8-13-4 record, along with a 2.98 GAA, a .895 SV%, and two shutouts. He made 25 of his 31 appearances with the Predators during his rookie season in 2013-14. Mazanec was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for November of 2013, as he posted a 5-4-1 record, along with a 2.00 GAA, a .932 SV%, and two shutouts in 10 appearances during the month. He stopped 22 of 24 shots he faced while making his NHL debut on November 8, 2013 at Winnipeg, and he stopped 39 of 41 shots he faced to earn his first career NHL win on November 16, 2013 vs. Chicago.
Mazanec has also appeared in 185 career AHL games over parts of five seasons (2013-14 – 2017-18), posting a 93-66-29 record, along with a 2.63 GAA, a .909 SV%, and 11 shutouts. He has posted a SV% of .900 or better in each of his five seasons in the league, including a SV% of .912 or better in three of those seasons.
The Pisek, Czech Republic native was signed by the Rangers as a free agent on December 6, 2017. Mazanec was originally selected by Nashville in the sixth round, 179th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
