CANTLON: RANGERS RECALL MCKEGG TO REPLACE BLAIS
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – This time it could be a permanent recall for Hartford Wolf Pack forward, Greg McKegg.
McKegg was recalled by the New York Rangers after the season-ending ACL tear suffered by top-line forward, Sammy Blais against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
There is a definite spot open in New York and the initial move by Rangers General Manager Chris Drury and the senior staff was to fill that void with the former Boston Bruin.
For McKegg, this is an opportunity to make the recall permanent if he can fill the gap in the Rangers roster to Drury and Head Coach Gerard Gallant’s satisfaction.
OTHER NEWS
After just eleven games as an Assistant Coach, ex-CT Whale/Wolf Pack defenseman, Jared Nightingale leaves the Flint Firebirds (OHL). Nightingale takes the Assistant Coaching position with the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL) pushing up his pro timetable.
Former Sound Tiger goalie Kevin Poulin was recalled from the Trois-Rivieres Lions (ECHL) to the Laval Rocket (AHL).
Former Wolf Pack Lewis-Zetter Gossage (Kent School) is loaned out from the Maine Mariners (ECHL) to the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL).
MORE NEWS
On Tuesday, the AHL received the shocking news that former head coach, John “Clark” Donatelli, was charged in Rhode Island with four counts of sexual assault against Erin Skalde. She is the wife of Jarrod Skalde who at the time was the assistant coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Skalde was a former second-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 1989. Currently, he is the Head Coach and the Director of Hockey Operations of the Cardiff Devils (Wales-EIHL). Their son Skate is playing for Bracknell (England-NIHL).
Donatelli entered a plea of not guilty. He will face a pre-trial hearing in December.
For a little over a year, he was the head coach and in September, resigned from Eisbären Berlin (Germany-DEL). Donatelli is presently unemployed. He was the head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the time of the incident in 2018. He was arraigned last week in published reports and posted a $10K bond.
The two sides recently reached an out-of-court settlement of the case on the civil side. They now face the criminal trial.
