By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has assigned forward Alex Belzile to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

Belzile, 32, has appeared in 43 games with the Wolf Pack this season, his first with the club. He leads the team in points with 37 (14 g, 23 a) and is tied for second in goals with 14. Belzile is second on the club in powerplay goals with seven and is tied for third on the team in shots with 105.

The native of St-Eloi, QC, spent the previous five seasons as a member of the Montréal Canadiens organization. During the 2022-23 campaign, Belzile appeared in a career-high 31 NHL games with the Canadiens. He also set career-high marks in goals (six), assists (eight), and points (14).

Belzile has appeared in 44 career NHL games, all with the Canadiens, and scored 15 points (6 g, 9 a). In addition, the 6’ forward has dressed in 362 AHL contests with the Wolf Pack, Laval Rocket, San Antonio Rampage, and Hamilton Bulldogs. He has scored 231 points (96 g, 135 a) in his AHL career.

In addition to wearing an ‘A’ as an alternate captain for the Wolf Pack this season, Belzile served as an alternate captain with the Rocket during the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons and as the Rocket’s captain during the 2022-23 campaign.

The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday night when the Providence Bruins come to town for the final time this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Join us for $2 drafts and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission!

Additionally, help us welcome back Wolf Pack legend P.J. Stock! The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a P.J. Stock bobblehead courtesy of Xfinity.

Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.

About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and public safety, and more.

ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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The post RANGERS ASSIGN FORWARD ALEX BELZILE TO WOLF PACK first appeared on Howlings.

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack

Rangers Assign D Matthew Robertson to Hartford, Wolf Pack recall F Cristiano DiGiacinto from loan to ECHL Cincinnati.

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has assigned defenseman Matthew Robertson to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

Rangers Assistant General Manager and Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the club has recalled forward Cristiano DiGiacinto from loan to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones.

Robertson, 22, has scored 13 points (2 g, 11 a) in 32 games with the Wolf Pack this season. He is in his third season with the club. Over his three seasons with the Wolf Pack, Robertson has appeared in 154 games and recorded 47 points (8 g, 39 a).

The native of Edmonton, AB, has yet to make his NHL debut.

Robertson was selected in the second round, 49^th overall, of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Rangers.

DiGiacinto, 28, has appeared in six games with the Wolf Pack this season. He has recorded one goal, notching the game-winning tally in the Wolf Pack’s 3-2 victory over the Bridgeport Islanders on December 30^th at the XL Center.

This is DiGiacinto’s third season with the Wolf Pack. During that time, he has appeared in 89 games and scored 26 points (10 g, 16 a).

The native of Hamilton, ON, has also appeared in 21 games with the Cyclones this season, scoring 16 points (5 g, 11 a).

The Wolf Pack continue their four-game road trip on Wednesday night when they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr starting at 6:50 p.m.

The Pack is next back at the XL Center on Wednesday, January 31st, when they welcome the Charlotte Checkers to town for the first time this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.; tickets are available at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more.

ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its inception in 1997. It is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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The post WOLF PACK COMPLETE PAIR OF TRANSACTIONS first appeared on Howlings.

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

Robertson, 22, has scored 13 points (2 g, 11 a) in 30 games with the Wolf Pack this season. He is in his third season with the club. Over his three seasons with the Wolf Pack, Robertson has appeared in 152 games and recorded 47 points (8 g, 39 a).

The native of Edmonton, AB, has yet to make his NHL debut.

Robertson was selected in the second round, 49^th overall, of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Rangers.

The Wolf Pack concluded their four-game road trip on Friday night when they visited the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., with coverage available on AHLTV & Mixlr.

Hartford’s first home game of 2024 will be on Saturday, January 13^th, as they host the Providence Bruins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more.

ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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The post WOLF PACK SEND D-MAN MATTHEW ROBERTSON TO RANGERS first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has recalled forward Jake Leschyshyn from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

Leschyshyn, 24, has appeared in 14 games with the Wolf Pack this season, scoring six points (3 g, 3 a). The 5’11”, 195-pound forward scored a pair of goals in the Wolf Pack’s 5-3 comeback victory over the Hershey Bears on Saturday night at the Giant Center.

This is Leschyshyn’s second season with the Wolf Pack. The native of Raleigh, NC, recorded 15 points (5 g, 10 a) in 18 games with the club during the 2022-23 campaign. He scored three points (2 g, 1 a) in five Calder Cup Playoff games with the Wolf Pack.

Leschyshyn began the 2022-23 season with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, appearing in 22 games with the team. He was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on January 11^th, 2023, and skated in 13 games before his assignment to the Wolf Pack.

In his career, Leschyshyn has appeared in 76 career NHL games with the Golden Knights and Rangers, scoring six points (2 g, 4 a). He has also dressed in 169 career AHL contests with the Wolf Pack, Henderson Silver Knights, and Chicago Wolves, collecting 67 points (32 g, 35 a).

Leschyshyn was selected in the second round, 62^nd overall, by the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

The Wolf Pack conclude their four-game road trip on Friday night when they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., with coverage available on AHLTV & Mixlr.

Hartford’s first home game of 2024 will be on Saturday, January 13th, as they host the Providence Bruins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.

About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more.

ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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The post RANGERS RECALL FORWARD JAKE LESCHYSHYN FROM WOLF PACK first appeared on Howlings.

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

Mackey, 27, has scored five points (1 g, 4 a) in 15 games with the Wolf Pack this season. The native of Tower Lake, IL, also has a +/- rating of +11. He tied the franchise record for single-game +/- when he recorded a +5 in the club’s 5-0 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on October 20^th.

The 6’2″ defenseman has appeared in 95 career AHL contests with the Wolf Pack and Stockton Heat, scoring 57 points (9 g, 48 a).

Join us tomorrow for day two of our annual toy drive! Fans are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate! All toys will be gifted to Toys for Tots and the Connecticut Children’s Hospital. Toys will be collected behind section 101.

The club will also be holding Sonar’s (early) birthday party! Join Sonar and all his friends as they celebrate all afternoon long! Wolf Pack players will also take pictures with fans on the ice following today’s game.

More information and tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. The puck drop against the Toronto Marlies is set for 3:00 p.m.

ABOUT OVG360:

OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more.

ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK:

The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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The post CONNOR MACKEY RECALLED BY RANGERS first appeared on Howlings.

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has reassigned goaltender Olof Lindbom to the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) from the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL).

Lindbom, 23, has appeared in eight games with the Cyclones this season, posting a 5-3-0 record. Lindbom has amassed a .890 save percentage over that span and a 3.24 goals-against average. In 36 career ECHL contests between the Cyclones and Jacksonville Icemen, Lindbom posted a career record of 22-13-1.

He has made one start with the Wolf Pack this season, making 17 saves in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Providence Bruins on November 11^th.

Lindbom was selected in the second round, 39^th overall, by the Rangers in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

The Wolf Pack conclude their four-game homestand tomorrow night when they host the Cleveland Monsters at 7:00 p.m. at the XL Center. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.

About OVG360:

OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more.

ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK:

The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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The post LINDBOM GETS PROMOTED TO PACK FROM CYCLONES first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has recalled forward Anton Blidh from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

Blidh, 28, has scored seven points (4 g, 3 a) in 18 games with the Wolf Pack this season. He has recorded an assist in each of the club’s last three games and notched a season-high two points (1 g, 1 a) in the team’s 7-3 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday night.

The native of Mölnlycke, SWE, is in his second season with the Wolf Pack. The Rangers acquired him via trade from the Colorado Avalanche on March 3^rd, 2023. Since then, Blidh has skated in 35 regular season contests with the Wolf Pack, scoring 18 points (11 g, 7 a). He has also dressed in nine playoff games, recording seven points (2 g, 5 a).

Blidh has appeared in 349 career AHL contests with the Wolf Pack, Colorado Eagles, and Providence Bruins, scoring 118 points (63 g, 55 a). He has also played in 84 career NHL games with the Avalanche and Boston Bruins, tallying 12 points (4 g, 8 a).

He was selected in the sixth round, 180^th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Bruins.

The Wolf Pack wrap up a four-game homestand on Wednesday night when they welcome the Cleveland Monsters to town for the first of four meetings this season! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.; tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.

About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and public safety, and more.

ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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The post RANGERS RECALL FORWARD ANTON BLIDH FROM WOLF PACK first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bruce Berlet

The New York Rangers have always put a competitive top affiliate in Hartford, one that appears poised to compete for a 14^th playoff berth in 15 seasons.

But in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there weren’t many top young prospects cruising around the Hartford Civic Center. Sure the Wolf Pack won the only professional hockey title in Hartford history in 2000, but even that team was filled with veterans such as captain/now Connecticut Whale coach Ken Gernander, Derek Armstrong, Brad Smyth, Jason Dawe, Terry Virtue, Drew Bannister and J.F. Labbe.

But since the NHL lockout in the 2004-05 season, the Rangers have become a more homegrown team, with the likes of world-class goalie Henrik Lundqvist and numerous drafted players who started their pro career in Hartford, such as All-Star defenseman Marc Staal, captain Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer and Artem Anisimov. And Michael Del Zotto has gotten back on track this season after a stint with the Whale last season.

“For a couple of years now, we’ve tried to stick with the young corps and build up with that,” Callahan said after the Rangers’ 3-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night. “We’ve made some additions, but at the same time, we’ve stuck together and learned the system together and are starting to come together.”

The 26-year-old Callahan, who had 35 goals, and scored the winner in the AHL All-Star Game with three seconds left, in his only full season with the Wolf Pack in 2006-07, flashed a familiar smile when asked if he was a young guy or a veteran.

“I like to look at myself as a young guy, but I don’t think I can any more,” said Callahan, who succeeded Trumbull native Chris Drury as Rangers captain. “I think I’m one of the veteran guys now. The young guys of old are no longer young, and are the guys they look to go to if we have to produce.”

High-scoring wing Marian Gaborik and center Brad Richards have been the Rangers’ most significant recent acquisitions, while second-year center Derek Stepan, goalie Martin Biron, defenseman Steve Eminger and veteran forwards Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust and Ruslan Fedotenko have proven to be valuable commodities on and off the ice.

But even before the season started, Rangers coach John Tortorella said that despite the addition of Richards and Mike Rupp, who had knee surgery on Wednesday and will be out 4-to-6 weeks, it was imperative that young players be added to the mix.

“We have to continue to try to infuse more youth into our lineup,” Tortorella said. “During the summer, we went in a direction that got a couple of veteran guys, I think that’s where we are in our process after going with a really young team, still a young team. We added some people at the other end who can mentor, but you can’t forget about back-filling with youth and growing that way.”

Second-year wing Mats Zuccarello, rookie wings Carl Hagelin, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Ryan Bourque and Tommy Grant and rookie defensemen Tim Erixon and Blake Parlett head the list of young prospects in Hartford. Right wing Chad Kolarik would also be in the group, but he’s recovering from knee surgery. And left wing Chris Kreider, the Rangers’ top prospect after being a first-round pick (19^th overall) in 2009, opted to stay at Boston College for his junior year when many believed he could have played for the Rangers this season.

Gernander said the business of hockey after the NHL’s lockout season changed the landscape of how teams are built due to a new salary cap, which prevented teams from trying to “buy” a Stanley Cup title. And around that time, the Rangers had a lot of draft picks for several years, and many played together in Hartford, forming a bond and camaraderie while continuing a winning tradition that has been carried on to the next level.

“To develop from within is critical because if you’re going to try to go out and get your team only through free agency, you’re going to run out of cap space before you know it,” Gernander said. “That being said, the Rangers have done a good job drafting and have gotten quality kids who are young and come up through the system together, hopefully creating some bonds and becoming a core that you are just looking to maybe complement here and there.”

Jess Rubenstein, one of the leading analysts of junior and college hockey at The Prospect Park, said, via e-mail, “The Rangers have made a huge investment in the entire scouting and development process. They have six amateur scouts in North America, four covering Europe and three guys covering the professional side. In addition to the scouts, you will see (director of player personnel) Gordie Clark, Glen Sather, (assistant GM) Jeff Gorton, Mark Messier, Adam Graves and others on the road looking at and checking on the prospects.

“The more eyes that the Rangers put on a possible draft pick the better chance they can spot a weakness that someone else might miss. The Rangers have hired some of the most experienced scouts covering the NHL. It is not just former players but former coaches and general managers who are doing the scouting. They know what it takes to build a program, and it is paying off.”

Rubenstein said the Rangers are also making investments behind the scenes that help build tomorrow’s players, starting with the annual post-draft camp at the team’s practice facility.

“The Rangers work with the prospects to help teach them how to get the most out of their training,” Rubenstein said. “Whether it be weight room work, on-ice skills or even their diet, the Rangers have invested in strength and conditioning coaches and skating coaches. These prospects are given chances to work with guys like Messier and Graves. The prospects are also fans, so when a Messier offers a suggestion, it has an impact.”

Rubenstein said prospects also have to be impacted by talking to each other during the season.

“The prospects know what the other prospects are doing, as friendships are being formed before they enter the system, and that alone goes a long way towards building chemistry,” Rubenstein said. “During the offseason, you are seeing prospects working out with each other even when they are not at a Rangers camp.”

Gernander and assistants J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller also deserve credit for developing the players they are given and can get satisfaction in seeing some who started their pro careers in Hartford filling nearly half of the Rangers roster and others being used to acquire assets via the occasional trade.

“We’re here to help develop kids and help push them to the next level, so that’s good,” said Gernander, whose team plays at St. John’s on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. “But at the end of the day, it’s the kids putting in the work, it’s the kids who have the courage to do those things and take the initiative. We’re here to help them and support them and take pride in that and take pride in our job, but most of it is the kids doing it. And it’s important to get the right kind of kids, which is part of your staff or your organization recognizing certain traits or characteristics when they draft kids.”

The Rangers have needed sound character and contributions from everyone this season, with Staal on injured reserve because of post-concussion symptoms and the team having to travel nearly 20,000 miles to play their last four preseason games and first seven regular-season games away from Madison Square Garden, which is undergoing a $850 million renovation over three years. No one wanted to use fatigue as an excuse, especially Tortorella, but spending so much time playing in six countries spanning nine time zones left little time for practice or rest.

But after a sluggish start that included regulation and shootout losses in their first two home games, the Rangers (8-3-3) found their sea legs, have won five in a row and have points in six straight games to climb into a tie for second in the Atlantic Division with the Philadelphia Flyers after a 3-2 victory at Ottawa on Wednesday night. The Rangers’ 4-1-1 record at MSG is their best start at home through six games in 19 years.

“I think it has been a matter of just keeping it simple, getting pucks deep and working down low,” Callahan said. “We’re creating a lot of our opportunities off the cycle and off in-zone time, and when we’re doing that is when we have success. … It has felt good to be home. Obviously we were on a pretty long road trip with Europe, coming back home for a week and then out west, so it’s nice to be stringing some wins together at MSG, which is something we need to do to be successful.”

With more time for R&R and to work in practice, the Rangers have started to form their own identity, especially since Tortorella put Richards between Callahan and Dubinsky, and moved Stepan from wing back to center between Gaborik and Anisimov, who was shifted to wing after struggling at center with several line combinations. Wednesday night, Gaborik had two goals, Stepan a goal and two assists and Anisimov two assists in the win over Ottawa. The trio has 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in the last three games.

Biron won two of the four games in the home winning streak, capped by a 23-save performance in his 27^th career shutout, first with the Rangers, while improving to 3-0-0 with a 0.95 goals-against average and .963 save percentage.

“It showed some resilience and heart,” Biron said. “You lose a couple tough ones in the first two games (at MSG) and you come back with four good wins. Being able to do it the way we have, playing solid defensively, special teams are picking it up for us, and being able to use a lot of the guys today … I mean, we used pretty much everybody out there.

“It’s hard when you go on the road for that amount of time and come back home. Sometimes there’s a letdown, a feeling of, ‘OK, we’re at home, it’s going to be a lot easier.’ There were no feelings of that. There was a lot of hard work and it paid off in the end. … I can feel that we’ve taken a big step with the way we’ve played our system. We’re playing better defense, and that’s creating more offense, which is what Torts always preaches.”

The Rangers’ power play went 5-for-31 (16.1 percent) during the homestand after going 3-for-28 (10.7 percent) in the seven road games to start the season. And Anisimov and Del Zotto have picked up their games in the recent run.

“We’re coming. It’s just trying to be consistent,” Tortorella said when asked if the team is starting to look like the tough, grinding team that reached the playoffs last season. “We have to try to establish ourselves. I think this the start for us. Some guys, you can see their game coming. You look at Stepan, and he’s stepping out. Our defense, you just see guys getting into their games.”

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Eric Staal will be facing the Rangers for the first time since the Feb. 22, game when his hit on his younger brother and Rangers blueliner Marc, resulted in post-concussion symptoms that have the Rangers best defenseman on injured reserve and out indefinitely. … Hall of Fame defenseman Raymond Bourque, whose son Ryan is with the Whale, was among the first six inductees into the new Canada Sports Hall of Fame, which opened July 1 at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. Bourque was joined by Peter Reid (triathlete), Lui Passaglia (football), Andrea Neil (soccer), Lauren Woolstencroft (para-Alpine skiing) and Richard Pound (International Olympic Committee). … Defenseman Chris Pronger, the Whalers’ No. 1 pick (second overall) in 1993, returned to the Flyers’ lineup Wednesday night in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flyers’ captain missed the previous six games after being struck in the right eye by the stick of Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski on Oct. 24. Pronger has one goal, six assists and is plus-2 in nine games. … The Columbus Blue Jackets have reassigned wing Cam Atkinson, a Greenwich native and former standout at Avon Old Farms and Boston College, to the Springfield Falcons. The Blue Jackets also activated goalie Mark Dekanich off injured reserve and sent him to the Falcons. Atkinson had one goal in five games with Columbus after signing with the Blue Jackets in April after completing his career at BC, where he won two national championships. Dekanich was injured in a preseason game against Winnipeg on Sept. 20 and has missed the first 14 games. He was one of the AHL’s top goalies last season with a 23-12-2 record, 2.02 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and four shutouts in 43 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Nashville Predators’ top affiliate. The Predators’ third pick in the 2006 NHL draft led the AHL in save percentage, ranked third in GAA and was selected to play in the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic. He was signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on July 1.

FORMER UCONN STAR, PLAINVILLE TEEN TO BE SALUTED WITH BALDWIN

Former Kolbe Cathedral High-Bridgeport and University of Connecticut basketball star Chris Smith and Plainville’s Abby Negro will be honored by the Connecticut Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with Whalers Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Howard Baldwin at its Sportscasters’ Super Ball on Saturday at The Club at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The black-tie optional gala from 7 p.m. to midnight honors Connecticut sports stars and community leaders while raising fund and awareness of cystic fibrosis.

Smith, UConn’s leader in career (2,145 points) and Big East (1,140) scoring and three-point field goals (242), will receive the Native Son Award. Smith is one of only two Huskies to score at least 500 points in three different seasons and a member of the UConn basketball All-Century Team. He graduated from Kolbe Cathedral, where he became a high school All-American and played on the U.S. national team. He was Connecticut Player of the Year before playing at UConn and then three seasons with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. He is now the Kolbe boys’ basketball coach.

Negro, 16, will receive the Rookie of the Year Award. She is an honor student and basketball player at Plainville High and will be making her debut as an ambassador for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Baldwin was previously named the Community Leader of the Year Award. Baldwin was the former owner and managing general partner of the Hartford Whalers and then founded Whalers Sports and Entertainment two years ago. WSE assumed business control of the former Hartford Wolf Pack 14 months ago and rebranded the team the Connecticut Whale last Nov. 27.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting the respiratory and digestive systems. Thick mucus blocks the airways, leading to life-threatening infections. The median life expectancy is 37 years.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is consistently rated one of the most efficient health charities in the country and is devoted to controlling the disease. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the foundation has more than 80 chapters and supports and accredits a nationwide network of 115 care centers. To advance research for a cure, the foundation has invested nearly $300 million in promising drug research in the biotech industry since 1998. For more information, visit www.cff.org.

The Sportscasters’ gala was established in 2002 by ESPN’s Joe Tessitore and Chris Berman to celebrate Connecticut’s rich sports history. Since its inception, the gala has raised more than $1 million in much needed research funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Dinner, dancing and a unique live auction will highlight the event. For tickets ($200) or to get involved, contact CFF director of special projects Paul Drury at 860-632-7300 or pdrury@cff.org.

The post SPOTLIGHT: PROSPECT BUILDING first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bruce Berlet

To the surprise of virtually no one, former Hartford Wolf Pack All-Star right wing Ryan Callahan was named the 26^th captain of the New York Rangers on Monday.

Callahan succeeds Trumbull native Chris Drury, who retired on Aug. 19 after the final year of his five-year, $35.25 million contract was bought out by the Rangers on June 30. Drury sat out most of the 2010-11 season with finger and knee injuries, finishing with only one goal and four assists in 24 games. He missed 68 games, which was more than in his first 11 NHL seasons combined, and then he couldn’t latch on with another team.

“Obviously it’s a privilege and an honor to be able to wear a C on a team, but how I’m going to approach it is the same as when I wore an A,” Callahan told reporters after a players workout at the Madison Square Garden training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. “With things on the ice and off the ice, I feel there’s a reason I got the A, and I am going to continue that now with the C.

“Obviously there comes a little bit more leadership role with it and some more responsibility, but at the same time I have to continue to do what I do and not have the letter on my sweater affect my game or how I approach a game. It’s a little bit surreal, to be honest, but it’s nice to see my hard work and dedication to the game has paid off here.”

Fittingly, Callahan, 26, is the first homegrown player to be named captain since Cheshire native Brian Leetch in October 1997. Leetch was captain until 2000, when he was replaced by close friend Mark Messier, who had rejoined the Rangers after three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Jaromir Jagr and Drury followed Leetch and preceded Callahan.

“Ryan Callahan embodies all the leadership qualities we seek from our captain,” Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said in a statement announcing Callahan’s appointment. “He leads by example with courage and a tireless work ethic on and off the ice, which is why he is so deserving of this honor.”

Sather also announced the team’s two alternate captains would be former Wolf Pack defenseman Marc Staal, 24, a NHL All-Star for the first time last season, and center Brad Richards, 31, the free-agent plum this year who signed a nine-year, $60 million contract with the Rangers on July 2. The choices by Rangers coach John Tortorella and his staff seem a perfect mix of an energetic, gritty, outspoken homegrown forward (Callahan), a more reserved but equally respected homegrown defenseman (Staal) and an 11-year NHL veteran who is the team’s new No. 1 center and power-play quarterback with a past relationship with the coach (Richards).

Callahan has been a Rangers alternate captain the last two seasons after being named on Oct. 2, 2009, was the de facto captain in Drury’s absence last season and has been organizing team workouts the past few weeks at the MSG training center. Considered by many as a young clone of Drury, Callahan was the Rangers’ fourth-round pick (127^th overall) in 2004, started his pro career as an All-Star with the Wolf Pack and expanded his game and character to the extent that he won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and is a two-time winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award (2008-09 and 2009-10).

“I started here as a draft pick, going to the prospects camps, heading to Traverse City (Mich.) and everything, so being named captain here is a surreal feeling,” said Callahan, who was informed of his appointment by Tortorella on Friday. “And I learned from watching (Chris Drury). The way he approached the game and the way he was so professional on and off the ice, the way he carried himself, he never got too high, never got too low, he was always in the room at kind of an even keel. At times if he needed to be emotional with the team he would be, but he approached the game the same way every night. It’s like how I go about things.”

Tortorella has repeatedly lauded Callahan for his highly professional demeanor at a young age, something he showed in one season (2006-07) and an 11-game rehabilitation stint in Hartford, where he had 42 goals and 28 assists in 71 games and scored the winning goal in the 2007 AHL All-Star Game with three seconds left. Tortorella reiterated similar thoughts to reporters Monday, when he acknowledged picking a second alternate to Staal was more difficult than choosing Callahan to be captain. He said having Staal and Richards as alternates to Callahan “was the right mix.”

“Cally has the respect of his teammates, the respect of his coaches and the respect of the organization,” Tortorella said. “He does it the right way on the ice, and he does it the right way off the ice. To be captain of the New York Rangers is a cool thing, an Original Six Team. He has matured into this. He fits (the captaincy). ”

Tortorella then talked about the identity that the Rangers established last season with a hard-working, blue-collar group.

“Straight ahead. No nonsense,” Tortorella said before stopping and asking, “Who am I talking about? The hockey club or Cally?”

Last season, Callahan won the Players’ Player Award, as voted by his teammates, and the John Halligan Good Guy Award, given by the New York chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association in recognition of cooperation with the media, something he also displayed while with the Wolf Pack. On July 27, he signed a three-year, $12.825 million contract, avoiding arbitration as a restricted free agent.

Callahan has 76 goals, 68 assists and 179 penalty minutes in 284 NHL regular-season games and is one of the game’s best shot blockers, which is why he missed 22 games last season when he sustained a broken hand and ankle when he blocked shots. The second break came in the penultimate game of the regular season, and his absence was a major reason the Rangers were eliminated in five games in the first round of the playoffs by the Washington Capitals.

But Callahan still had his most productive season with career highs in goals (23), assists (25) and points (48), finishing second on the team in scoring to former Wolf Pack linemate Brandon Dubinsky (54 points). He had his first career NHL hat trick with four goals and a career-high five points in a 7-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on March 6 and scored his first career penalty shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 30.

Fittingly, Callahan made his NHL debut on Dec. 1, 2006 in Buffalo, not far from where he grew up in Rochester, N.Y. He scored his first NHL point in a two-goal performance against the Boston Bruins on March 17, 2007 after being called up from the Wolf Pack. He registered his 100^th NHL point with an assist on the game-winning goal at Boston last Oct. 23.

Callahan has a tough act to follow in Drury, who was a winner from the time he pitched and hit Trumbull to a stunning win over Chinese Taipei in the 1989 Little League World Series. He later excelled at Fairfield Prep with his older brother Ted and at Boston University, where he helped the Terriers win the national championship as a freshman and then won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player as a senior.

Drury, a third-round pick of the former Quebec Nordiques in 1994 at the then-Hartford Civic Center, won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 1999 after the Nordiques moved to Colorado and helped the Avalanche win a Stanley Cup in 2001. The only player to win both the Hobey Baker Award and Calder Trophy was a three-time Olympian and finished with 255 goals and 360 assists in 892 NHL games with the Avalanche, Rangers, Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres, where he was a co-captain before signing with the Blueshirts.

“Chris is a consummate professional, a tremendous competitor and an even better person,” Sather said in a statement at the time of Drury’s buyout. “He gave his heart and soul to the Rangers organization in his time here and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Drury received $3,333,333, and the Rangers incurred a $3.7 million of dead space against the salary cap this season and $1.7 million next season, provided those guidelines remain the same under a new collective bargaining agreement.

The Rangers saved about $1.5 million, which was used to sign Richards, who had 28 goals and 49 assists in 72 games with the Dallas Stars last season, increasing his career totals to 220 goals and 496 assists in 10 NHL seasons with the Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. He was an alternate captain with the Lightning and Stars and has a strong link with Tortorella as the two won a Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay in 2004, when Richards won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Richards told reporters that it has been evident to him since he joined his new teammates for informal skates that Callahan is a strong leader and a perfect candidate.

“It’s very easy to have (Callahan) as your leader,” Richards said. “You just see the way he plays. And I’m just getting to know him, but I’ve been told what kind of guy he is. And Marc is a great guy, too. I have been getting to hang out a lot with him. He’s a really good guy, and another warrior just like Cally. They are the young core and will be here a long time. I’m just here to help them out.”

Staal, the second oldest of four brothers in pro hockey and the Rangers’ first-round pick (12^th overall) in 2005, was named an alternate captain for the first time last season when Vinny Prospal was injured. He was paired with former Wolf Pack defenseman Dan Girardi and played in the All-Star Game against Richards and with older brother Eric, a center with the Carolina Hurricanes. Staal had seven goals and career highs in assists (22) and points (29) in 77 games last season, when he proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lindsay on Christmas Day. On Aug. 12, Staal married the girl he has known since high school in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Callahan knows Staal well, and the two alternate captains from last season worked well together in the leadership role. Richards is the new man in the mix, but Callahan will welcome his input.

“I talked to Richie a little bit, obviously he seems like a tremendous guy,” said Callahan, who was captain his last two seasons of junior hockey with the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League. “He’s a winner. There are things I need to learn from him, too. He’s won a Stanley Cup and he’s been through it. I think we’re all going to work together. There are guys in this room who don’t have letters who are leaders, too. I’m going to lean on them, they’re going to lean on me. It’s going to be a fun ride.”

Callahan, Staal and Richards make their debut as the “leadership team” Friday when the Rangers open training camp in Greenburgh. I don’t know Richards and have had limited time with Staal, but I can assure all Rangers and Wolf Pack/Whale fans that the Rangers couldn’t have replaced Drury with anyone who tries harder or is more respected by teammates and opponents alike. Kind of like another famous right wing in Hartford hockey history. A guy named Kevin Dineen, the last captain of the Whalers who appropriately scored the final goal, a game-winner, in the last game in franchise history against Tampa Bay on April 13, 1997.

The post FROM THE CREASE with BRUCE BERLET first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bruce Berlet

The New York Rangers will name Trumbull native Chris Drury’s successor as captain and two alternate captains Monday.

The leading candidates are former Hartford Wolf Pack players Ryan Callahan, All-Star Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky and newcomer Brad Richards, the free-agent plum this year who signed a nine-year, $60 million contract with the Rangers on July 2.

The announcement will be made on the team’s Facebook page, official Twitter (@thenyrangers) and two official web sites, www.newyorkrangers.com and BlueshirtsUnited.com.

Dubinsky (54 points) and Callahan (48 points) were the Rangers’ leading scorers last season, though Callahan missed 22 games because of injuries. Staal has named an All-Star for the first time while paired with another former Wolf Pack player, Dan Girardi. Callahan, the Rangers’ de facto captain last season with Drury injured most of the season, is the overwhelming choice of fans on BlueshirtsUnited.com.

The franchise’s 26th captain is needed after Drury retired after the final year of his five-year, $35.25 million contract was bought out July 30. Drury sat out most of the 2010-11 season with finger and knee injuries, finishing with only one goal and four assists in 24 games. He missed 68 games, which was more than in his first 11 NHL seasons combined, and then he couldn’t latch on with another team.

“Chris is a consummate professional, a tremendous competitor and an even better person,” Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said in a statement at the time of the buyout. “He gave his heart and soul to the Rangers organization in his time here and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Drury received $3,333,333, and the Rangers incurred a $3.7 million of dead space against the salary cap this season and $1.7 million next season, provided those guidelines remain the same under a new collective bargaining agreement.

The Rangers saved about $1.5 million, which was used to sign Richards, who had 28 goals and 49 assists in 72 games with the Dallas Stars last season, increasing his career totals to 220 goals and 496 assists in 10 NHL seasons with the Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. And he has a strong link with Rangers coach John Tortorella as the two won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004.

The post IS CALLAHAN’S NAME IN THE ENVELOPE? first appeared on Howlings.