Thursday, July 9, 2009
Casey Borer, Justin Peters Re-Sign With Club
The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed defenseman Casey Borer and goaltender Justin Peters each to one-year, two-way contracts. The young prospects, both drafted by Carolina in 2004, are expected to return to the River Rats for the beginning of the 2009-10 season.
“The upcoming season is important for both Casey and Justin,” said Jason Karmanos, VP and Assistant GM of the Hurricanes, in a statement. “Justin made big strides last year in Albany, and now it is time for him to take his game to the next level and show that he can be an NHL goaltender."
“Casey is coming off of a second consecutive season-ending injury, so it will be important for him to re-establish his defensive game so that he can once again play at the NHL level,” said Karmanos.
The 23-year-old Casey Borer (6'2", 205 lbs), originally of Minneapolis, MN, experienced some tough luck the past two seasons. He suffered a broken neck in the Rats' February 2009 bus crash, and was taken out of commission the year earlier by a severe knee injury.
In his first two years with the organization, Borer, considered a solid defensive defensemen, played 113 games with the River Rats and 14 games with the Hurricanes. He scored 10 goals and 19 assists with Albany and a goal and two assists with Carolina. During his first NHL game of the 2008-09 season in December, he blocked three shots in 13:01 minutes of ice time.
Goaltender Justin Peters, 22, originally of Blyth, Ontario, has come a long way in a short time. After a rocky beginning with the River Rats in 2006-07, Peters was kicked down to the ECHL's Florida Everblades for 2007-08. Now he has earned starting rights in Albany and a potential future in the NHL.
Peters won the top spot in net for the Rats last season with a 2.89 GAA and will be back to defend his job. If he plays well, he may earn a full-time NHL gig backing up Cam Ward in 2010-11.
Peters could face some stiff competition from two-time OHL goalie-of-the-year Mike Murphy, who signed a three-year entry level deal with the Hurricanes this past March.
Peters' goaltending partner from last season, Daniel Manzato, recently became an unrestricted free agent and has yet to re-sign.
Status of River Rats facing free agency this summer:
Restricted: Mike Angelidis, Brett Carson, Bryan Rodney
Unrestricted: Trevor Gillies, Joe Jensen, Noah Babin, Dwight Helminen, Daniel Manzato
Re-signed: Michael Ryan, Pat Dwyer, Casey Borer, Justin Peters
Gone: Mark Flood, Jakub Petruzalek
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