News & Notes

• The regular weekly round-up is available at the Rats' website. 

• Defensive prospect and Notre Dame star Kyle Lawson this week agreed to a two-year entry-level deal with the Hurricanes and will join Albany on a tryout contract for the remainder of the season. Read more here and here. 

• Recently acquired power forward Oskar Osala today was recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes. Erik Cole is out with an illness. Read more at the Albany Times Union.

• The Rats may soon have to officially name a new captain. Jason Karmanos, VP and assistant GM of the Carolina Hurricanes, said during a recent interview that Pat Dwyer, as well as Brett Carson and Brandon Sutter, will be staying in the NHL for good, even if the Canes miss the playoffs.

• Forward Milan Gajic was recently reassigned by Albany to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

• Rats' leading scorer Jerome Samson was named AHL Player of the Week for the first week of March. Read more here. Samson is featured today in the Troy Record. 

• Negotiations to keep the Portland Pirates in Maine appear to be over. Expect an announcement regarding the team's relocation very soon. Read the latest at the Albany Times Union, Portland Press-Herald, and Central Maine Sports Blog.

Gajic called up

The River Rats last night recalled forward Milan Gajic from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, giving Albany a full line-up for two pivotal contests this weekend against the Norfolk Admirals. 

Gajic is a welcomed addition to the team, as Mike Angelidis and Brad Herauf are suspended, Zach Boychuk and Jay Harrison were recently called up to the Carolina Hurricanes, Jiri Tlusty is sidelined with a lower body injury, and Harrison Reed on Wednesday was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. 

Gajic returns to the Rats for the second time this season, having earned a goal and a plus-2 rating in four games with Albany in February.

Gajic has 30 points (12 G, 18 A) in 22 games this season with the Everblades and would have seen more time in Albany this year had he not suffered a serious leg injury in November.

Gajic has been on an amazing hot streak since returning to action in January, tallying 21 points (10 G, 11 A) in his last 13 games with the Blades, including last night's game-winning goal against the Gwinnett Gladiators. 

Gajic, Morrison called up

The River Rats have a twenty-man roster once again. Forward Milan Gajic and goaltender Mike Morrison will join the team tonight at home against Springfield. The Rats' website has the news. 

News & Notes UPDATED

• Goaltender Justin Peters today was recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes. Canes' starter Cam Ward is experiencing an upper-body muscle problem, possibly related to a chronic back issue. Coach Paul Maurice say Peters could make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the New York Islanders. Netminder Mike Morrison, who was reassigned to the ECHL yesterday, will likely be returned to the River Rats. Mike Murphy has recovered from a hip injury and should be able to start for Albany tonight against the Senators in Binghamton. The Rats signed goalie Tyler Sims temporarily to play back-up.

• Rookie forward Zach Boychuk was also recalled to the Hurricanes today. Carolina forwards Chad LaRose and Tuomo Ruutu recently joined Erik Cole and Scott Walker on the team's injured list. Boychuk will likely skate tonight on a line with Brandon Sutter and Pat Dwyer as the Canes take on the Sabres in Buffalo. 

• Forward Jiri Tlusty yesterday was reassigned to the River Rats. Tlusty has a goal and five assists in 18 games with the Hurricanes this year. The former first-round draft pick was acquired in December in a trade with Toronto and appeared in four games with Albany earlier this season. Read more in the Troy Record. 

• Gritty winger Steven Goertzen made his debut with the Hurricanes Wednesday night in Calgary. He saw just over six minutes of ice-time and registered an even plus/minus rating as the Canes fell 4-1 to the Flames. Goertzen will play again tonight in Buffalo alongside Stephane Yelle and Rod Brind'Amour. 

• Rumors are swirling that Hurricanes' veteran blueliner Niclas Wallin will soon be traded to the San Jose Sharks for a second-round draft pick. That means defenseman Brett Carson has likely earned a full-time NHL spot. D-man Joe Corvo, who was cut with a skate blade in late November, recently returned to the line-up, giving the Hurricanes an extra defenseman. Wallin was a healthy scratch Wednesday night. UPDATE: The trade is off. Wallin decided not to waive his no-trade clause.

• Rookie defenseman Jamie McBain has been getting his fair share of press coverage lately. Check out this article in the Albany Times Union and these two features at the Schenectady Daily Gazette. 

• The fourth annual Ronald McDonald House jersey auction will be held tomorrow night at the Times Union Center after the Rats face the Springfield Falcons at 5 pm. Read more at the Rats' website. Also check out pictures of players visiting the Ronald McDonald House and other locations around the Capital District.

• Forward Milan Gajic of the Florida Everblades has put up six goals and 11 points in his first six games since returning from a long-term lower-body injury. Gajic skated with Albany during the preseason and his services may soon be needed once again.
  

News & Notes

• The regular weekly round-up is available at the Rats' website.

• The River Rats have been getting along without an official captain for some time. Coach Jeff Daniels tells the Albany Times Union the team has plenty of leaders and is in no rush to designate a new "C" in the near future. 

• The Rats are focused for Wednesday's game and ready to bounce back from Saturday's loss in Hershey. Bill Cain at the Schenectady Daily Gazette has the story.  

• Goaltender Mike Murphy, who is still recovering from a hip injury, is back at practice and could return to the line-up this weekend.

• Carolina Hurricanes' defenseman Joe Corvo, who was sidelined with a leg laceration in late November, could return to action this weekend, meaning Brett Carson, who was recalled from Albany in early January, may be soon be reassigned to the Rats. The Canes could decide to keep Carson over another blueliner, namely veteran Aaron Ward. 

• The comeback of Casey Borer is the focus of a story today at the NHL's website.

• Forward Milan Gajic recently returned to the ice for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. Gajic skated for Albany during the preseason and would have likely joined the Rats at some point during the regular season had he not been sidelined for three months with a leg injury. Gajic is featured in the Naples Daily News.

• Former Rats' enforcer and hometown favorite Reid Simpson is back in the AHL at age 40. Simpson, who was thought to have finished his career in Russia in 2007, recently signed a tryout contract with the Chicago Wolves. The team's website has the story.
  

News & Notes

• The Rats' regular weekly round-up is available at the team's website. 

• Forward Harrison Reed today was temporarily reassigned to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. Reed will play for the Blades tomorrow night and likely rejoin the Rats this weekend. 

• Injured Carolina Hurricanes' forwards Sergei Samsonov, Erik Cole, and Chad LaRose are back at practice. All three accompanied the team on the road this week and coach Paul Maurice told the Raleigh News & Observer that at least one may be ready to play Thursday in Detroit. The Canes are in Toronto tonight to face the Maple Leafs. 

• Some of the River Rats recently called up to the Hurricanes may never come home. Canes' GM Jim Rutherford says full-time openings may soon be available. "Things are starting to open up now as far as moving players," Rutherford told the Raleigh News & Observer. "It's not like we're giving up on the second half, but there are some players we are developing who are closer to playing here. We won't just move someone out just to move someone out. We will try to build assets, whether it's trading for a player or for draft picks or getting a spot open for a player from Albany."

• Jiri Tlusty is the subject of an article in today's Raleigh News & Observer.  

• Rob Hennigar was recently in Florida to have a specialist look at the hand he injured on December 6 against Wilkes-Barre. He is still weeks away from playing, but stopped in at a Blades' practice to see his old teammates. The Naples Daily News keeps us informed. 

• Forward Milan Gajic of the Florida Everblades is having trouble recovering from a leg injury sustained back in early November. Gajic would now likely be skating with the River Rats had he not been sidelined. Gajic is pitching in as an acting assistant coach with the Blades and proudly tells the Naples Daily News that the team is 7-3 with him behind the bench. 
  

News & Notes

• Some say a two-goal lead is the hardest to keep. Look no further than last night's game against Syracuse for an example of why. Hockey is a sport based largely on momentum and perseverance. If a team is comfortable, their opponent is usually desperate. The best players and teams are those that play hard every shift of every game, no matter the situation or score. The River Rats have plenty of talent, but they are still struggling with consistency. The players, coaches and captains need to keep the bench energized at all times. Look for that to be the deciding factor as Albany heads into a busy weekend. 

• The River Rats have a packed schedule ahead of them. Albany will play three games in three nights: Friday at home against Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Saturday at home against Norfolk, and Sunday in Springfield. The East Division remains extremely tight so these games are vital. Albany, Norfolk and Wilkes Barre/Scranton are all tied with 16 points each. Remember, the crossover rule applies to the Eastern Conference this year. If the season ended today, only three teams in the East Division would qualify for the playoffs. 

• Rat-in-reserve Jacob MicFlikier continues to tear through the ECHL. The Florida Everblades' top-scorer was named Sher-wood Player of the Week for November 2-8. MicFlikier scored nine points in his first two games back from assignment in Albany. He landed a hat-trick and three assists on November 5. He has accumulated 17 points (7 G, 10 A) in just eight contests with the Blades. The Naples Daily News has more on everyone's favorite ECHL'er.

• Forward Milan Gajic, who was assigned to the ECHL after attending training camp with the River Rats, suffered a lower-body injury on November 4. He was ranked second in scoring on the Everblades with eight points in nine games. He was placed on 21-day injured reserve and is walking with the assistance of crutches. The Naples Daily News keeps us up-to-date.

• The Carolina Hurricanes have lost 13 games in a row. Veteran goaltender Manny Legace, who was signed after Cam Ward was injured, allowed four goals on 30 shots last night in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Forwards Stephane Yelle and Scott Walker both left the game with injuries. Tim Conboy was the only healthy scratch on the Canes' roster. Bryan Rodney, who was called up to replace an ill Joni Pitkanen, registered 21:29 of ice-time, the third-highest on the team. Rodney had an even plus/minus rating, skated on the power-play unit, and was not on the ice during any of the goals against. He was given a tripping penalty in the first period, but Carolina killed it off. 

Morrison, Reid, and Gajic sent to Florida

Goaltender Mike Morrison, defenseman Elgin Reid and forward Milan Gajic have been assigned to the Florida Everblades. The Rats' website delivers the news.