Peters named All-Star

Goaltender Justin Peters will join the Canadian All-Stars at the AHL Classic on January 19 in Portland. Bill Cain at the Schenectady Daily Gazette has the story. 

News & Notes

• Jerome Samson tallied an assist during his NHL debut last night with the Carolina Hurricanes in Nashville. In familiar fashion, Samson, on his very first shift, controlled the play behind the net, wrapped the puck around, and threw it on goal for captain Rod Brind'Amour, who slammed home the rebound. Samson registered 7:10 of ice-time and had a team-high four shots on goal. He was also assessed a hooking penalty in the first period, but it was nullified 11 seconds later by a Nashville infraction. Carolina ended up dropping the lead and losing 4-2. Steve Sullivan, who started his career with Albany in 1994, netted the game-winner. Watch the highlights here. The Canes play again tonight at home against the Colorado Avalanche. Samson is the centerpiece of an article at the Raleigh News & Observer. 

• Rookie forward Chris Terry is the subject of an article in today's Troy Record. 

• Forward Marc Cavosie is featured in today's Albany Times Union. The Schenectady Daily Gazette has a bit more.

• Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the latest on the Rats' fluctuating roster. 

• We are told goaltender Justin Peters will be donning a new "Pete-Dawg"-themed mask later this month. He is still deciding on a final design. 

• Defenseman Aaron Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes is no longer eligible for reassignment. Ward skated last night in his tenth game since clearing waivers in December.
  

Samson to make NHL debut

Jerome Samson

(Photo by Jennifer Bock)

Jerome Samson will make his NHL debut tonight in Nashville after being recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time since joining the organization in 2007.

Samson has impressed fans, coaches and teammates alike this season with a regular display of offensive talent and determination. He leads the River Rats in scoring with 30 points (13 G, 17 A) in 38 games and tops the league with 169 shots on goal. 

Samson has skated in a total of 180 AHL contests, all with Albany. He has totaled 57 goals and 68 assists at the professional level. 

Samson was signed by Carolina as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He spent the previous three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and put up 99 points in 71 games during his final amateur year.

Samson will join a Hurricanes' team that is already loaded with Albany alumni. Brandon Sutter, Pat Dwyer, Zach Boychuk, Brett Carson and Jiri Tlusty will all be in the line-up this evening as the Canes face off against the Predators in Nashville.

Rats upstaged by Phantoms in OT, 4-3

Post-game coverage:

• Phantoms earn 4-3 come-from-behind win, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats let lead slip away, fall in OT, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes: Samson gets long awaited opportunity, Albany Times Union
  
• River Rats fall in OT, Troy Record
  
• Cavosie returns to Rats, for now, Troy Record
  
• Penalties unravel River Rats, 4-3, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Rats table scraps: Peters, Phantoms scoring; first line; Cavosie, Samson, Rodney, Schenectady Daily Gazette
  
• Phantoms win in overtime vs Rats, WNYT-13
  
• Phantoms take down Rats in OT, Glens Falls Post-Star
  
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com
  

Rats sign Marc Cavosie

The Albany River Rats today announced the signing of forward Marc Cavosie to a professional tryout contract. 

The 28-year-old Cohoes-native and former RPI star joins the Rats for the second time of his career. Cavosie skated with Albany on a 25-game tryout contract at the end of 2007-08 and the beginning of 2008-09.

Cavosie, who holds more than seven years of professional experience, has skated in a total of 474 contests in the AHL, ECHL and Swedish leagues since 2002. 

Cavosie has four goals and eight assists in 15 games this season with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He spent the beginning of the year in the AHL with the Lake Erie Monsters, notching two assists after 16 games. 

The six-foot-tall, 202-pound checking forward is known for battling along the boards and crashing the net.

Boychuk, Tlusty called back up

The Carolina Hurricanes yesterday recalled forwards Zach Boychuk and Jiri Tlusty for the second time in less than a week. 

Both players were returned to Albany on Saturday, but the parent club was forced to summon the youngsters again due to a string of nagging injuries. 

Forwards Chad LaRose, Scott Walker, Sergei Samsonov and Erik Cole all remain sidelined. 

This marks the third call-up of the season for Boychuk, who picked up an assist in his first three games with Carolina this year. 

Boychuk performed exceptionally well with the Canes this past Saturday against the New York Rangers. He was held scoreless, but chipped in defensively and was the driving force behind several offensive opportunities. 

Tlusty also returns to Carolina for the third time this season. He has a goal and an assist in three games with the Canes this year. Tlusty earned the primary assist on the Canes' only regulation goal Saturday.

The call-up of Boychuk and Tlusty leaves the River Rats with a limited number of forwards. 

Rob Hennigar is still out with an injury sustained in early December; Brad Herauf suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday; Michael Ryan has been out with an injury since last Wednesday; Nicolas Blanchard has one game remaining on a three-game suspension; and Matt Schepke was released Monday from a professional tryout contract. 

The Rats will need reinforcements for tonight's contest against Adirondack if Ryan and Herauf are unable to play.

News & Notes

• The usual weekly round-up has been posted at the Rats' website.

• Forward Nicolas Blanchard talks with the Albany Times Union about his three-game suspension. More here.

• The River Rats released rookie Matt Schepke from his professional tryout contract. 

• Forward Brad Herauf is questionable for tomorrow's game at home against Adirondack. Herauf left the ice Saturday with a lower-body injury after absorbing a hit along the boards.

• Forwards Chad LaRose, Erik Cole and Sergei Samsonov of the Carolina Hurricanes remain day-to-day with injuries. Unless two of three are healthy to play in the Canes' next contest on Thursday, Carolina will be looking for help from Albany.

• Canes' forward Scott Walker, who sustained an upper-body injury on New Years Eve, is scheduled to undergo surgery this week. He is expected to miss at least a month. The Raleigh News & Observer has the news.

• Defenseman Joe Corvo of the Carolina Hurricanes, who suffered a severe leg laceration in late November, is recovering ahead of schedule. Read more at Tracking the Storm.  

• Carolina D-man Aaron Ward is scheduled to play Thursday in his tenth game since clearing waivers. After 10 games of action, Ward will be ineligible for reassignment.
  

Rats lose to Crunch, 6-3

Post-game coverage:

• Rats fall 6-3 in Syracuse, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats suffer late collapse, Albany Times Union
  
• Syracuse stops Rats 6-3, WNYT-13
  
• Blunden, Radja each score twice as Syracuse handles Albany, Syracuse Post-Standard
  
• Notebook leftovers from Syracuse-Albany game, Syracuse Post-Standard
  
• Mike and Mike lead Crunch to first win of 2010, SyracuseCrunch.com
  
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com
  

Boychuk, Tlusty returned

The Carolina Hurricanes today reassigned forwards Zach Boychuk and Jiri Tlusty to the Albany River Rats. 

Both players were recalled for today's afternoon contest against the New York Rangers. Each had several memorable moments and displayed few mistakes, helping the Canes to a 2-1 overtime victory. 

Zach Boychuk demonstrated his skill-sets well, creating opportunities on the forecheck and hustling back to chip in defensively during his 10:15 of ice-time.

Tlusty was on the ice for 7:19 and picked up an assist after Tom Kostopoulos batted in a blocked shot Tlusty had thrown on the net.

Rats sign Matt Schepke, recall Pistilli

The Albany River Rats yesterday signed rookie forward Matt Schepke to a professional tryout contract and also recalled first-year winger Matthew Pistilli from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. 

With Albany forwards Michael Ryan and Rob Hennigar curbed with injuries, Zach Boychuk and Jiri Tlusty called up to the Carolina Hurricanes, and Nicolas Blanchard suspended, the River Rats needed to find two skaters on short notice for tonight's contest in Syracuse. 

Schepke, known for his quick shot and two-way play, comes from the Charlotte Checkers, division rival of the Florida Everblades in the ECHL. 

The 24-year-old Michigan State graduate has 10 goals, 7 assists and a plus-10 rating in 28 games with Charlotte this season. He was recently named an ECHL all-star. (Watch a brief interview with Schepke about 1:49 into this video clip.)

Schepke led Michigan State in scoring last season with 14 goals and 10 assists in 38 games. He joined the Checkers after graduating and made his AHL debut with the Hartford Wolf Pack last April, registering three shots and a plus-1 rating in one game. 

Pistilli joins the River Rats for the third time this season. The hard-working two-way winger has three goals, three assists and a plus-2 rating in 25 games with Albany this year. (Read a recent interview with Pistilli here.)

Pistilli was reassigned from the Rats to the Florida Everblades on December 27 and recorded an assist with the Blades on New Years Eve. The undrafted rookie, signed by the Hurricanes during the offseason, has a goal and an assist in six games with Florida this season.

Boychuk, Tlusty called up

The Carolina Hurricanes today recalled forwards Zach Boychuk and Jiri Tlusty from the Albany River Rats. 

Carolina forwards Scott Walker and Sergei Samsonov were sidelined on Thursday with upper-body injuries. Both are listed as day-to-day and are expected to miss the team's next contest, scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. 

Boychuk and Tlusty will likely enter the line-up tomorrow alongside fellow Albany alumni Pat Dwyer, Brett Carson, and Brandon Sutter, all of whom have been logging significant ice-time with the Rats' parent club.

Boychuk, a highly-touted prospect and former first-round draft pick, joins the Canes for the second time this season. He registered an assist during a brief two-game call-up in early November.

Boychuk has been on fire with the River Rats lately, tallying five goals and four assists in his last ten games. The rookie sensation has a team-leading 11 goals and ranks second in team-scoring with 27 points. 

Tlusty, also a former first-round pick, has been shuffling from place to place since Carolina acquired him in a trade with Toronto on December 3rd. 

Tlusty was bogged down by immigration issues for about two weeks after skating in two games with the Hurricanes in December. He returned to Albany on December 27th.

Tlusty was held scoreless in four games with the Rats, but notched a goal in his first contest with Carolina on December 11th. 

Tlusty has 76 games of NHL experience under his belt. He holds a respectable 11 goals and 10 assists during his time in the big league.

Rats blank Phantoms, 1-0

Post-game coverage:

• Murphy, Rats blank Phantoms 1-0, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Murphy gets best of veteran, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Ryan, Blanchard don't play, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats' rookie goalie shuts out Phantoms, Troy Record
• Disputed goal carries Rats past Phantoms, Glens Falls Post-Star
  
• Albany rookie goalie shuts out Phantoms, 1-0, PhantomsHockey.com
  
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com