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

• With two leaders injured early in the season, players like Nicolas Blanchard are stepping up to fill the void. The Troy Record has the story. 

• Undrafted sensation Jerome Samson continues to play above and beyond expectations. The Albany Times Union calls the speedy forward a "young veteran."

• Rookie Drayson Bowman was ranked #3 on this week's "Hot List" composed by the Hockey News. Bowman and Zach Boychuk lead the AHL in rookie scoring with five points each.

• D-man Joni Pitkanen of the Carolina Hurricanes is still out of action with knee soreness. He will not play tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Canes' star forward Eric Staal missed practice yesterday with "tightness" but is expected to play tonight. Chip Alexander and Paul Branecky keep us updated.

• Local actor, producer, hockey fan and now internet comedian Donny Ferlazzo shows off his new River Rats' "training program" on YouTube. A little weird.
  

• Not Rats related, but legendary defenseman Chris Chelios, who started playing in the NHL back in 1983, just joined the AHL's Chicago Wolves. No joke. Get the full story at Puck Daddy.

Pospisil Back in Chicago

Forward Tomas Pospisil, who joined the River Rats for 17 games at the end of last season, has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves, AHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers, where he played 31 games last year prior to being loaned to Albany.