Rats reassign Pistilli, McNicoll

The Albany River Rats today reassigned forwards Matthew Pistilli and Cedric LaLonde-McNicoll to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. The Rats' website has the news. 

Reid brought up, Rodney recalled

The Albany River Rats today recalled defenseman Elgin Reid from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

Reid will fill in for Albany alternate captain Bryan Rodney, who was called up to the Carolina Hurricanes today to replace sidelined D-man Alexandre Picard. 

Picard is listed as week-to-week after suffering an upper-body injury last night against the Washington Capitals. 

Reid returns to the River Rats for the second time this season. The 23-year-old made his AHL debut with Albany in December, skating in two games and picking up his first American league point against Syracuse on December 19th.

Reid has 21 points (5 G, 16 A) and 59 penalty minutes in 43 games this season with the Everblades.

Bryan Rodney heads to the Hurricanes for the fifth time this season, having earned five assists in 10 games with the Canes back in November and December.

Rodney ranks second among Albany defenseman in scoring with 35 points (7, G, 28 A) in 54 games and is known for having some of the best stick-handling skills on the team. 

Rodney represented the River Rats this year at the AHL All-Star Classic in Portland.

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. 

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.
  

Rats recall Morrison

The Albany River Rats today recalled veteran goaltender Mike Morrison from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. 

Morrison returns to Albany for the second time this season, having served as a back-up to Mike Murphy in November when Justin Peters was in Carolina. Now, with Murphy injured, Morrison will back up Peters. 

After 22 games with the Everblades this season, Morrison has a 9-10-3 record with one shutout, a 2.89 goals against average, and .899 save percentage.

The 30-year-old netminder has played for teams in every corner of North America and has even spent time playing overseas. The University of Maine of graduate has seen time in the NHL, AHL, ECHL and Swedish and Slovenian leagues, including a rather successful 21-game ride with the Edmonton Oilers in 2005-06. 

Reed back, but Rats still short

Despite the return of Harrison Reed from the ECHL, the River Rats will likely be short on forwards heading into a three-game weekend. 

Reed rejoined the Rats today after registering three shots on goal last night with the Florida Everblades in a shootout win over the Reading Royals.

On the other side of the coin, Pat Dwyer, Zach Boychuk, Jiri Tlusty and Jerome Samson all remain with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Moreover, Rob Hennigar is out indefinitely with a broken hand, Michael Ryan is curbed with a lower-body injury and Matthew Pistilli is sidelined with a concussion sustained last Saturday.

Defenseman Jonathan Paiement will likely continue playing the role of two-way winger, but even with Paiement up front, Albany will be limited to just 11 forwards. 

A tryout deal for an ECHL skater could be in the works. The Rats may also consider calling up a defenseman and putting Tim Conboy at wing, where the rugged blueliner was positioned in Carolina. 

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. 
  

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.

Pistilli sent down

The River Rats yesterday reassigned forward Matthew Pistilli to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

Pistilli, an undrafted rookie signed by Carolina during the offseason, has registered three goals and three assists in 25 games with Albany this year.

Pistilli performed admirably with the River Rats, skating in a checking role and earning a plus-2 rating. 

Pistilli was edged out of the line-up by the return of forwards Drayson Bowman, Jiri Tlusty and Michael Ryan. 

Bowman was out with a knee injury, Tlusty was dealing with immigration issues, and Ryan was sidelined with a concussion. 

Pistilli, who rejoins Florida for the second time this season, has a goal in five games with the Blades this year. 

Pistilli has been commended for his community efforts in the Capital District. 

Rodney back in town, Reid reassigned

The Carolina Hurricanes today reassigned defenseman Bryan Rodney to the River Rats, while Albany sent down blue-liner Elgin Reid to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. 

Rodney returns to Albany after earning three assists in three games with Carolina. He was recalled for the fourth time this season on December 15 and skated just last night in the Canes' 3-2 victory over the Panthers. 

In 10 NHL games this season, Rodney has five assists, including four on the powerplay. 

With the River Rats this year, Rodney has two goals and seven assists in 20 games.

Elgin Reid heads back to the Everblades after appearing in the first two AHL games of his career over the weekend. The 21-year-old notched his first American league point last night in Syracuse, assisting a tally by Stefan Chaput. 

Reid has three goals and five assists in 19 games with the Blades this season. 

Ryan, Reid assigned to Albany

The Carolina Hurricanes today activated forward Michael Ryan and assigned him to the River Rats, while Albany called up defenseman Elgin Reid from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. 

Ryan, who has been practicing with the Rats since October, has not played since suffering a concussion during an NHL preseason contest in September.

According to the Rats' website, Ryan will skate for Albany tonight in Lowell, although coach Jeff Daniels said earlier this week that Ryan would not play until next Saturday. 

Ryan has appeared in 261 career AHL games, scoring 85 goals and 84 assists. The 29-year-old vet has a decent share of NHL experience, notching seven goals and eight assists in 83 big league contests. 

Despite skating in just 40 AHL games last season, Ryan led the River Rats with 25 goals. He totaled 42 points (25 G, 17 A) with Albany and landed an additional two assists in 18 NHL contests with Carolina. 

Second-year pro Elgin Reid will make his AHL debut tonight with the River Rats on the road in Lowell. 

The 21-year-old blue-liner, who signed a two-way AHL/ECHL deal over the summer, appeared at the Traverse City prospects tournament in September, attended training camp with Carolina, and skated with Albany during the preseason. 

Reid has three goals and five assists in 19 games with the Everblades this year. He has appeared in a total of 75 ECHL contests, accumulating 20 goals and 30 assists. 

Dwyer, Tlusty recalled

The Carolina Hurricanes today recalled Rats' captain Pat Dwyer and newly acquired forward Jiri Tlusty, while Albany called up center Harrison Reed and winger Matthew Pistilli. 

Canes' forwards Chad LaRose and Erik Cole were both placed on injured reserve today. LaRose is expected to miss three to four weeks with a lower-body injury and Cole will be out for two to three weeks with an upper-body condition.

Dwyer, who is tied for the lead in goals scored for Albany, will join the Canes for his second NHL stint of the season. Dwyer played six games with Carolina in late November, averaging 10:53 of ice-time and filling in on the penalty killing unit. 

In 22 games with Albany this season, Dwyer, arguably the AHL club's most valuable player, has 11 goals, 12 assists and a plus-1 rating.

Jiri Tlusty, who was acquired by the Canes in a trade on December 3, heads to Carolina after just one game of action with the River Rats. 

Tlusty was mostly a non-factor in his first contest with the organization. He demonstrated exceptional skating ability, but was still adjusting to the new team and system. 

Tlusty heads into Carolina with 74 games of NHL experience under his belt. He holds ten goals and ten assists during his time in the big league. 

Harrison Reed reunites with the Rats after a rock-solid eight-game stretch in the ECHL. Reed, who was reassigned to the Florida Everblades on November 24, earned eight goals, five assists and was named ECHL player of the week for November 23-29. 

Prior to joining the Blades, Reed skated in 19 games with Albany, registering two assists and a plus-1 rating. 

Rookie forward Matthew Pistilli, who was reassigned to Florida on December 3, was held scoreless in three games with the Everblades. 

In 21 games with the Rats this season, Pistilli has three goals, two assists and a plus-2 rating.

Michael Leighton put on waivers

The Carolina Hurricanes today placed back-up goaltender Michael Leighton on waivers. 

Leighton, a former starter for the Rats, could be snatched up by another team at half price or reassigned to Albany should he go unclaimed. 

The Hurricanes signed veteran goalie Manny Legace earlier in the season after Cam Ward was injured. With Ward expected to return December 9, the Canes have a surplus of netminders.

Legace was favored over Leighton from the start and the vet outperformed the younger goaltender in the handful of games they split.

Leighton, 28, in the final year of his contract with Carolina, was hoping to find a starting job in the NHL next season, but the chances of that happening now are slim to none. 

In seven games with the Hurricanes this season, Leighton has a less than impressive 4.28 GAA and a .850 SV%. 

In 19 NHL games last season Leighton registered a decent 2.92 GAA and a .901 SV%. 

With the River Rats in 2007-08, Leighton recorded seven shutouts, a 2.10 GAA and a .931 SV% after 58 games.

If Leighton is reassigned to Albany, he would likely share time or serve as a back-up to Justin Peters, while rookie Mike Murphy could be sent to the ECHL for extra playing time.

UPDATE: Leighton cleared waivers today (12/8) at noon.

News & Notes

• Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union catches up with injured defenseman Casey Borer, who recently returned to Albany and started skating for the first time since having neck surgery in September. 

• Forward Rob Hennigar, who was recently recalled from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, chats with Chris Fitz Gerald at the Troy Record about his new role as a member of the Albany River Rats. 

• Goaltender Justin Peters talks with Bill Cain of the Schenectady Daily Gazette about his time with the Canes and his desire to stay focused and prepared for any and all opportunities.  

• Center Harrison Reed, who was reassigned to the Florida Everblades on November 24, earned ECHL player of the week honors after scoring seven goals and five assists in four games with the Blades.

• Hurricanes' General Manager Jim Rutherford has expressed interest in "transitioning" his team. "If we could [move contracts out], we would probably move a handful of guys out today and move the younger guys in, even if they weren't ready," Rutherford told Tracking the Storm. The process is easier said than done. 

• Hurricanes' goaltender Cam Ward, who was cut by a skate blade on November 7, returned to practice this week and is hoping to play in net against New Jersey on December 9th. Barring any more injuries, the Canes will soon have three healthy netminders. Veteran goalie Manny Legace, who was signed to a two-way deal after Ward went down, could be reassigned to Albany. 

• Cory Lavalette at Canes Country has a bit more on the latest addition to the Rats' squad, Jiri Tlusty.

• Who is the funniest River Rat? Watch the latest installment of Murphy's Mailbag and find out. 

Micflikier swapped with Pistilli

The River Rats today recalled forward Jacob Micflikier from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL and reassigned forward Matthew Pistilli. 

Micflikier has three goals in five games with Albany this season and is the ECHL's top scorer with 32 points (9 G, 23 A) in 16 games. He was recently named ECHL player of the month for November. 

Matthew Pistilli has three goals, two assists and a +2 rating in 21 games with the Rats this season. The undrafted rookie forward, signed during the offseason by the Carolina Hurricanes, has been heavily involved in humanitarian efforts around the Albany area.

Micflikier, Morrison reassigned

The River Rats today reassigned forward Jacob Micflikier and goaltender Mike Morrison to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. 

Micflikier was recalled last week for the second time of the season after Drayson Bowman suffered a knee injury on November 25th. 

Micflikier played two games with Albany over the weekend and scored a goal each night. In five contests with the River Rats this season, Micflikier has three goals and a +4 rating.

Micflikier's reassignment today to Florida suggests either Bowman is recovering well or Albany is expecting captain Pat Dwyer to soon return from the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Veteran goalie Mike Morrison was recalled to Albany on November 18 after Rats' starter Justin Peters was summoned by the Canes. 

Morrison spent five games with Albany but did not get an opportunity to play. 

Peters was returned by Carolina on Friday, paving the way for Morrison's return to the ECHL.

Jacob Micflikier recalled

The River Rats today recalled forward Jacob Micflikier from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. Micflikier is playing for the Rats tonight in Norfolk. He put Albany on the board in the first period with his second AHL goal of the season. 

Micflikier takes out frustrations on ECHL

Rat-in-reserve Jacob Micflikier has 24 points in 13 games with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. "I know when I come down to the East Coast, my job is to dominate and create as many points as possible," Micflikier tells Lindsay Kramer at NHL.com. "I'm here to prove at some point, that I don't belong here." 

Read the full story here.