Reinforcements arrive

Key players will be returning to the Albany River Rats' line-up for the postseason and many are coming off excellent stints in the NHL.  

The Carolina Hurricanes yesterday reassigned six skaters to the River Rats, including forwards Jerome Samson, Zach Boychuk and Drayson Bowman, and defensemen Jamie McBain, Bryan Rodney and Casey Borer, while D-man Jay Harrison is set to be reassigned today should he clear waivers. 

Injuries and call-ups reduced Albany to 19 players for the final two games of the regular season, so the reinforcements will be welcomed as the team prepares to take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, scheduled to begin Wednesday night at the Times Union Center. 

Jerome Samson

(Photo by JBK-LTD)

Rats' top-scorer Jerome Samson, who was recalled to Carolina for the third time on Friday, returns to town after notching his second career NHL assist with the Canes on Saturday. 

In seven contests with Carolina this season, Samson earned two assists and was credited with 17 shots on goal. 

Samson led the Rats in scoring during the regular season with a career-high 78 points (37 G, 41 A) in 74 games. He ranked fourth in the league in points, second in goals, first in shots, and finished the season with a plus-8 rating. 

Rookie offensive defenseman Jamie McBain, who was recalled to Carolina for the first time on March 16, returns to Albany having performed remarkably well during his first 14 contests in the NHL. 

McBain scored three goals, tallied seven assists, earned a plus-6 rating and averaged well over 20 minutes of ice-time during his first run with the big club. 

McBain led all Rats' defenseman in scoring this season with 40 points (7 G, 33 A) in 68 games and tied for first among Albany D-men with a plus-11 rating. His presence on the blue line and ability to make smart decisions has been a key weapon of the Rats' offense and power play. 

First-year offensive sensation Zach Boychuk comes back to Albany for the first time since being recalled to the Hurricanes in early March. 

Boychuk totaled nine points (3 G, 6 A) and put up a plus-1 rating in 31 games spanned over six separate call-ups with the Canes this year. 

Boychuk ranked second among Albany scorers at the time of his last recall with 36 points (15 G, 21 A) in 52 contests, including eight points in his last six AHL games. 

Defenseman Casey Borer, winner of the AHL's Fred T. Hunt award, was recalled to the Hurricanes last Thursday for the first time this season. 

Borer, who returned to action in January after a lengthy recovery from a broken neck sustained in last year's bus crash, played two games with Carolina. He was responsible for blocking two shots against Montreal on April 8th. 

Borer notched one goal and eight assists in 30 contests with the River Rats this season, including a goal and four assists in his last 10 games. 

Drayson Bowman

(Photo by Jennifer Bock)

Rookie sniper Drayson Bowman, who was recalled to the Canes for the second time on March 24, scored his first two NHL goals against Tampa Bay last Tuesday. 

Bowman played in a total of nine NHL games this season, eight during his most recent recall, and registered nine shots in his final two matches.

Bowman has 32 points (17 G, 15 A) in 56 games this season with Albany.

Puck-moving blueliner Bryan Rodney, who was recalled to Carolina for the fifth time this season on March 19, picked up 11 points (1 g, 10 A) in 22 games with the Canes this year. 

Rodney tallied an assist in each of his final three NHL tilts. 

Rodney represented the River Rats at the 2010 AHL All-Star Classic and ranks second among Albany defenders with 35 points (7 G, 28 A) in 54 games.

Veteran defenseman Jay Harrison headed to Carolina for the third time this season back on March 3 after earning 14 points and a plus-8 rating in 32 games with the Rats.

Harrison ended up playing more regular season games with Carolina than he did with Albany, scoring six points (1 G, 5 A) in 38 NHL contests.

Unlike the River Rats, Albany's first-round opponent, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, will not be getting a major influx of players from the NHL, as their parent club is heading to the postseason. 

The Penguins have only one clear-day player presently recalled to the NHL, whereas the River Rats, until yesterday, had seven. 

With the regular season officially over, the AHL yesterday released schedules for the first-round of the post-season. Albany's games are listed below.

Game 1: Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 (home)

Game 2: Friday, April 16, 7:00 (home)

Game 3: Sunday, April 18, 3:05 (away)

Game 4: Monday, April 19, 7:05 (away)

Game 5: Wednesday, April 21, 7:00 (home)*

Game 6: Saturday, April 24, 7:05 (away)*

Game 7: Sunday, April 25, 5:00 (home)*

*if necessary

Rats welcome new faces after trades

As many predicted, the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday made a flurry of deals prior to the NHL trade deadline, unloading five veterans, opening up nearly $9 million in salary cap space, and clearing room for prospects from Albany.

When the dust finally settled, the Rats had lost three players and gained three new faces.

Fourth-line center Harrison Reed, who spent the past two seasons with Albany, was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche and will likely join the Lake Erie Monsters in the North Division. 

Carolina made room for rookie forward Zach Boychuk and blueliner Jay Harrison, both of whom were recalled last night.

Veterans Joe Corvo, Aaron Ward, Stephane Yelle, Scott Walker and Andrew Alberts were all traded away for younger players and draft picks. 

Joining the River Rats in the coming days will be Justin Pogge, a talented netminder from Anaheim; Oskar Osala, a large power forward from Washington; and rookie Cedric LaLonde-McNicoll, a natural center from Colorado. 

Pogge, who will be 24 years old in April, has been spending the season with the San Antonio Rampage, where he has earned a 2.57 GAA, .920 SV%, one shutout and a record of 12-7-0-3. 

Pogge started the year with the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL, registering a 2.69 GAA, .902 SV%, one shutout, and a record of 6-2-0-0. 

Pogge was acquired along with a fourth-round pick from Anaheim in exchange for veteran defenseman Aaron Ward.

Selected in the third-round by Toronto in 2004, Pogge spent his first three professional seasons with the Marlies. He was granted seven starts with the Maple Leafs last season, but did not perform up to expectations and was traded to Anaheim during the summer.

Pogge, a native of Fort McMurray, Alberta, is a product of the Western Hockey League. He spent two years with the Prince George Cougars and another two years with the Calgary Hitmen, putting up a phenomenal 1.72 GAA, .926 SV%, 11 shutouts and a record of 38-10-2-4 during his final junior year. Pogge was honored with the league's MVP award and was named Canadian Hockey League goaltender-of-the-year.

Pogge helped Team Canada win its second consecutive gold medal at the 2006 World Junior Championships with a 1.00 GAA, .952 SV% and an undefeated record of 6-0. 

Pogge is listed at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds and is similar in size and frame to Albany's regular starter, Justin Peters, as well as Carolina's goalie coach Tom Barrasso, who hopes to personally fine-tune the skills of the young netminder.

The acquisition of Pogge gives Albany some stability in net as Justin Peters remains in Carolina. Canes' starter Cam Ward is out indefinitely and Rats' rookie Mike Murphy is sporting a cast/finger-splint.

Recently acquired back-up goalie Ryan Mior, who was signed to a professional tryout contract on Sunday, will likely be released after he recovers from an undisclosed injury suffered on Tuesday.

Oskar Osala, drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round in 2006, comes to Albany from the division rival Hershey Bears, where the Finnish-born 22-year-old has totaled 29 points (15 G, 14 A) in 53 games this season (including two goals and an assist against Albany). 

Osala was acquired along with Brian Pothier (formally of R.P.I.) and a second-round pick from Washington in exchange for defenseman Joe Corvo.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Osala is a powerful winger best known for his speed and hard shot. He knows how to play tough and is not afraid to mix things up from time to time. 

Watch clips of Osala scoring three points against Rochester earlier this season 

After spending a season in the Finnish elite league SM-liiga, Osala signed a three-year deal with the Capitals in 2008. 

Osala tallied 37 points (23 G, 14 A) and a +11 rating in 75 games with the Bears last year and put up another six goals and four assists in 22 playoff contests as Hershey went on to win the Calder Cup. 

Osala was recalled to the Capitals on two occasions, going scoreless in his first two NHL appearances.

Cedric LaLonde-McNicoll is a 21-year-old undrafted rookie center who started his pro career this season with the Lake Erie Monsters. 

The undersized youngster was acquired along with a sixth-round pick from Colorado in exchange for Stephane Yelle and Harrison Reed.

Born in Longueuil, Quebec, LaLonde-McNicoll spent four full seasons with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League prior to going pro in October. The small but speedy playmaker, listed at 5-foot-10, 178 pounds, was the third-highest scorer in the QMJHL last season with 104 points (38 G, 66 A) in 65 games.

LaLonde-McNicoll has 13 points (5 G, 8 A) in 45 games this year with Lake Erie.

Harrison reassigned

The Carolina Hurricanes today reassigned defenseman Jay Harrison to the Albany River Rats. 

Harrison returns to Albany having picked up two assists in an eight-game stretch with the Canes. The veteran stay-at-home D-man was recalled on December 6 and performed well during his time with the big club.

Harrison started the year with Carolina and has now skated in 18 NHL contests this season, registering a goal and four assists. 

In 15 games with Albany, Harrison has a goal, seven assists and a plus-4 rating. 

Defenseman Brett Carson and forward Pat Dwyer remain with the Hurricanes. 

Canes' blueliner Aaron Ward, who cleared waivers on December 15, is still on the chopping block. If Ward is traded or dumped on re-entry waivers, Brett Carson would likely take his place. 

Carolina defenseman Joe Corvo, who suffered a serious laceration on November 30, is expected to be sidelined for at least another two months. 

News & Notes

• Seven straight wins by the River Rats has earned the team some extra coverage at the AHL's website. 

• The latest installment of Murphy's Mailbag is up on YouTube. 

• The Rats' website has the usual weekly summary.

• The Carolina Hurricanes yesterday placed defenseman Aaron Ward on waivers and he cleared today at noon. Read more at Tracking the Storm.

• Call-ups could be in the works. The Hurricanes are short two players with a game tomorrow night. Carolina has just five healthy blueliners, including Brett Carson and Jay Harrison, who were recently recalled from Albany to replace injured D-men Niclas Wallin and Joe Corvo. Tim Gleason, who was hit in the face with a shot Friday night, is listed as day-to-day. The team is also down one forward after returning Pat Dwyer and Jiri Tlusty to the River Rats on Sunday. According to Tracking the Storm, Dwyer will likely be headed back up. 

Harrison recalled, Rodney reassigned

The Carolina Hurricanes today recalled defenseman Jay Harrison and reassigned Bryan Rodney to the River Rats. 

Rodney was called up to Carolina for the third time this season on December 4th. He skated in one game and registered 17:24 of ice-time. Rodney will return to Albany, where he has a goal and five assists in 15 games thus far this season. 

Jay Harrison, who started the year with the Canes, has a goal, seven assists and a plus-4 rating in 15 contests with Albany this season. Harrison will rejoin Carolina, where he accumulated a goal, two assists and 27 penalty minutes in 10 games prior to be reassigned on November 3rd.

With defenseman Joe Corvo on injured reserve, the Canes will need a substitute for the next two to three months. Rodney offers an offensive, puck-moving style, whereas Harrison is more of a stay-at-home D-man. Brett Carson, who falls somewhere in the middle, will likely earn the next audition. 

Canes lose Corvo for 2-3 months

Defenseman Joe Corvo of the Carolina Hurricanes is expected to miss two to three months after suffering a serious laceration on the back of his leg last night in Raleigh. 

General Manager Jim Rutherford said the team will likely call up either Brett Carson, Jay Harrison or Bryan Rodney as a replacement.

Corvo has been averaging over 25 minutes of ice-time, more than any other player on the Canes' roster.

Harrison ready to contribute

Jay Harrison

(Photo by jbk-ltd)

Defenseman Jay Harrison may have started the season in the NHL, but the veteran blueliner is looking forward to his time in Albany. He considers it an opportunity to demonstrate his skill and provide leadership to a young club. The Troy Record and the Schenectady Daily Gazette each have a story today on the latest addition to the team. 

Jay Harrison assigned to Albany

As expected, veteran defenseman Jay Harrison has been assigned to the River Rats. Harrison will bring size, experience and toughness to Rats' defensive corps. The Rats' website has the news.

News & Notes

• Forward Jacob MicFlikier has been reassigned to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. MicFlikier was called up to Albany on October 24th after Steven Goertzen suffered a concussion. Goertzen is now healthy. In three games with the River Rats, MicFlikier had a goal and a +2 rating. Expect him back at some point this season.

• The Carolina Hurricanes have placed defenseman Jay Harrison on waivers. Harrison will likely clear waivers and be reassigned to Albany. He will hopefully provide some much-needed relief at the Rats' blue line. Harrison was filling in for Canes' D-man Tim Gleason, who is expected to return to action tomorrow night. 

• The Carolina Hurricanes have won just two of 13 games. General Manager Jim Rutherford is preparing to make some major changes. Trades and call-ups could be on the horizon, especially if the Hurricanes keep losing. 

• Carolina's top forward Eric Staal is expected to miss several games with an upper-body injury sustained over the weekend. He is listed as week-to-week. The Hurricanes have two extra players to insert in the line-up: Stephane Yelle and Tim Conboy. If the Canes are not satisfied with those options, well, you know the drill. 

• The River Rats' weekly recap is available here. 

• Watch the next installment of Murphy's Mailbag here.
  

Canes' update

The Carolina Hurricanes continue to struggle. With a 6-1 loss yesterday to Philadelphia and a 5-1 loss today against San Jose, the Canes' record now stands at 2-8-3. Carolina is one point away from occupying last place in the Eastern Conference. 

The team's line-up continues to shuffle. 

The Hurricanes today saw the return of Tuomo Ruutu, who just finished a three-game suspension, as well as Erik Cole, who suffered a fractured leg early in the season. Center Stephane Yelle, who was recently put through waivers, was scratched. 

Brandon Sutter, who was called up from Albany last weekend, replaced Yelle as the team's fourth-line center. Sutter scored the Hurricanes' only two goals this weekend. The chances of him coming back to the Rats are slim to none.

Eric Staal suffered an upper-body injury in the second period against San Jose. He did not return for the third. If Stall is unable to play in the Canes' next game on Wednesday, Stephane Yelle and former Albany captain Tim Conboy are available. But another call-up could always be in the works, especially with the team's recent poor performance. 

Tim Gleason is practicing in Raleigh and could return to action as early as this week. That would give the Canes an extra defenseman. Jay Harrison may or may not be sent down.

News & Notes

• Brett Bellemore may not rack up the points, but his smart defensive game is evident in his plus/minus tally. The Albany Times Union has more on Bellemore, who proudly leads the team with a +4. 

• Justin Peters has developed into a highly skilled goaltender and solidified himself as the Rats' go-to starter. The Troy Record catches up with the fourth-year netminder. 

• The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins took over first place in the East Division Thursday with a win over the Manitoba Moose. Former River Rat Ryan Bayda scored 39 seconds into overtime to break the 0-0 tie. The Penguins have a one-point lead and a game-in-hand on the Rats heading into the weekend.

• Injured players should soon be returning in waves. Mike Angelidis, Steven Goertzen, Michael Ryan and Brett Carson should be coming back in the next few weeks. 

• Erik Cole of the Carolina Hurricanes, who fractured a bone in his leg earlier this month, is expected to return to action as early as this weekend. Cole, along with injured Canes' D-man Tim Gleason, are back at practice in Raleigh. Forward Brandon Sutter and defenseman Jay Harrison are Carolina's only healthy two-way players. Forward Stephane Yelle, who recently cleared waivers, is also eligible for reassignment. Yelle will become ineligible on November 26th at noon or after ten games of NHL play, whichever comes first.
  

Canes lose another D-man UPDATED

Just as the Carolina Hurricanes regained one defenseman, they lost another.

The good news: Joni Pitkanen is back skating a regular shift with the Canes and playing fantastic. The bad news: Tim Gleason could be the organization's latest defensive casualty.

Gleason left tonight's game against the New York Islanders with an upper body injury. We are still waiting for an update on his condition. 

At the start of the season fans in Albany were expecting Casey Borer, Jay Harrison and Brett Carson to hold down the Rats' blue line. Borer never made to training camp; Harrison never made it to Albany; and Carson was injured in his second game. 

The saga continues. 

During the offseason the Rats wisely signed Jonathan Paiement and Benn Olson for defensive depth. Less than four weeks into the season, both are proving to be invaluable. 

UPDATE: Gleason went in for X-rays after the game. He is now listed as day-to-day, so we assume nothing is fractured. According to Chip Alexander, Gleason will probably sit out Friday's game against the Colorado Avalanche. Jay Harrison will be back in. 

News & Notes

• The Rats' front office is hoping to draw some big crowds at the Times Union Center this weekend, especially on Saturday for the second game of the Northway rivalry. Promotions were announced today, including a giveaway of River Rats' Thurderstix to the first 5,000 fans. Bring your friends. Get those curtains open!

• The River Rats' ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, have started the season with a 1-1-1-0 record. Jacob Micflikier, who has a two-way deal with the Rats, leads the Blades in points with a goal and three assists. Rob Hennigar, who is also signed on a two-way deal, is the team's second highest scorer with a goal and two assists. Veteran goaltender Mike Morrison, another two-way player, has been in net for two of Blades' three games, registering a win and an overtime loss, and stopping 44 of 49 shots. The Fort Myers News-Press has a nice article on Morrison.

• In Carolina, defenseman Joni Pitkanen finally appears to be on the path to recovery. When Pitkanen returns to full strength, Jay Harrison will likely be headed to Albany. There is a possibility the Canes will keep Harrison as a seventh D-man, but informed sources think otherwise.

• Michael Ryan, who suffered a concussion in a NHL preseason game on September 21, has been out of action for a full month now. We would be lying if we said we weren't worried. Still waiting for an official update on his condition. When he gets healthy, expect him to play in Albany.

• Casey Borer is back home in Minnesota recuperating from neck surgery. We don't expect him to be at full strength until January at best.
  

News & Notes

• Defenseman Zack FitzGerald is spotlighted in the Troy Record.

• Injured leader Mike Angeldis is the focus of the Albany Times Union.

• Goaltender Mike Murphy will get the first start of his pro career this weekend. Coach Jeff Daniels says Murphy will likely play against Rochester on Saturday.

• Forward Harrison Reed will play in his first contest of the 2009-10 season tonight against the Portland Pirates. Reed was impressive at training camp and in the preseason. Expect him to skate hard. Phil Janack has more.

• Fans in Albany can forget about seeing defenseman Jay Harrison in the short-term. Carolina D-man Joni Pitkanen remains day-to-day. Pitkanen, who underwent knee surgery in September, skated in his first contest of the season Tuesday night, but did not play in the third period because of soreness in his knee. Pitkanen also sat out of practice the last two days. That means Harrison will be back in the line-up for Carolina this weekend. 

• Coach Jeff Daniels tells Phil Janack that the injury to Carolina's Erik Cole should not affect things in Albany, at least not for the time being. Former River Rat Tim Conboy filled in for the Canes Tuesday night in a 2-1 shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Conboy had a fight in the first period, but did not play a regular shift. He registered only 3:25 of ice-time. Conboy will likely play again tonight in the Canes' contest against the Florida Panthers. 

• Portland tonight will be without blueliner Joe DiPenta, who was recently handed a one-game suspension for taking a two-handed chop at Kip Brennan of the Springfield Falcons.
  

Pitkanen, Conboy to play; Ryan feeling better

According to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, Carolina Defenseman Joni Pitkanen, who has been out with a bum knee since the start of the season, should will return to action tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

If Pitkanen proves to be fully recuperated, the Canes will have a decision to make regarding D-man Jay Harrison: assign him to Albany or keep him in Raleigh as a seventh defenseman. 

Also scheduled to play for Carolina tonight is former Albany captain Tim Conboy. With Carolina forward Erik Cole out with a leg fracture, Conboy is getting a chance to skate. The Canes appear comfortable with the current roster, at least for the time being.

Michael Ryan, who suffered a concussion during the Hurricanes' second preseason game on September 21, says he is feeling much better. Still no definitive word on his return, but we expect it to come sooner rather than later. 

Sutter, McBain assigned to Albany

The Carolina Hurricanes today assigned center Brandon Sutter and offensive defenseman Jamie McBain to Albany.

Veteran D-man Jay Harrison and forward Michael Ryan are the only two-way players still at camp with the Canes. Harrison is filling the void left by injured Joni Pitkanen, while Ryan is still recovering from a concussion suffered in Monday's preseason loss to the Thrashers.

Dwyer, Boychuk assigned to Albany

The Hurricanes today assigned Pat Dwyer and Zach Boychuk to Albany, reducing the number of two-way players in Carolina to just four: Brandon Sutter, Michael Ryan, Jay Harrison and Jamie McBain.

Boychuk and Dwyer are not expected to play in tonight's preseason match between the River Rats and Phantoms.

The Canes, meanwhile, will dress a veteran line-up tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers. Brandon Sutter will not play. Jay Harrison will likely fill in for Joni Pitkanen, who skated this morning for the first time since having knee surgery.

Borer begins healing; Pitkanen still out

Casey Borer
(Photo by jbk-ltd)

Chip Alexander, who covers the Carolina Hurricanes for the Raleigh News & Observer, has a few updates on his twitter page regarding Casey Borer. Hat tip to Jennifer, aka sandpiper214, for first noticing.

Canes' General Manager Jim Rutherford tells Alexander that Borer's neck surgery, which took place on Monday, went well and the prognosis is good.

Borer is expected to wear a neck brace for the next six weeks. If everything is sound when the brace comes off, he should be able to start skating again sometime in November. Keep your fingers crossed.

In other news, defenseman Joni Pitkanen will miss Carolina's two final exhibition games. Pitkanen, who is still recovering from knee surgery, was expected to start practicing Tuesday, but his rehab went slower than anticipated. He is now set to hit the ice next week. If Pitkanen is unable to play in Carolina's home opener next Friday, D-man Jay Harrison will likely be included in the line-up.

Canes send five more; Ryan 'day-to-day' with concussion

The Carolina Hurricanes today sent five more players to Albany: goaltender Justin Peters, defensemen Brett Carson and Bryan Rodney, and forwards Drayson Bowman and Steven Goertzen.

That leaves in Carolina Jay Harrison, Jamie McBain, Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Pat Dwyer and Michael Ryan.

Ryan remains in camp despite suffering a probable concussion in last night's preseason game. He is listed as day-to-day.

The player most likely to make the Canes out of camp appears to be Brandon Sutter. His play at Traverse City, during camp, and in the preseason have impressed General Manager Jim Rutherford.

Jay Harrison is the front-runner for the seventh defensive spot.

Tracking the Storm has more here and here.

Rats Included In First Carolina Preseason Game

The Carolina Hurricanes have released the team's roster for tomorrow night's first preseason game at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Notable names include Nicolas Blanchard, Michael Ryan, Pat Dwyer, Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Bryan Rodney, Jay Harrison, Brett Carson and Justin Peters. The team will face-off against the Nashville Predators at 7pm. Read more at Tracking the Storm.

Important notes: Hurricanes' coach Paul Maurice says D-man Joni Pitkanen is "progressing nicely" and is expected to return for the team's two final exhibition games. If this holds true, the Rats will most likely have Jay Harrison and/or Brett Carson to start the season.

Several of the Rats' "higher-end skaters" are expected to play in all four Carolina preseason games. This means fans in Albany will probably get to see some of the ECHL crop during the Rats' two-game exhibition series with the Adirondack Phantoms. The Rats play the Phantoms in Glens Falls on September 25th and again at home on September 26th.

Nick Dodge has put up a new blog entry.