News & Notes

• The first three inductees to the River Rats' new Hall of Fame have been announced. The honors go the Geordie Kinnear, Steve Sullivan and the late John Cunniff. Read more at the team's website and the Albany Times Union. 

• Pat Dwyer is the focus of a nice story by Chip Alexander at the Raleigh News & Observer.

• The Rats have been quite busy around the community, visiting schools, hospitals, hockey rinks and other locations around the Capital District. Check out some photos here. Mike Murphy and Jamie McBain will be signing autographs tomorrow at 4 pm at the Half Moon Mobile Mart on Guideboard Road in Clifton Park. 

• Forward Michael Ryan, who was injured in a game on New Years Eve, will still be out this weekend. Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has the story. Defenseman Jonathan Paiement may have to continue playing up front if the Rats do not soon receive reinforcements. 

• Six former River Rats will again be in the line-up for the Carolina Hurricanes tonight as the team faces off against the Red Wings in Detroit. There were hopes earlier in the week that injured forwards Chad LaRose, Erik Cole and Sergei Samsonov would be able play, but coach Paul Maurice now says all three are "a ways away" from returning. The Raleigh News & Observer has the story. 

• The AHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition will be televised next week live on Time Warner Cable 3. The skills contest will air Monday at 8 pm and the game will be on Tuesday at 6 pm. A full listing of air-dates and locations is available here.
  

Cavosie released; Canes lose Ruutu

The Albany River Rats today released forward Marc Cavosie from his professional tryout contract, while the Carolina Hurricanes announced that forward Tuomo Ruutu will be sidelined for about two weeks with an injury sustained last night in a fight with Darcy Tucker. 

Cavosie, a Cohoes native and former RPI star, was in town for two games and picked up an assist on Wednesday setting up Mike Angelidis for a goal against Adirondack. Cavosie will head back to the Reading Royals of the ECHL.

The release of Cavosie raises questions about the availability of forwards for tonight's home game against Hartford. 

Even with the temporary signing of Cavosie, the Rats had been short one forward and were forced to skate defenseman Jonathan Paiement at left wing. 

Unless injured players Michael Ryan and Brad Herauf are both ready to go, the River Rats will again be short up front.

The Carolina Hurricanes currently have six former River Rats on the NHL roster, including forwards Brandon Sutter, Pat Dwyer, Zach Boychuk, Jiri Tlusty, Jerome Samson and defenseman Brett Carson. The injury to Ruutu will likely extend the stay of one of the forwards. 

Eric Staal, who was given a leave of absence following the death of his sister-in-law, may be available for the Canes' next game tomorrow, but if not, Carolina will need yet another player. Tim Conboy, who usually skates up front with the Hurricanes, is a likely candidate. 

The Rats will have five days off after tonight's contest, providing some breathing room and recuperation time for players at all levels. 

Ryan needed lots of patience

Michael Ryan talks with Bill Cain at the Schenectady Daily Gazette about his long wait on the sidelines.

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. 

Michael Ryan ready to play

After missing more than two months due to a preseason concussion, forward Michael Ryan is ready for game action. 

The Carolina Hurricanes yesterday placed Ryan on waivers, meaning team doctors have cleared him to play.

Coach Jeff Daniels said last week he hoped to bring Ryan into the fold for tonight's game in Lowell, but nows says he will wait until next weekend. 

Injured during an NHL exhibition game in September, Ryan has been practicing with the River Rats since October, but is still technically with the Hurricanes, as league rules prevent injured players from being reassigned. 

If Ryan clears waivers, he will be eligible for official reassignment today at noon. 

Ryan, along with injured forward Drayson Bowman, plan on returning December 26 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Both are taking an extra week of rest as a precautionary measure. 

Last season Ryan skated in 40 games with the Rats, scoring 25 goals and 17 assists for 42 points. He also played 18 games with the Canes, landing two assists. 

Ryan joined the organization last October and re-signed with Carolina this summer on a one-year, two-way deal. He spent the previous five seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans, skating in a total of 261 AHL and 83 NHL games.

Ryan, Bowman on the way

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the latest on injured forwards Michael Ryan and Drayson Bowman. 

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.
  

Injured Rats getting better

Steven Goertzen, who suffered a concussion last Friday, was back on the ice today practicing with the team. He wore a yellow no-contact jersey. Goertzen will probably miss both games this weekend and shoot for a return next week. 

Brett Carson, Mike Angelidis and Michael Ryan were also on the ice today. All have been practicing in yellow for about a week. Coach Jeff Daniels said he expects all three to return to action by mid-November. 

The Albany Times Union has more.

Michael Ryan skating with Rats

Michael Ryan, who suffered a concussion in a preseason game with the Carolina Hurricanes about a month ago, is back in Albany and skating with the River Rats. League rules do not allow an injured player to be officially reassigned until they are cleared to play, but Ryan is practicing lightly with the team in preparation for his return. Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the news.

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.
  

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. 

News & Notes

• Forward Michael Ryan, who reportedly suffered a concussion in an NHL preseason game last Monday, is still not skating. Ryan, who was a leader for Albany last season, is one of the only remaining two-way players on the Carolina Hurricanes roster. The other is defenseman Jay Harrison.

• Carolina D-man Joni Pitkanen, who underwent knee surgery on September 10, is back at practice and playing alongside Aaron Ward. As a result, Jay Harrison has been bumped back to the seventh defensive slot. Pitkanen remains questionable for full competition, so Harrison could still play in the Canes' home opener Friday.

• Trevor Gillies is impressing folks at training camp in Rochester. The former Albany fan-favorite could soon be an enemy with the Amerks. 

• Ryan McGinnis and Aaron Clarke, who both played for the River Rats towards the end of last season, have been released from training camp with the Adirondack Phantoms. They have ECHL teams waiting on them. McGinnis will report to the Kalamazoo Wings. Clarke will go to the Wheeling Nailers.

• Former River Rat Ryan Bayda earned a two-way deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is on course to make the NHL roster...or not (update)...Bayda was sent down to Wilkes-Barre on September 30.
  

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.

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.

Ryan fighting for spot

Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer has a piece on Michael Ryan. Good story, but no details on last night's injury. Expect something on that later today.

Rodney, Sutter score; Ryan injured in loss

The Carolina Hurricanes dropped their second preseason game tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers, 4-2. Defenseman Bryan Rodney and center Brandon Sutter scored the only goals for the Hurricanes.

Confirmed: Michael Ryan suffered an upper body injury early in the first period and never returned. Still waiting for the details.

Rats included in Canes' second preseason contest

The Carolina Hurricanes will play their second preseason game tomorrow night against the Atlanta Thrashers. Several River Rats will be included in the line-up, namely Steven Goertzen, Michael Ryan, Pat Dwyer, Drayson Bowman, Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Brett Carson, Bryan Rodney and Jamie McBain. Justin Peters will back-up Michael Leighton. Tracking the Storm has more.

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.

Canes Re-Sign Michael Ryan, Pat Dwyer

Hurricanes Reach Agreements With Dwyer, Ryan

Canes re-sign three

Hurricanes Sign Ryan, Dwyer