Dwyer's fire raising Canes

Former Albany captain Pat Dwyer is the centerpiece of an excellent article in his hometown newspaper the Great Falls Tribune. 

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.

Return of the roster shuffle

With goaltender Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes still sidelined with back issues, Rats' netminder Justin Peters will be returning to Raleigh by week's end. Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the story.

Injured Canes' forwards Erik Cole, Scott Walker and Chad LaRose are all expected be on the ice when the NHL starts back up next week. Barring any trades, Carolina will have one extra forward, including Albany captain Pat Dwyer. Forwards Zach Boychuk and Steven Goertzen were reassigned prior to the Olympic break.

Recently acquired defenseman Alexandre Picard joined the Hurricanes at practice yesterday, giving the parent club seven defenseman, including Rats' alternate captain Brett Carson.

Canes trade Cullen

The Carolina Hurricanes yesterday traded forward Matt Cullen to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a second round draft pick in 2010.

The trade gives the Canes an extra defenseman and may result in the reassignment of Albany alternate captain Brett Carson.

The move also means rookie Zach Boychuk will be spending some extra time in the NHL, as three Carolina forwards remain sidelined with injuries. Boychuk was recalled last night immediately after the Rats' 5-2 loss to the Hershey Bears.

Albany captain Pat Dwyer, checking forward Steven Goertzen and goaltender Justin Peters also remain with the big club.

The Rats will be offered some support and rare stability over the next two weeks as the NHL breaks for the Olympics. Reinforcements will likely be sent down in time for Monday afternoon's home game against the Norfolk Admirals.

The Rats will be short one skater tonight against the Binghamton Senators.

News & Notes

• The Carolina Hurricanes next season will move their AHL affiliate to Charlotte, North Carolina. Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer says "it's a go." The River Rats will need to find a new parent club to continue operations in 2010-2011. 

• Defenseman Casey Borer has been cleared for game action and may return as early as tomorrow night. Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the news.

• Coach Jeff Daniels, defenseman Bryan Rodney and goaltender Justin Peters chat with Bill Cain at the Schenectady Daily Gazette about preparing for the second half of the season. 

• Permanent NHL spots could soon be available for Pat Dwyer, Jiri Tlusty and Brett Carson. Paul Branecky at Tracking the Storm says trades are in the works. 
  

Future may be now for Canes

Good article on the call-ups in Carolina today in the Raleigh News & Observer. 

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.
  

Dwyer nets game-winner for Canes

Pat Dwyer last night netted the game-winning goal for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-2 road victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

With the contest tied late in the third period, the Albany captain cycled the puck down low to Jiri Tlusty, who brought it back to the point for Joni Pitkanen. Dwyer cut across the net just as Pitkanen was shooting and redirected the puck in mid-air with precision.

Dwyer, who was recalled to Carolina on December 15, now has three goals and two assists in 21 games with the Hurricanes this season. Linemate Jiri Tlusty has a goal and three assists after nine games.

Dwyer and Tlusty each stand a chance of earning a permanent spot with the big club should space soon open up.

Brandon Sutter, who made the team earlier this season, also scored last night, driving home a rebound in the second period to tie the game at 2-2.

The Hurricanes have won three in a row and are now only four points shy of pulling out of last place in the Eastern Conference, largely thanks to the efforts of players recalled from Albany. 

Watch highlights of last night's game here. 

Rats lead Canes to victory

Albany alumni yesterday led the Carolina Hurricanes to a decisive 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. 

Defenseman Brett Carson picked up his first NHL goal, while Brandon Sutter, Pat Dwyer, and Jiri Tlusty earned an assist each, helping the Canes to their second straight win. 

Brandon Sutter started things off for Carolina in the second period by dishing a near-perfect pass directly in front of the net to Tom Kostopoulos. The goal squashed the Senators' momentum, as it came just 40 seconds after Ottawa had taken a 1-0 lead.

Sutter now has 17 points (10 G, 7 A) in 35 games since earning a full-time NHL spot earlier this season. 

Later in the second, Jiri Tlusty made a play to Pat Dwyer, who then set up veteran captain Rod Brind'Amour for a one-timer that turned out to be the game-winner.

Tlusty now has a goal and two assists after eight games with the Canes this year, while Dwyer has two goals and two assists in 19 games. 

Carolina took a 3-1 lead in the third on a Brett Carson point shot that found its way through traffic to give the well-rounded blueliner his first NHL tally.

Carson now has a goal and three assists in 16 contests with the Canes this season.

Watch highlights from the game here. 

Dwyer, Rodney recalled

Pat Dwyer, Bryan Rodney

(Photo by Jennifer Bock)

The Carolina Hurricanes today recalled forward Pat Dwyer and defenseman Bryan Rodney from the Albany River Rats. 

Hurricanes' forwards Erik Cole and Chad LaRose remain on injured reserve and Sergei Samsonov is now listed as day-to-day with a lower-body complication. 

Defenseman Joe Corvo, who is out with a severed achilles tendon, is now accompanied on the sidelines by blueliners Niclas Wallin, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and Tim Gleason, who took a puck in the face Friday night in Washington. 

Dwyer and Rodney join Brett Carson and Jay Harrison, both of whom were recalled from Albany last Sunday, as well as center Brandon Sutter, who earned a spot on the NHL roster earlier this season. 

This is the third call-up of the year for Dwyer, who just returned to Albany on Sunday after playing for Carolina the previous two nights. In eight total contests with the Canes this season, Dwyer averaged 11:58 of ice-time and performed admirably on the penalty killing unit. 

Rodney, entering his fourth NHL stint of the year, notched two assists and averaged 18:27 of ice-time in seven games during his previous assignments. He was applauded for moving the puck well and holding down the point on the power play.

The call-up of Rodney leaves the River Rats with just five defenseman.

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. 

Dwyer, Tlusty reassigned

Captain Pat Dwyer and newly acquired forward Jiri Tlusty are back with the Rats. Tracking the Storm has the news. 

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.

Rats taking nothing for granted

The River Rats may have four consecutive wins under their belt, but the team is taking nothing for granted. Coach Jeff Daniels, captain Pat Dwyer and goaltender Justin Peters talk with Bill Cain at the Schenectady Daily Gazette.

Dwyer reassigned

The Carolina Hurricanes today reassigned Pat Dwyer to the River Rats. 

Albany's top goal-scorer and respected captain was recalled on November 19 after a string of injuries left the Canes without a complete line-up.

Dwyer played six games with Carolina, averaging 10:53 of ice-time and filling in on the penalty killing unit. 

Dwyer nearly scored on November 28, but the net was knocked off a fraction of a second before he put the puck over the line.

Rodney returns, again

The Carolina Hurricanes today reassigned defenseman Bryan Rodney to the River Rats. 

Rodney was recalled for the second time this season on November 25th. He played one game this time around, registering over 20 minutes of ice-time, four shots on goal and an even plus/minus rating. 

Rodney was filling in for injured Canes' D-man Joni Pitkanen, who is expected to be back in the line-up tonight.

Albany captain Pat Dwyer remains in Raleigh, as forward Chad LaRose has been sidelined with a lower-body injury. 

Forward Scott Walker, who has been out with an upper-body injury since November 15, participated today at the team's morning skate. Goaltender Cam Ward was also briefly on the ice.

Rodney called back up

Defenseman Bryan Rodney today was called back up to the Carolina Hurricanes to fill in for the injury-prone Joni Pitkanen. 

Pitkanen left the Canes' game last night in Raleigh with an upper-body condition. He has been in and out of the line-up since the start of the season.

Rodney was reassigned to the River Rats from Carolina just last Friday, but skated in only two contests before getting the call once again.  

Albany captain Pat Dwyer, who was called up to the Hurricanes on November 19, may soon be reassigned. 

Dwyer was a healthy scratch last night as Carolina forward Tuomo Ruutu returned after missing one game. 

Star forward Eric Staal, who sat out 10 games with an upper-body injury, registered over 20 minutes of ice-time in his second game back.

The Hurricanes blew a 4-1 lead to the Atlanta Thrashers, losing 6-4 after allowing five unanswered goals in the third period.

Canes recall Pat Dwyer

The injury-plagued Carolina Hurricanes today recalled Albany's respected captain and top goal-scorer Pat Dwyer.

Dwyer will likely remain with the Canes until star forward Eric Staal recovers from an upper-body injury. Coach Paul Maurice told the Raleigh News & Observer that Staal may return as early as next week. 

In similar news, goaltender Justin Peters will remain with Carolina for an indefinite amount of time. Canes' netminder Michael Leighton, who suffered a groin injury on Tuesday, is listed as "week-to-week." Top goalie Cam Ward, who was cut by a skate blade on November 7, is hoping to return to action on December 5th.  

The Hurricanes play tonight at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Canes to take another?

Be on the lookout today for news of another call-up. Jim Rutherford, General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, tells the Raleigh News & Observer that his club is considering recalling either Jerome Samson or Pat Dwyer. 

News & Notes

• The River Rats' busy schedule continues with three games in four days. Albany will skate at home tonight against Syracuse, in Manchester on Friday and at Binghamton on Saturday. The Rats dropped the first contest against each team, so they should be thirsty for revenge. The standings are also a concern. The Rats fell to fourth place last night after Norfolk picked up two points against Portland. Read the Rats' weekly recap for more.

• The Rats limped home from Springfield on Sunday, but the tough loss to the Falcons only provided inspiration for the coming week. The team held a spirited practice yesterday, full of heavy skating, on-ice chatter and even a few hits. Albany worked hard on improving special teams and the quality of their scoring chances. Hopefully it will pay off. Look for the Rats to come out aggressive tonight. The Schenectady Daily Gazette has more from practice.

• It is no secret. Pat Dwyer was named captain because he leads by example. Now in his fourth year with the River Rats, Dwyer is arguably Albany's most valuable player. He serves as a role model for the rest of the team, giving everything he has on every shift. Dwyer is featured today in the Albany Times Union.

• Rookie forward Drayson Bowman, who sat out the last three games with a chest injury, will not play tonight or this weekend. He will be sorely missed. Bad info!!! 

• The injury woes of the Carolina Hurricanes continue. Goaltender Michael Leighton left last night's game against Montreal with a lower-body complication, likely a groin pull. It was Leighton's second start since Cam Ward was curbed with a laceration on his leg. Eric Staal, Scott Walker and Joni Pitkanen also remain sidelined. Carolina's next game is on Thursday. If Leighton is unable to dress, Justin Peters could be on the way up. 

• Brandon Sutter and Bryan Rodney continue to shine in Raleigh. Sutter has five goals and three assists in 11 games. Rodney has two assists in 4 games. Both are skating extended minutes and getting time on the power play. Rodney was even included in the shootout line-up last night in Montreal. Read more about their stellar performances at the Raleigh News & Observer, Canes Country and Tracking the Storm.

• Players on standby in the ECHL are stacking up impressive numbers. Jacob MicFlikier has an unbelievable 22 points (7 G, 15 A) in 10 games. Rob Hennigar has 21 points (7 G, 14 A) in 14 games. Goaltender Mike Morrison has a solid GAA of 2.79 and a SV% of .903 after 10 games. The way things are going, their services may soon be required in Albany.