Peters, Boychuk and Goertzen returned

With the NHL entering a two-week break for the Olympics, the Carolina Hurricanes today reassigned goaltender Justin Peters and forwards Zach Boychuk and Steven Goertzen to the Albany River Rats. 

Peters is coming off the first two NHL starts of his career after being recalled on February 5th. He earned two wins, a 1.51 GAA, .950 SV%, and a fair share of praise from his coaches, teammates, fans and the local press. 

In 34 games with the River Rats this season, Peters has a record of 18-13-2, with one shutout, a 2.55 GAA and .916 SV%.

The return of Peters gives the Rats three goaltenders and will likely result in the reassignment of veteran Mike Morrison to the ECHL.

Zach Boychuk, who was recalled on Friday night, picked up his first NHL goal on Saturday against the legendary Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. Boychuk now has a goal and three assists in 12 games with the Hurricanes this season. 

Boychuk ranks among the AHL's top rookies and is one of the Rats' leading scorers with 27 points (21 G, 22 A) in 43 games.

Gritty checking forward Steven Goertzen returns to Albany after spending six games with the Canes. He was recalled on February 2 and dropped the gloves Tuesday night with Bryan Allen of the Florida Panthers.

The reassignment of Boychuk and Goertzen gives the Rats 13 healthy forwards as the team prepares for Monday's important divisional match-up against the Norfolk Admirals. 

The Rats may reassign a skater to the Florida Everblades by tomorrow.

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 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.
  

Goertzen called up

The Carolina Hurricanes today recalled forward Steven Goertzen from the Albany River Rats.

Goertzen will fill in for Canes' forward Chad LaRose, who suffered an upper-body injury Saturday night and did not accompany the team this week on a four-game road trip. 

Goertzen, an energy player who was picked up as a free agent during the offseason, will make his first appearance with the Canes tomorrow night in Calgary against the Flames. 

Goertzen has six goals, seven assists and a plus-1 rating in 45 contests with the River Rats this season. He has 33 penalty minutes, including three fighting majors. 

Goertzen has 62 games of NHL experience with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Phoenix Coyotes. 

The call-up leaves the River Rats with just 10 healthy forwards.

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.
  

Goertzen returns; Rats have an extra

Now that energy forward Steven Goertzen has returned to action, the Rats actually have a spare player. The Albany Times Union has more.

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.

Weekend news & notes

Friday post-game coverage:

• Salak, Rochester defeat Rats 2-1, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Missed chances hurt Rats, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Rodney's stick, PK streak broken, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats comeback bid falls short, Troy Record
• River Rats offense stymied by Amerks' Salak, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

Saturday post-game coverage:

• Video highlights, AHLLive.com
• Rats edge Phantoms 3-2, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats win crowd pleaser, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Goertzen sidelined, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats can be both pretty and ugly, Albany Times Union
• Micflikier doesn't waste any time after joining River Rats, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

Sunday post-game coverage:

• Rats' penalty-killing stumbles in loss at Bridgeport, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats fall in Bridgeport 4-1, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

More news:

• River Rats weekly, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Hurricanes recall Sutter, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats recall Micflickier, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Hurricanes organizational depth analysis, Fall 2009, Hockey's Future
  
• Murphy's Mailbag Episode Two, AlbanyRiverRats.com, YouTube
• Canes place Yelle on waivers, Raleigh News & Observer

Notes:

• Brandon Sutter was called up to Carolina Saturday after the Canes' Tuomo Ruutu was suspended for three games by the NHL for a hit on Darcy Tucker of the Colorado Avalanche. Sutter centered the Hurricanes' third line and played a regular shift in his first NHL appearance of the season on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. Sutter will likely play for the Canes again on Wednesday and next Saturday. 

• Sutter may never be coming back, even after Ruutu returns. The Hurricanes placed fourth-line center Stephane Yelle on waivers. Yelle's ice-time has been limited and now he could be on the way out the door. That would open up a permanent space for Sutter on the NHL roster.

• Steven Goertzen suffered a concussion Friday night against Rochester. He did not play Saturday or Sunday. His status for next weekend is questionable. He was playing fantastic up until the injury. 

• The Rats called up Jacob MicFlickier from the ECHL's Florida Everblades on Saturday. MicFlikier, who was signed by the Rats during the offseason, is currently the Blades' top scorer with two goals and three assists after four games. He attended the Rats' training camp and skated well during the preseason. He did not arrive at the Times Union Center in time for warm-ups on Saturday, but was on the bench when the puck dropped. MicFlickier scored a goal against the Phantoms 13:49 into the first period. Watch it here.

• The Rats collected only two of six possible points over the weekend. It was undoubtedly a tiring and mostly disappointing three-day stretch. But all things considered, the Rats played solid. Not perfect, but solid. When the chips were down, they never gave up. They pushed Friday night's game to the last seconds, and despite being down 4-1 on Sunday they showed true spirit and poured on the pressure late in the game. The team is showing character and several players are stepping up in the wake of injuries and call-ups. 

• Justin Peters continues to play phenomenal hockey. His ability to stay focused under pressure is most impressive. His puck-handling skills are also much improved. After six games, Peters has registered four wins, a GAA of 2.33 and a SV% of .923. He has been named a star-of-the-game in three of his six contests. 

• Captain Pat Dwyer is playing as passionate as ever. You can tell he takes the role of captain very seriously. He is always coming through when it counts. His hunger for the puck gets the whole team going. He is possibly the Rats' most valuable player. 

• There is little doubt Zach Boychuk will be a future NHL star. He is the pure definition of raw talent. He is always moving his legs, creating opportunities and drawing penalties. His game-winner against Adirondack was an absolute beauty. He's a natural. 

• After six home games, Zack FitzGerald is already a fan favorite. His physical style of play is a valued commodity for the Rats' young and undersized club. The opposition fears his presence. He was punishing the Phantoms all night on Saturday. If anyone is fired up for the rivalry, it's him.  

• There is no telling where the Rats would be without the services of Jonathan Paiement. His willingness to block shots has been invaluable.

• Attendance at the Times Union Center has been less than spectacular. In six games, the Rats have averaged 3,332 people a contest. Only four AHL teams are drawing smaller crowds. Adirondack is in the middle of the pack with an average attendance of 4,238. Time to step it up Albany!

• The East Division is extremely tight. Less than four points separate the first and last place teams. Albany and Hershey are tied with 10 points. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Adirondack have nine a piece (the Penguins have two games in hand, the Phantoms have one). Binghamton and Syracuse have eight points each. Norfolk has six with a game in hand.

Goertzen doesn't need title

Veteran Steven Goertzen doesn't need a letter stitched to his sweater to be a team leader. The Albany Times Union has the story. 

Rats outrank Admirals, 3-1

Post-game coverage:

• River Rats sink Admirals 3-1, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Hard work spurs rally, Albany Times Union
• This year numbers favor the Rats, Albany Times Union
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Blanchard may face suspension, Albany Times Union
• Hat trick for Rats, Troy Record
• Man down? No problem for the Albany River Rats, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Scoresheet, AHL.com

Update: Technical difficulties slowed us down today. Our apologies. 

See clips of the goals by Goertzen and Chaput. Don't get your hopes up for a shot of the hit by Blanchard. Looks like the cameras missed it.

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 get a little bigger; Samson hopes injuries are behind him

Steven Goertzen and Zack Fitzgerald will likely bring size and toughness to the River Rats line-up. Jerome Samson hopes to be healthy for the whole season. The Albany Times Union has both stories.

Canes Add More Depth, Sign Goertzen

The Carolina Hurricanes' latest signing Steven Goertzen (left) will likely see time in Albany next season
(Photo Reuters)

The Hurricanes continue to add depth within their organization, announcing today the signing of "gritty" 6-foot-2, 216-pound winger Steven Goertzen to a two-way contract.

“Steven adds needed size and grit to our organization’s group of forwards,” said Hurricanes' VP and Assistant GM Jason Karmanos, according to the team's press release. “He is an experienced depth player who will help Albany, and also can contribute at the NHL level.”

Goertzen, 25, is known for being a solid checking forward. He throws his weight around, plays a strong defensive game, kills penalties, and drops his gloves when necessary. With a total of 62 NHL and 317 AHL games under his belt, he also brings experience.

A 2002 seventh round Columbus draft pick, Goertzen began his professional career in 2004 with the Syracuse Crunch. The native of Stony Plain, Alberta, has been bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL ever since.

In 317 AHL contests, Goertzen has accumulated 34 goals, 42 assists and 514 penalty minutes.

Two seasons ago Goertzen was picked up by the Phoenix Coyotes and subsequently assigned to their AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage. Last year he was called up to the Coyotes for 16 games, earning two goals, two assists and 24 minutes in the box.