TRAVERSE CITY HERE WE COME… 

MSG NETWORK TELECASTING RANGER TEAM ACTION IN UPCOMING TRAVERSE CITY NHL PROSPECTS TOURNAMENT

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All of the Ranger team’s action in the upcoming Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament will be broadcast live on Madison Square Garden Network, affording local media the opportunity to obtain early highlights of a number of players likely to be major contributors on the 2011-12 Connecticut Whale squad.  The prospects tournament, which is a prelude to the opening of NHL training camps, takes place this Saturday, September 10 through September 14 in Traverse City, Michigan.

WHO/WHAT:     Connecticut Whale head coach Ken Gernander, and assistant coaches J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller, will be leading a team of New York Ranger prospects into battle against the top prospects from eight other NHL teams in the annual Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament, put on by the Detroit Red Wings in Traverse City, MI.  Madison Square Garden Network will air all four of the Ranger team’s games in the tournament live. Among the players to watch on the Rangers’ Prospects Tournament Roster, from a Connecticut Whale perspective:

• Ryan Bourque (F) – son of NHL Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, and third-round Ranger draft pick
• Tim Erixon (D) – son of long-time Ranger stalwart Jan Erixon, and first-round Calgary Flames draftee
• Carl Hagelin (F) – Swedish import saw playoff action with Whale, after finishing his college career at U. Michigan
• Blake Parlett (D) – Had 2-10-12 in 24 games with the Whale last year, after callup from Greenville of the ECHL
• Jason Missiaen (G) – Tallest goaltender in pro hockey, at 6-8, practiced with Whale last year after finishing his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season
• Andrew Yogan (F) – Notched 2-1-3 in two games with the Whale at the end of last season, out of the Ontario Hockey League
• Jyri Niemi (D) – Finnish import played 46 games with the Whale as a rookie last year
• Tommy Grant (F) – finished last season with Whale, at the end of his college year at U. Alaska-Anchorage
• Scott Stajcer (G) – Helped lead Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack to Canada’s Memorial Cup tournament last year
• Jason Wilson (F) – fifth-round 2010 draft pick from the Ontario Hockey League
• Kale Kerbashian (F) – AHL contract signee out of the Ontario Hockey League
• Lee Baldwin (D) – split last season between the Whale and Greenville of the ECHL
• Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (F) – signed to an AHL contract after leading Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in playoff scoring
• Randy McNaught (F) – bruising 6-4, 217-pounder out of the Western Hockey League

WHEN:             Ranger tournament Games are:

Saturday, September 10 vs. St. Louis – 7:00 PM faceoff                                     Sunday, September 11 vs. Dallas – 6:00 PM faceoff
Tuesday, September 23 vs. Carolina – 3:30 PM faceoff                                     Wednesday, September 14 – Placement Game – Time TBD

WHERE:           All Ranger team tournament games will be telecast live on MSG Network.