BY: Gerry Cantlon, Special to Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – For the Connecticut Whale there’s just two games left in the 76 regular season schedule and those two games are going to be the difference between early vacation or participating in playoff hockey.
You can use every sports cliché known to man and they would probably all apply as the Whale travel to Albany for a tilt tomorrow night at 7pm with the Devils in what can be clearly be stated as a MUST win game. Continue reading
Posted in AHL, College Hockey, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, ECHL, Greenville Road Warriors, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports
Tagged AHL, American Hockey League, Cameron Talbot, ConnecticutWhale, Ken Gernander, Niklas Svedberg, Providence Bruins, Ranger, Scott Stajcer, Stu Bickel, Svedberg, Whale
VERSUS 
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Special to Howlings
SPRINGFIELD, MA – This was as bitter a pill as one could swallow.
The Connecticut Whale lost 4-3 in the final minute of regulation to the Springfield Falcons which took control of their post season destiny and placed it in the hands of the teams they have been battling with when they play their last two games of the regular season next weekend.
The Whale (35-20-6-3, 79 points) are still perched in the eighth spot in the conference, but have lost four in a row and got just a single point in Saturday’s OT loss to Adirondack out of a possible six on the weekend and watched the Norfolk Admirals jump ahead of them to the seventh spot. The Admirals have two more wins as well as a crucial game-in-hand. Right behind the Whale are the Manchester Monarchs in ninth spot with 79 points, the same as Hershey, but the Monarchs have one more win than the Bears. Each of those teams also holds a game-in-hand on the Whale. Continue reading
BY: The New York Rangers
NEW YORK, March 24, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned defenseman Stu Bickel to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Bickel, 26, has skated in 16 games with the Rangers this season. He registered season-highs with four hits and two shots on goal on February 21 at Ottawa, and was credited with a season-high, three blocked shots in the home opener on January 20 against Pittsburgh. Bickel made his season debut in the Blueshirts’ season opener on January 19 at Boston. Continue reading
Getting you up-to-date on some action going on roster-wise out of New York, the Rangers put Jeff Halpern on waivers yesterday and he was claimed today by Montreal.
In other waiver news, the Blueshirts have put defenseman Stu Bickel on the wire as well. Bickel is in the first year of a two year $1.5M deal. It’s unclear whether or not another team will pick him up. Everyone will know on that front by noon tomorrow. Continue reading
BY: Mitch Beck, Publisher – Howlings
According to the AHL Transactions Page, the New York Rangers have recalled Michael Haley from the Connecticut Whale.
It could be for one of several reasons.
a) The Rangers are unsure of Brad Richards
b) The Rangers are not comfortable with Stu Bickel remaining at forward
c) The Rangers want extra toughness in the lineups against the Flyers who, as you know, are wont to a physical (i.e. dirty) style of play.
Here is the official release:
RANGERS RECALL FORWARD MICHEAL HALEY
NEW YORK, March 5, 2013 –New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has recalled forward Micheal Haley from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Haley, 26, notched a goal in Connecticut’s 3-2 win on Sunday at Bridgeport. He has registered nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points, along with 158 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating in 56 games with the Whale this season. He ranks fifth in the AHL with 18 fighting majors. He also leads the team and ranks 11th in the league in penalty minutes, and is tied for seventh on the Whale in goals. Haley has recorded four multi-point efforts, including a two-goal performance on February 10 at St. John’s. He tallied two assists on February 15 against Portland, establishing a career-high for assists in a single season with his 11th assist of the season. Haley registered 11 points in an 11-game span from January 23 against Adirondack to February 17 against Manchester, tallying five goals and six assists over the span.
The 5-10, 204-pounder has skated in 303 career AHL games in six seasons with Connecticut and Bridgeport, registering 49 goals and 45 assists for 94 points, along with 797 penalty minutes. He established AHL career-highs in goals (15), points (25) and shots on goal (101) last season with Bridgeport. Haley notched the game-winning goal while making his AHL debut on December 8, 2007, at Springfield.
The Guelph, Ontario native has also skated in 43 career NHL contests over three seasons with the New York Islanders, registering two goals and one assist, along with 151 penalty minutes. He registered his first career NHL point with a goal on February 11, 2011, against Pittsburgh, and made his NHL debut on April 10, 2010, at New Jersey. Haley was signed by the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 2012. He was originally signed by the Islanders as an undrafted free agent on May 19, 2008.
BY: Adam Gavriel
It’s no secret that the New York Rangers season came to an end earlier than expected last season due to the lack of depth that the team had. Throughout the course of the playoffs John Tortorella found himself sending Stu Bickel on the ice less and less, and relying more and more heavily on the top guys, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, and Marc Staal.
In the Rangers final loss of the season, Game 6 in overtime against the rival New Jersey Devils, Steve Eminger played just 2:06 causing McDonagh to log over 28 minutes that night. This same problem was notable in the forward corps as well with Mike Rupp, Chris Kreider, Brian Boyle, and Brandon Prust all logging under 11 minutes that night. Continue reading
BY: BRUCE BERLET, Special to Howlings
There was plenty of comings and goings with the New York Rangers and Connecticut Whale on Sunday in the first day of free agent signings.
While the Rangers re-signed Whale center Kris Newbury, former Whale defenseman Stu Bickel and signed rugged free agent forwards Arron Asham and Michael Haley, AHL All-Star wing Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and goalie Chad Johnson joined the Columbus Blue Jackets and Phoenix Coyotes organizations.
And Rangers rugged wings Brandon Prust and John Scott left Broadway for the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, and forward John Mitchell, recalled from the Whale on Nov. 23, signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado also signed former Hartford Wolf Pack All-Star wing P.A. Parenteau to a four-year, $16 million deal after he spent the past two seasons with the New York Islanders. Continue reading
Mitch Beck was a standup comedian and radio personality for over 25 years. His passion for hockey started with Team USA in 1980 when they defeated the Soviets at Lake Placid. He is now self-employed and has been reporting on the New York Rangers, and exclusively on the Hartford Wolf Pack / Connecticut Whale since 2005.
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