Rangers Daily: Rookie camp opens; Sidney Crosby wants to remain with Penguins, at least for now
It’s time for the New York Rangers’ rookies to show what they can do.
Summer ends Wednesday for 22 hopefuls when they report to rookie camp. The 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders will go through their paces for two days of workouts before back-to-back games against the Philadelphia Flyers’ rookies on Friday and Saturday in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The veterans report next week, and the first of six preseason games is against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Sept. 21.
The biggest name on the ice figures to be forward Gabe Perreault, the Rangers’ first-round draft pick in 2023 (No. 23 overall) who’s generally regarded as their top prospect. The son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault was a star during his two seasons at Boston College, but was scoreless in five games with the Rangers after signing with them following the NCAA Tournament.
Other players who hope to parlay a solid rookie camp into a role with the Rangers include forward Brennan Othmann, New York’s first-round pick (No. 16) in 2021, and defenseman Scott Morrow, who was acquired in the trade that sent defenseman K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Fourteen of the 22 players attending rookie camp were drafted by the Rangers. The roster also includes several “veterans” of rookie camp who played with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season, like forwards Dylan Roobroeck, Adam Sykora, Bryce McConnell-Barker, and Jaroslav Chmelar.
Here’s the roster and camp schedule. Note that prospects such as forward Malcolm Spence, the Rangers’ first pick in the 2025 draft, and defensemen EJ Emery and Drew Fortescue are already back at school for the fall semester and are ineligible to attend.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Our Jim Cerny looks at five players to watch at rookie camp who aren’t named Gabe Perreault or Brennan Othmann.
Brett Berard is healthy again, and Sportsology’s Russ Cohen told our RINK RAP podcast this week that he expects the 23-year-old fifth-rounder from the 2020 draft to make the team. He wasn’t nearly so optimistic about Othmann’s chances.
NHL news and rumors
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Sidney Crosby grew up in Nova Scotia rooting for the Montreal Canadiens, so he understands that Habs fans want to see No. 87 in bleu, blanc et rouge. “I get it,” Crosby said during the annual NHL Player Media Tour. “Trust me, growing up a Montreal fan and being from not too far from there, I understand how passionate they are.” As Sid the (no longer a) Kid prepares for his 21st NHL season, he said still sees himself as a Pittsburgh Penguin for life. But could that change if the Pens miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season? “I haven’t seriously considered anything else,” he said.
ESPN: Is the NHL getting ready for another go-round in Atlanta. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN that the League met with multiple groups in July who are seeking to make Atlanta the league’s 33rd team. However, he said the NHL needs a “fully baked plan” from an ownership group in Atlanta before having its board of governors consider bringing an expansion team to the city. The NHL is 0-for-2 in Georgia after the failures of the Atlanta (now Calgary) Flames and the Atlanta Thrashers, who became the Winnipeg Jets in the summer of 2011.
NHL.com: Connor Bedard says contract talks with the Chicago Blackhawks are going well. The 20-year-old center is entering the final season of his three-year, entry-level contract and can become a restricted free agent July 1. “It’s nothing crazy,” he said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Tuesday. “We’re both comfortable with where we’re at.”
NHL.com: Daly also told NHL.com that the League is moving closer to finalizing details for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, with the intention of having decisions made early next year. He said at least two-thirds of NHL cities have expressed an interest in hosting the World Cup, and that the League has received interest from close to 20 European cities.
The Associated Press: The NHL and the Players Association will contribute $4 million annually to the newly established Retired Players Emergency Healthcare and Wellness Fund. NHL Alumni Association president and executive director Glenn Healy, Mike Richter’s backup on the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning Rangers, said the plan provides access to a family doctor and a mental wellness professional for any player, “whether you played one shift or 10,000 games.”
