Belated Birthday Wishes + Development Camp Begins
Yesterday, we wished young defenseman Michael Del Zotto a happy 22nd birthday. Unfortunately, we (read: I) did not realize there were TWO Rangers birthdays to celebrate on June 24th and as I was out all day, could not correct my mistake till now.
Of course she f***ing forgot about me. (Photo: Clyde/flickr)
Happy Belated Birthday Coach! Please don’t yell at me too much for not posting on your birthday 
On a side note, does anyone else find it funny that Tortorella and Del Zotto share a birthday? Probably just me but I found it ironic for some reason.
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As for other news, the Rangers annual Prospect Development Camp begins today and runs through Friday. This is the week where the poor babies drafted by the Rangers this weekend as well as picks from the last few years come to the training center and learn what it takes to make the Rangers. I’m pretty sure they go through the same drills and tests as the players do before the season which means most will be wishing 29 other teams called their names.
This years roster includes three out of the four picks the Rangers made this year (Danish forward Thomas Spelling will not be in attendance) as well as the top picks from the last two years. Per the Rangers website, here is the complete roster of players attending who are currently in the Rangers system:
| 2012 New York Rangers Prospect Development Camp Roster | |||||
| Player | POS. | HT | WT | DOB | 2011-12 Team (League) |
| Calle Andersson | D | 6-2 | 211 | 5/16/94 | Karlstad Jr. (Sweden U-20) |
| Peter Ceresnak | D | 6-3 | 209 | 1/26/93 | Peterborough (OHL) |
| Jesper Fast | RW | 5-11 | 176 | 12/22/91 | Jonkoping HV-71 (Sweden) |
| Marek Hrivik | LW | 6-1 | 197 | 8/28/91 | Moncton (QMJHL), Connecticut (AHL) |
| Oscar Lindberg | C | 6-0 | 190 | 10/29/91 | Skelleftea (Sweden) |
| Shane McColgan | RW | 5-9 | 165 | 1/1/93 | Kelowna (WHL), Connecticut (AHL) |
| Dylan McIlrath | D | 6-5 | 220 | 4/20/92 | Moose Jaw (WHL), Connecticut (AHL) |
| J.T. Miller | C/LW | 6-2 | 200 | 3/14/93 | Plymouth (OHL), Connecticut (AHL) |
| Jason Missiaen | G | 6-8 | 198 | 4/25/90 | Greenville (ECHL) |
| Cristoval “Boo” Nieves | C | 6-2 | 192 | 1/23/94 | Kent School (Prep), Indiana (USHL) |
| Samuel Noreau | D | 6-5 | 215 | 1/31/93 | Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) |
| Michael St. Croix | C | 5-11 | 181 | 4/10/93 | Edmonton (WHL) |
| Brady Skjei | D | 6-3 | 200 | 3/26/94 | U.S. Under-18 Team |
| Scott Stajcer | G | 6-3 | 195 | 6/14/91 | Owen Sound (OHL) |
| Christian Thomas | RW | 5-9 | 170 | 5/26/92 | Oshawa (OHL), Connecticut (AHL) |
| Andrew Yogan | C | 6-3 | 201 | 12/4/91 | Peterborough (OHL), Connecticut (AHL) |
The Rangers have also invited the following players who will fight for a chance to become a part of the system:
| Player | POS. | 2011-12 Team (League) |
| Andy Bathgate | C | Plymouth (OHL) |
| Myles Bell | D | Kelowna (WHL) |
| Brandon Devlin | D | Windsor-Barrie (OHL) |
| Luke Esposito | C | Brunswick School (Conn. Prep) |
| Ben Foster | C | Choate (Conn. Prep) |
| Dane Fox | C | Erie-London (OHL) |
| Igor Golovko | D | Chekhov (KHL) |
| Barclay Goodrow | LW | Brampton (OHL) |
| Troy Grosenick | G | Union College (ECAC) |
| Gabe Grunwald | G | Michigan-Kenai River (NAHL) |
| Kyle Hope | D | Owen Sound-Oshawa (OHL) |
| Kyle Jean | F | Lake Superior (CCHA) |
| Tomas Klima | F | Karlovy Vary (Czech Extraliga) |
| Alex Rauter | LW | Choate (Conn. Prep) |
| Nikita Zaytsev | D | Novosibirsk (KHL) |
Why do the Rangers include these extra guys? Seven years ago, I believe some guy named Daniel Girardi was one of the extras invited. Pretty sure he hasn’t done too bad since so we might want to keep an eye on these guys to see who stands out to the Rangers brass.
Unfortunately these sessions are not open to the public but for those who want to follow what goes on, the Rangers beat writers should be in attendance throughout the week so I suggest checking in with them on twitter.
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We also should be finding out today who of the Rangers restricted free agents were tendered qualifying offers, big one being Michael Del Zotto. The full list can be found here. The deadline is 5 p.m. this evening otherwise all restricted free agents become unrestricted free agents and can be signed by anyone. My guess is these have already been sent and just haven’t made it to the media yet. Of course we’ll let you know once the list is official.
