This mans’ days with the Rangers are officially over. (Photo: CS Smith/flickr)

You know how we know the NHL season has official begun? The waiver wires are spitting out names by the dozen.

Yesterday, the Rangers placed Sean Collins, Michael Haley, Chad Kolarik, Kris Newbury, Logan Pyett, Brendon Segal, Mike Vernace, and Tommy Grant on waivers. Why, you might ask, did they put half of their AHL team on waivers? Because of a stupid little rule that said they had to.

All eight of those guys are actually on NHL contracts meaning at the start of the season, they need to be placed on waivers to be sent down to the AHL. Usually this happens in October and no one even notices. Unfortunately this year the season is starting in January meaning they technically need to be “sent” to the Whale in order to continue to play there after Friday. So basically this was a formality.

The good news is no one claimed them so the Whale roster will stay intact. The even better news is the new CBA abolished re-entry waivers which means any of these guys can still easily be called up at any time. (I’m not sure if they will have to go through waivers to be sent back down again, though.)

*UPDATE: It looks like one of those guys is leaving the Whale as according to the AHL transaction page, Brandon Segal has been recalled by the Rangers. No confirmation from either team but if he is indeed headed to NY, the recall is much deserved as he has been one of the best players for the Whale recently. (And before anyone worries what this means for the Rangers roster, they are shorthanded at forward to begin with. I wouldn’t read too much into it at the moment.)

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In other waiver news, Wade Redden was placed on waivers today in order to be bought out. After the Rangers stated that they planned to pay Redden to sit at home and the Canadiens decided to do the same thing with Scott Gomez, the NHL and NHLPA got together and worked out an agreement to allow teams to use one of their two compliance buyouts before the season begins. Originally those buyouts were only supposed to be used either this summer or next summer.

The new provision states that teams can only use one and the player it is to be used on has to be making more than $3 million a season as well as agree to the buyout. Honestly, I think the new edition to the rule should be called the “Fix Glen Sather Mistake” provision, especially since it’s only expected to be used on those two players.

To make a long story short, Redden will be bought out tomorrow after he clears waives and be allowed to sign with any team he wants. He will still get the remaining salary owed to him and the Rangers will be on the hook for his full cap for this season only. The cap isn’t an issue since the Rangers would’ve had to deal with that if he sat home so I’m glad he’s getting the chance to play.

And since I’m not sure if I’ve ever written it on here, here’s my take on Redden:

He never asked for any of this. Yes he signed the contract but if someone offered you that money, what would you do? The exact same thing he did. It didn’t work out here and for that I feel bad for him. It wasn’t that he was a horrible player. He just wasn’t a $6 million a year player. He has been amazing in Hartford the past two seasons so I really hope he gets another chance with another team and is able to end his career on a high note. I know I’ll be rooting for him.

OT loss + Shutout Win = 3 out of 4 points and a deserving stick salute! (Photo: @kaboom23/twitter)

Yes the NHL lockout is over. That doesn’t mean we are going to stop talking about the Whale. It just means our recaps may become more weekly rather than daily. (Side note: If anyone is interested in covering the Whale full-time for the site, by all means contact me.)

Speaking of the Whale, it was a pretty good weekend for the boys as they grabbed five out of a possible six points. It started on Friday as they shutout the Adirondack Phantoms at home. You can read about that game here.

Saturday nights’ rematch against the Phantoms in Adirondack didn’t go as well as but it wasn’t a total loss. Lineup for the Whale remained the same with Cam Talbot back in net. The teams combined for 42 penalty minutes, which included two fights, so it was your typical Rangers-Flyers game.

» Continue reading “Whale Gain Points In Weekend Games”

Ugh. Another one who has to bite his old team. Can the Whale stop losing players who have the ability to come back and haunt them? (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

The Whale hoped to end 2012 on the right foot by finally beating the Portland Pirates on their third try. They were well on their way to doing so when disaster struck and to that this Whale fan has one thing to say – Good riddance 2012! Hopefully 2013 will be a better year for you boys!

As for the game, no lineup changes for the Whale…but that is probably because they have no extra players to switch out as the only player on the roster not playing at the moment is Dylan McIlrath, who is serving the second game of his two-game suspension.

The Whale got the first power play of the game a little over five minutes in and while they got a few chances, they weren’t able to get one past Chad Johnson. (Yes, the same Chad Johnson who manned the Whale net last season.) Six and a half minutes later, the Whale took their first penalty. Thirty seconds later, the Pirates went back to the box leading to a minute and a half of 4-on-4 hockey.

» Continue reading “Whale Fans: Good Riddance 2012!”

Things aren’t good right now, Pucky. Can you help? The boys are desperate… (Photo: Doug Kerr/flickr)

Throughout a season teams goes through good and bad stretches. During the good, fans dream of championships. During the bad, they pray it doesn’t get too bad as they look for anyone possible to blame. Right now it is just plain ugly for the Whale. I don’t want to be one of those fans who starting trying to place blame but something has to change soon. Don’t know what but something. I know winning isn’t everything at this level but I can tell something is missing even by just listening to the games. It’s not good.

» Continue reading “Whale Lose Third Straight As Sound Tigers Sweep Home-And-Home”

The guy in blue is in the AHL right now. Being that he was going against the Rangers top defense pair last year, something tells me he shouldn’t be. Him scoring two goals in the first 7 minutes of the game tonight confirms that thought. (Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr)

Tonight the Whale were in Bridgeport for a Wednesday night game against the Sound Tigers. Unfortunately their best Wednesday night scorer the past few weeks is in Ufa, Russia at the moment. Looks like they needed him.

Couple of roster changes as Jason Missiaen returned from Greenville to backup Cam Talbot with Bryan Hince heading back down without playing a single minute. On defense, Mike Vernace replaced Logan Pyett. The forward lines remained the same.

As for the game itself, the Sound Tigers were wearing their jerseys dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. You can see pictures here. The Whale will be wearing these patches on their jerseys for the remainder of the season. To say this game had a little more meaning would be an understatement.

» Continue reading “Third Period Comeback Falls Short”

No puck, you will not go past me tonight! (Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr)

Throughout the lockout, many blogs are doing fake recaps of the games that should’ve been taking place. I’ve decided to go another route by doing real recaps…of the games that happened on that date one year ago.

After a short Christmas break, the Rangers were back in action at MSG against a team they had beat there just four days earlier. Obviously the Islanders would want revenge and while the Rangers gave them a chance to get it, The King just wouldn’t allow it.

» Continue reading “One Year Ago Today: A Shutout For The King”

I don’t care what level it is…I really hate losing to the Devils. (Photo: James DiBianco/flickr)

One thing I always noticed during a NHL season is the Rangers never tend to play well during afternoon games. It seems the Whale mirror their parent club in this aspect as their 3 pm game versus the Albany Devils can be described best in one word – flat.

I said after yesterdays’ 9-2 beating by the Monarchs that today’s game versus the Devils couldn’t be worse. I think I can stand by that even though the Whale lost but it definitely wasn’t a good game.

» Continue reading “Not A Good Weekend For The Whale”

Since I couldn’t find a picture of Miller, congrats Tessier on your first goal of the year! (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

The best thing about AHL hockey? You never know who is going to be hero or when but when you go into the third period tied, you know someone is going to be. Tonight it was a former first round draft pick playing in his rookie pro season. He couldn’t have picked a better time since the Rangers brass was in the stands watching.

First some news regarding the lineup. The opening lineup for the Whale included Cam Talbot in net, Sam Klassen and Sean Collins on defense and Kris Newbury between Chad Kolarik and…CHRIS KREIDER! Honestly the Rangers keep dodging bullets on the injury front. I’m not complaining but I’m worried at some point we won’t get this lucky. With Kreider being okay, the lineups were the same as the weekend.

» Continue reading “J.T. Miller Wins It For Whale”

I hate hearing guys getting taken off on stretchers…

There are some games in which teams make a statement. If this was a statement game for the Whale, it’s going to be a long season.

Only one roster change as Chad Kolarik was out with an injury putting Andrew Yogan back in for the first time this weekend. Kolarik did take warmups so his injury is assumed to be minor.

» Continue reading “Whale Choke Away Chance To Go Over .500″

There are some nights a team just doesn’t have it. Tonight was one of those nights’ for the Whale. Unfortunately it ended up being a record breaking one.

The first period wasn’t pretty as the ex-Whale players burned the Whale pretty good.

It started just four minutes in when Tim Erixon got his first of the season from Tomas Kubalik and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault. Then eight minutes later Audy-Marchessault got one from Erixon. Just twenty-three seconds after that it was Nick Drazenovic from Erixon. For those keeping track that’s a goal and an assist for JAM and a goal plus two assists for Erixon. Not the start the Whale wanted. Or the start Talbot wanted who unfortunately got pulled to try and change momentum (sounded like he really didn’t have a chance on any of these goals).

» Continue reading “Ex-Whale Players Burn Whale In Rout”