NYR News and Notes

LUNDQVIST NAMED TO TEAM SWEDEN FOR WORLD CUP

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will represent Team Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced on Wednesday.

The tournament, held in Toronto from Sept. 17 through Oct 1, will feature seven countries and one under-23 North American team.

"The goal and the mindset going into this is to win," Lundqvist told reporters after at the roster announcement at the MSG Training Center. "And I think we have the team for it. When it comes down to a couple games, obviously you need everything to work for you right away."

It will be the the 12th time in his career that Lundqvist has represented Sweden in international competition. He led Sweden to a Gold Medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.

"Overall it's a great experience to play in these tournaments," Lundqvist said. "You get together with the best players in the world. You're good enough to represent your country. it's a huge honor to be there and to wear the jersey. The best feeling, though, was in '06. To see the flag go up and hear the national anthem, I think that's what we all will try to accomplish in September."

Lundqvist was one of 16 players named to the roster on Wednesday. Lundqvist is one of two goaltenders announced, including Vancouver's Jakob Markstrom. 

The remainder of the roster will be announced no later than June 1, 2016.

Henrik Lundqvist

Mar 2 - 1:29pm by MattCalamia

FAST NOT MAKING TRIP TO PITTSBURGH

The past week has not been very kind to Rangers winger Jesper Fast. Last Friday he suffered a broken nose, facial cuts, and dental issues after being struck in the face by a puck at practice in Dallas. Though he was able to play the following afternoon against the Stars, Fast was unable to go Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets because he was stricken by the flu.

That same flu bug kept Flast out of practice on Wednesday and will keep him sidelined when the Rangers face off with the Penguins in Pittsburgh Thursday evening.

“He’s still sick,” head coach Alain Vigneault explained after practice. “This flu looks like it’s turning into a virus. He’s still day to day, but he still has a fever, and he’s not coming with us on the trip.”

Though rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath took Fast’s spot in the lineup Monday, playing forward for the first time as a professional, and skated on right wing on the fourth line again on Wednesday, Vigneault indicated that a forward would be recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack on an emergency basis for the Penguins game.

Vigneault conceded that the likely call up would be Marek Hrivik, who recently played the first four games of his NHL career after Daniel Paille was sent down to Hartford. Hrivik drew praise from his head coach during his brief stint with the Rangers, in which he was a +2, picked up an assist, and provided much speed, physicality, and junmp to the team’s fourth line.

“Hartford is playing and I know Jeff (Gorton) is going to see them tonight,” explained Vigneault. “We’re going to be calling someone up on an emergency since we only have 11 healthy forwards right now. We’ll make the decision after Jeff watches the game.”

****************************

The Rangers forward line combinations Wednesday at practice were as follows:

Kreider-Stepan-Zuccarello

Miller-Brassard-Stalberg

Lindberg-E. Staal-Hayes

Glass-Moore-McIlrath

Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com