Rangers Recall Jensen, Injury Updates: Nash, Puempel, Vesey, Buchnevich

The Rangers announced that they have have recalled F Nicklas Jensen from Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL

From the Rangers release: "Jensen, 23, has skated in 21 games with the Wolf Pack this season, registering eight goals and seven assists for 15 points, along with 18 penalty minutes. He leads Hartford in shots on goal (68), is tied for the team lead in goals, ranks second on the Wolf Pack in points, and is tied for fourth on the team in assists in 2016-17. Jensen has tallied a point in each of his last three games with Hartford (two goals, two assists), and he registered two points (one goal, one assist) in his last game with the Wolf Pack on Dec. 4 at Toronto. Jensen has notched at least one point in 12 of 21 games this season."

Rick  Nash underwent an MRI today on what was described as a "tweaked groin" by Alain Vigneault last night, the team should know more about his status tomorrow.

Alain Vigneault told reporters: "Nash is getting an MRI as we speak. As we said yesterday he tweaked his groin and they are finding out exactly what the issues are. I'll have a better update on that tomorrow."

Matt Puempel has been placed on the IR due to a concussion from the cross check to the face from Islanders' Brock Nelson.

Jimmy Vesey is being listed as day to day with an upper body injury. Alain Vigneault said that Vesey will make the trip but would not confirm if he would play. On Vesey, "Jimmy hurt himself, upper body related. Would say that he is day to day at this point. He will make the trip.....and I would say that he is going to make the trip (smile)."

Vigneault on Status of injured Rookie Pavel Buchnevich,"he is continuing the process of the rehab. Right now they feel that he probably needs some more time improving his strength level until they really start gearing him up on the ice. They are working on off-ice stuff, they feel he needs more time so there is no definite timetable. The strength needs to improve before they can really push him on the ice."

Both Rick Nash and Jimmy Vesey did not participate in today's practice but Nick jensen was on the ice taking part.

Jimmy Vesey will wear #26 for the Rangers

Jimmy Vesey announced that he will wear #26 for the Rangers this season.

He said that he picked #26 because he was born on May 26th and the last time he wore #26 was in the World Juniors when he was playing with JT Miller.
Vesey added, "hopefully we can continue to win hockey games with me at #26 and him at #10."

Vesey will be the 25th New York Ranger to wear #26 in the team's history.
The previous players to wear the number are:
Sheldon Kannegiesser 1973-1974
Dave Maloney 1975-1985
Randy Heath 1985
Brian MacLellan 1986
Kjell Samuelsson 1987
Brad Maxwell 1987
Jay Caufield 1987
Ron Talakoski 1988
Kevin Miller 1989-1991
Igor Liba 1989
Troy Mallette 1990
Joe Kocur 1991-1996
David Oliver 1997
Jeff Finley 1998-1999
Mike Maneluk 1999
Tim Taylor 2000-2001
Andreas Johansson 2002
Jamie Lundmark 2003
Martin Rucinsky 2004-2006
Bryce Lampman 2007
Erik Christensen 2010-2011
Ruslan Fedotenko 2012
Martin St. Louis 2014-2015
Jarret Stoll 2016

NYR TODAY Sat 8/20: Gorton/Vesey Conference Call, Alumni Birthdays, TDINYRH

Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and newly acquired forward Jimmy Vesey spoke to the media on a conference call Friday night following the announcement of Vesey's signing. 

     Vesey said his list included eight teams, and while the decision was tough, he felt comfortable with the Rangers' pitch. "It was definitely a tough decision, but myself, my agent and my family were very impressed with the Rangers in our meeting."
    Vesey added he was impressed with Gorton, coach Alain Vigneault and particularly Chris Drury, who was added last year as director of player development. "Chris Drury was the one I was really impressed with during the meeting with the Rangers."
    Vesey said he tries to play a mix between a power and skilled forward.
    Although he tried to stay off social media all week, Vesey said he got texts from friends and family about the celebrity pitches on Twitter.
    Gorton said the Rangers had a lot to sell to Vesey, including being an Original Six franchise in a city like New York.
    Gorton said he did not want to commit Vesey to a particular line or spot just yet.
    Gorton added that he likes the way Vesey can score consistently: "I think that he's got ability to score. ... He can come in and play."


NYR Alumni Birthdays 8/20: 
Chris Drury C (2007-2011) Al Hamilton D (1965-66,1967-70) Ernest Kenny D (1930-1931) Steve Valiquette G (2003-04,2006-07)

Chris Drury
Regular-Season Games with Rangers: 264
Playoff Games with Rangers: 21
Acquired: Signed with the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 2007.
Named the 25th Captain in team history on October 3. 2007.
Uniform Number: 23
Retired from NHL: 2011
Current Position: NY Rangers director of player development.

Al Hamilton
Seasons with Rangers: 4 (1965-66; 1967-1970)
Regular-Season Games with Rangers: 81
Playoff Games with Rangers: 6
Acquired: Scouted and signed by Rangers organization as a free agent in 1965.
Departed: Claimed by Buffalo in NHL Expansion Draft on June 10, 1970.
Uniform Numbers: 25, 6
Retired from NHL: 1980

Ernest Kenny
Seasons with Rangers: 1 (1930-31)
Regular-Season Games with Rangers: 6
Playoff Games with Rangers: 0
Acquired: Pro hockey rights sold to Rangers by Tacoma (PCHL) on Jan. 3, 1931.
Departed: Released following 1930-31 season.
Uniform Number: 16
Retired from pro hockey: 1940

Steve Valiquette
Seasons with Rangers: 2 (2003-04, 2006-07)
Regular-Season Games with Rangers: 39
Playoff Games with Rangers: 2
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2006.
Uniform Numbers: 45, 40
Current Position: Studio analyst for MSG Network covering the Rangers.

Today in NYR History August 20, 2001: 

Rangers acquire Eric Lindros and with conditional first-round draft pick (conditions not met) from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Jan Hlavac, Pavel Brendl, Kim Johnsson, and a third round pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft (Stefan Ruzicka).
Seasons with Rangers: 3 (2001-2004)
Regular-Season Games with Rangers: 192
Playoff Games with Rangers: 0
RANGERS DEBUT
Oct. 5, 2001 (Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes)
MAJOR NHL AWARDS/ACHIEVEMENTS WITH RANGERS
NHL All-Star Game — 2002 (injured, did not play)
RANGERS TEAM AWARDS
Boucher Trophy (Most Popular) — 2003-04
Rangers Good Guy Award — 2003-04

RANGERS TEAM LEADER
Most points — 2001-02
Most goals — 2001-02

INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS WHILE IN RANGERS ORGANIZATION
2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah

Lindros had seasons of 73, 53 and 39 points during his stint with the Rangers, and left the team as an unrestricted free agent following the 2003-04 season.

Lindros would announce his official retirement from the game in November of 2007. Lindros finished his career with 372 goals and 493 assists for 865 points, in 760 NHL games.

OFFICIAL: New York Rangers have agreed to terms with free agent forward Jimmy Vesey.

The Rangers have announced that they have officially signed Jimmy Vesey.
From the Rangers release:

• Vesey, 23, skated in 33 games with Harvard University this past season, registering 24 goals and 22 assists for 46 points, along with a plus-11 rating and six penalty minutes.
• He won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey in 2015-16, becoming the fourth player in Harvard's history to win the award.
• Vesey skated in 128 career collegiate games over four seasons at Harvard (2012-13 - 2015-16), registering 80 goals and 64 assists for 144 points, along with a plus-17 rating and 66 penalty minutes.
• Over his last two seasons at Harvard, Vesey recorded 104 points (56 goals, 48 assists) in 70 games, averaging 0.80 goals per game and 1.49 points per game over the span. V
• esey's 56 goals in 2014-15 and 2015-16 led all collegiate players over the two seasons.
• In addition, he tallied a point in 58 of 70 games over his final two seasons of collegiate hockey, including a goal in 44 of those 70 contests.
• Vesey ranks fifth on Harvard's all-time goals list and is tied for 12th on Harvard's all-time points list.

NYR TODAY THURS 8/18: Vesey Update, TDINYRH

VESEY SWEEPSTAKES UPDATE

Free agent forward Jimmy Vesey met with seven NHL teams the past two days and will begin weighing his options Thursday, ESPN.com reported.

Vesey met with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs, the report said, and the Buffalo Sabres remain a possibility.

It is expected that earliest he will sign may be Friday or Saturday, early next week at the latest.

Today in NYR History August 18, 1986: 

The Rangers acquire Walt Poddubny from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Mike Allison.
Of all the players who have spent only one or two years with the Rangers, perhaps none had as big an impact as Walt Poddubny, who joins Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr as the only players to lead the team in both goals and points in each of his seasons in New York (Most points — 1986-87, 1987-88, Most goals — 1986-87 (tie), 1987-88,  Most assists — 1986-87). During his 2 seasons in New York Puddubny tallied 78 goals and 97 assists for 175 points in 152 Regular Season Games giving him one of the highest point-per-game averages of any player in franchise history. He was the recipient of the New York Rangers Fan Club's Frank Boucher Trophy for the most popular player on and off the ice in both years and the team's Most Valuable Player Award from the Professional Hockey Writers Association in 1987.

On March 21, 2009 Walt passed away at the age of 49, after collapsing at his sister's house in Thunder Bay. The cause of death was heart attack.

NYR TODAY MON 8/15: Vesey, Alumni Birthdays, TDINYRH

Jimmy Vesey Hits Free Agent Market Today

According to the New York Post, Vesey's agent says that there are a couple of holes in the Rangers lineup that his client could fit in and "I couldn't envision a scenario where the Rangers wouldn't want to make a pitch, and they would definitely be a possibility." He added that the Rangers are an interesting option for any free agent.
Vesey is having last minute talks with the Sabres thought it's still likely he becomes a UFA.

NYR Alumni Birthdays 8/15: 
Stephane Brochu D (1988-1989) Sheldon Kannegiesser D (1972-1974) Craig MacTavish C (1993-1994, Asst Coach 1997-1999)

Today in NYR History August 15, 1989: 

Roger Neilson becomes the 25th head coach in Rangers history.
Neilson coached the New York Rangers from 1989 to 1993, posting a record of 141-104-35 in 280 games coached and finished in first place of the Patrick Divison twice. His tenure with the New York Rangers was successful; the highlight was coaching the team to the Presidents' Trophy as the first place team in the league in 1992. However, the Rangers can't get past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in either season, and when they're 19-17-4 at the halfway point of the 1992-93 season, Neilson is replaced by Ron Smith.

In 1999, Neilson was diagnosed with bone cancer, which spread to become skin cancer in 2001. He died on June 21, 2003, only five days after his 69th birthday.

NYR TODAY THURS 8/11: Vesey Notes, Scoring Projections, Alumni Birthdays, TDINYRH

Sources say Jimmy Vesey Unlikely to sign with the Sabres

According to sources reported on ABC 7 Buffalo Jimmy Vesey will not be signing with the Buffalo Sabres. Although it's said that Vesey isn't 100% sure where he'll sign his top 3 landing spots are New Jersey, Chicago and the NY Rangers, the Boston Bruins are not among his favorites.

The Hockey News released their scoring projections for the New York Rangers
Projections are as follows
    Pavel Buchnevich: 15 goals, 25 assists
    Kevin Hayes: 15 goals, 25 assists
    Chris Kreider: 23 goals, 24 assists
    Ryan McDonagh: 7 goals, 25 assists
    JT Miller: 20 goals, 23 assists
    Rick Nash: 35 goals, 25 assists
    Derek Stepan: 17 goals, 35 assists
    Mika Zibanejad: 20 goals, 30 assists (Projected to be part of Ottawa)
    Mats Zuccarello: 23 goals, 35 assists

The Hockey News had Derick Brassard leading the Rangers with 22 goals and 39 assists.

NYR Alumni Birthdays 8/11: 
Guy Labrie D (1944-1945) Larry Popein C (1954-1960) Chuck Rayner G (1945-1953)

Today in NYR History August 11, 1920: 

NY Rangers Goaltender Chuck Rayner, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame despite never finishing a season with a winning record, is born in Sutherland, Saskatchewan.

Rayner, nicknamed "Bonnie Prince Charlie," signs as a free agent with the New York Americans and makes his NHL debut as a 20-year-old in 1940-41, going 2-7-3. He plays one more season with the Americans before the team folds. After three years in the Royal Canadian Navy, he signs as a free agent with the New York Rangers. His best season comes in 1949-50, when he goes 28-30-11, earns the Hart Trophy as most valuable player and helps the Rangers finish fourth and qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Rayner limits the Montreal Canadiens to seven goals in New York's five-game upset victory in the Semifinals. Though New York has no home games in the Final against the first-place Detroit Red Wings because of the circus taking place at Madison Square Garden, they get to Game 7 before losing on a goal by Pete Babando in the second overtime.

A knee injury costs Rayner the starting job in 1952-53, which turns out to be his last NHL season. He is voted into the Hall in 1973 despite a career record of 138-208-77.

NYR TODAY SAT 7/30: Vesey, Alumni Birthday, TDINYRH

RANGERS LOOKING TO BE "ALL IN" ON VESEY 
ESPN Insider Craig Custance says that the Rangers should be one of the teams in the running for Jimmy Vesey on August 15th and noted that his agent Peter Fish has a very strong relationship with Jeff Gorton.
Fish says that he knows Gorton very well and has a lot of respect for him and added that whenever he has a free agent at any level Jeff is one of "the first people that I call." Fish also represented and remains close with Rangers director of player development Chris Drury. Vesey is said to be very good friends with Kevin Hayes.
 Other teams believed to be favorites for Vesey include the Sabres, Bruins, Maple Leafs and Blackhawks.

NYR Alumni Birthday 7/30: 
Markus Naslund LW (2008-2009)

Today in NYR History July 30, 2005: 

The Rangers select Marc Staal in the first round (12th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.