NEW YORK, February 4, 2013 –New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has recalled forwards J.T. Miller and Brandon Mashinter from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL), while forward Benn Ferriero has been assigned to Connecticut.
Miller, 19, has tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in the last two games with Connecticut, including a two-assist performance on February 1 against Bridgeport. He has registered eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points, along with 27 penalty minutes in 37 games with the Whale this season. Miller represented the Eastern Conference in the AHL All-Star Game on January 28. He is currently tied for sixth on Connecticut in goals and points, and ranks seventh in assists. Miller also ranks second among Whale rookies in assists and points, and is tied for second in rookie goals. He began the season with a three-game assist streak, and recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in the opening five games of the season. Miller registered seven points (three goals, four assists) in a seven-game span from December 1 against Syracuse to December 14 against Albany.
Miller made his professional debut on April 21, 2012, in Game 2 of Connecticut’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Bridgeport. He tallied his first professional point with an assist on May 2, 2012, at Norfolk, and finished the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs with one assist in eight postseason contests.
The East Palestine, Ohio native represented the United States at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, leading the team with seven assists and finishing tied for the team lead with nine points to capture the Gold Medal. Miller was originally selected as the Rangers’ first round choice, 15th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Mashinter, 24, was acquired by the Rangers from San Jose in exchange for forward Tommy Grant and a conditional pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft on January 16. He has registered seven points (three goals, four assists) and 14 penalty minutes in eight games with Connecticut, including a four-game point streak from January 20 at Providence to January 26 against Springfield (two goals, four assists). Mashinter has recorded five goals and seven assists for 12 points, along with 58 penalty minutes in 38 total games with Connecticut and Worcester this season.
The Bradford, Ontario native has skated in 244 career AHL games over four seasons with Connecticut and Worcester, registering 57 goals and 58 assists for 115 points, along with 338 penalty minutes. At the time of his trade, he ranked fourth on Worcester’s all-time goals list and seventh on the team’s all-time points list. Mashinter has also skated in 13 career NHL contests with the San Jose Sharks, making his NHL debut on December 29, 2010, at Minnesota. He was originally signed by San Jose as an undrafted free agent on March 3, 2009.
Ferriero, 25, tallied one assist in four games with the Rangers following his recall on January 25. He made his Rangers debut on January 26 against Toronto, and recorded his first point as a Blueshirt with an assist in the next game on January 29 against Philadelphia. Ferriero returns to Connecticut where he has registered one assist in one game, after tallying an assist while making his Whale debut in a 4-1 win on January 25 against Manchester.
The Rangers acquired Ferriero from Pittsburgh in exchange for forward Chad Kolarik on January 24. Prior to the trade, Ferriero registered four goals and 14 assists for 18 points, along with 14 penalty minutes in 34 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL). He ranked third on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in assists, was tied for fifth on the team in points and ranked second in shots on goal (97) at the time of the trade.
The Boston, Massachusetts native was originally selected by the Phoenix Coyotes as a seventh round choice (196th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks on August 23, 2009.
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