HARTFORD, May 1, 2012: Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned defenseman Dylan McIlrath to the Whale from the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, and that forward Shane McColgan and defenseman Samuel Noreau have been released from their Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreements.
McIlrath, 20, was the Rangers’ first-round selection (10th overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft. The 6-5, 215-pound Winnipeg, Manitoba native skated in 52 games with the Warriors this season, scoring three goals and adding 20 assists for 23 points while serving 127 minutes in penalties. Those totals were good for second among team defensemen in assists and a tie for second among Warrior blueliners in points. McIlrath led all Moose Jaw defensemen, and finished second overall on the team, in PIM. In 14 WHL postseason games, he amassed six assists and 12 penalty minutes.
This will be the second career stint with the Whale for McIlrath, who has played in 232 career games with Moose Jaw over four seasons, notching 16 goals and 58 assists for 74, along with 551 PIM. He suited up for two games in a Whale uniform last season, following the completion of his WHL season, going scoreless with seven PIM.
McColgan, who signed an ATO with the Whale April 4, was scoreless in five AHL games after the end of his WHL season with the Kelowna Rockets. Noreau did not see any action after being inked to an ATO April 19, from Baie-Comeau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Whale begin their Eastern Conference Semifinal playoff series against the AHL’s regular-season champions, the Norfolk Admirals, this Wednesday, May 2, with Game One at Norfolk Scope Arena, with faceoff at 7:15 PM (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com). Game Two of the series is this Friday, May 4, at 7:30, before the series switches to the XL Center in Hartford for Games Three and Four, which will be this Sunday, May 6 and next Monday, May 7, with faceoff at 7:00 both nights.
Tickets to Games Three and Four are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Playoff ticket packages are also available that include tickets to all possible home playoff games. To speak to a Whale account executive about a playoff ticket package, call (860) 728-3366. More information is available at www.ctwhale.com.
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