Rangers Sign Graham
The Rangers announced today that they have signed 2004, 2nd round pick Bruce Graham to a professional contract. The former Moncton Wildcats centerman is expected to join the Hartford Wolf Pack for the season after impressing the Rangers organization with his play during the Wolf Pack preseason and training camp. Widely expected to be selected in the first round of the 2004 draft, Graham slipped to 51 due to questions over his intensity and willingness to use his size to his advantage.
The rangy forward went some way towards silencing his critics last season with a strong start before being felled with an ankle injury early in January of 2005. He missed almost two months before returning to the Wildcats line-up and finished the year with 42 points in 47 games. Graham will be allowed to play in the AHL this year as he turns 20 in December and would be considered an overage player in the QMJHL from which he was drafted.
Captain Crunching
by Mike Aker
With the preseason ending, the Rangers still have a plethora of questions left to answer beginning with final roster spots, forward/defensive pairings, and ending with the inauguration of their new captain, most likely at the home opener on Thursday night.