RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has assigned five players to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League in addition to 13 players on Saturday.
The five players assigned today are forwards Jon Matsumoto, Riley Nash, Jerome Samson and Jared Staal as well as former ECHL Checkers defenseman Bryan Rodney.
The 13 players assigned to Charlotte Saturday were forwards Nicolas Blanchard, Stefan Chaput, Nick Dodge, Matt Kennedy, Mike McKenzie, Oskar Osala and Chris Terry; defensemen Brett Bellemore, Casey Borer, Zack Fitzgerald, Michal Jordan and Kyle Lawson; and goaltender Mike Murphy.
The following is a list of players assigned with links to their player profiles:
Assigned Sunday, Sept. 26
Jon Matsumoto (F)
2009-10: Adirondack (AHL) - 80gp/30g/32a/50PIM
–Led Adirondack Phantoms (AHL) in scoring last season (30g, 32a)
Riley Nash (F)
2009-10: Cornell (NCAA) - 30gp/12g/23a/39PIM
–First-round draft pick of Edmonton (’07)
Jerome Samson (F)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 74gp/37g/41a/66PIM
–Led Albany in goals (37) and points (78) last season
–Ranked second in the AHL in goals (37)
–Was a First-Team AHL All-Star and AHL Player of the Month (March ’10)
Jared Staal (F)
2009-10: Sudbury (OHL) - 59gp/12g/37a/57PIM, San Antonio (AHL) - 5gp/0g/1a/2PIM
–Youngest brother of NHLers Eric (Carolina), Marc (NY Rangers) and Jordan (Pittsburgh)
–Acquired in trade with Phoenix (NHL) earlier this summer
Bryan Rodney (D)
2009-10: Carolina (NHL) - 22gp/1g/10a/8PIM, Albany (AHL) - 54gp/7g/28a/42PIM
–Played 22 games for the Hurricanes last season
–Played for the ECHL Checkers from 2005-07
Assigned Saturday, Sept. 25
Nicolas Blanchard (F)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 76gp/14g/8a/171PIM
-Played three seasons with Albany
-Recovered from season-ending bus crash with Albany in Feb. 2009
Stephan Chaput (F)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 75gp/10g/28a/18PIM
–Won the QMJHL championship in 2007 and advanced to the Memorial Cup
Nick Dodge (F)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 80gp/16g/20a/30PIM
–Was the only player to play in all 160 games for Albany in the last two seasons
–Was Clarkson University's MVP (2006)
Matt Kennedy (F)
2009-10: Guelph/Barrie (OHL) - 43gp/18g/16a/33PIM
–Was an OHL All-Star (2009-10)
Mike McKenzie (F)
2009-10: St. Lawrence (NCAA) - 41gp/14g/21a/60PIM
–Was the only non-NHL-contract invite to Hurricanes main camp.
–Was assistant captain at SLU and played three games with Albany after his NCAA season
Oskar Osala (F)
2009-10: Hershey (AHL) - 53gp/15g/14a/57PIM, Albany (AHL) - 16gp/10g/3a/11PIM
–Has played in three NHL games, including one with Carolina last season
–Won the 2008-09 Calder Cup with Hershey
Chris Terry (F)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 80gp/17g/30a/47PIM
–Led all Albany rookies in scoring last season (17g, 30a)
–Was the OHL's Humanitarian of the Year in 2008-09 and won the Mickey Renaud leadership trophy
Brett Bellemore (D)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 75gp/1g/6a/81PIM
–Won the 2007 OHL Championship
–Led the Canadian Hockey League in +/- in 2006-07 (+48)
Casey Borer (D)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 30gp/1g/8a/13PIM, Carolina (NHL) - 2gp/0g/0a/0PIM
–Has played in 16 NHL games with the Hurricanes
–Fractured vertebrae in Albany's bus crash in Feb. 2009
Zack Fitzgerald (D)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 77gp/2g/12a/311PIM
–Led the AHL in penalty minutes last season with 311
Michal Jordan (D)
2009-10: Plymouth (OHL) - 41gp/13g/19a/18PIM
–Represented the Czech Republic at the 2008, 2009 and 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships
Kyle Lawson (D)
2009-10: Notre Dame (NCAA) - 38gp/4g/18a/44PIM, Albany (AHL) - 10gp/0g/1a/0PIM
–Represented the USA at the 2007 World Junior Hockey Championships
Mike Murphy (G)
2009-10: Albany (AHL) - 20gp, 10-9-0, 2SO, 2.81GAA, .917 SV%
–Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year and First Team All-Star (2008-09)
–Two-time OHL Goaltender of the Year (2008-09)
Checkers' training camp begins Monday with the first public on-ice session at 10 a.m. at Extreme Ice Center. Check the news section of www.gocheckers.com for more information.
