SPOTLIGHT: “PAPA” REDDEN, THE CAPTAIN

BY: Bruce Berlet

When the Connecticut Whale gathered for a team meal Saturday night in Manchester, N.H., coach Ken Gernander had a surprise, especially for veteran defenseman Wade Redden.

After the Whale had been without a captain for nearly 16 months, Gernander announced he and assistants J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller had decided the man affectionately known as “Papa” would be wearing the “C” for the first time in his illustrious career. Redden had been an assistant captain several times, including since he arrived in Hartford last season, but never was the official leader of the pack.

ON A CLEAR DAY – YOU CAN SEE A LIST

Today is an important day for young hockey players all across the American Hockey League. Today is the day teams submit their “Clear Day List” which is the 22-man roster of players allowed to play in the post-season.

Only the players listed on a team’s Clear Day roster are allowed to play in whatever games that team has over the rest of the AHL regular season and in the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs. Players can be added on if emergency conditions come about due to recall, injury or suspension.

What surprises await on the list to be released later today?

Hard to say.

Sean Avery fans are certain to wonder if he will be on the list?” The Answer, probably not.

However, will say Lee Baldwin or Blake Parlett be on the list? Maybe one or maybe even both.

What about Jeff Prough or perhaps another forward from Greenville? Perhaps.

One name the team was hoping they could put on the list, forward Chad Kolarik who has missed this entire season to this point with a knee injury, won’t be. Kolarik announced the following on his twitter account, “Cleared for contact, but because I was not on the AHL roster on Feb 27 I cannot play this year. Next goal is to be ready for camp.”

One name fans are hoping to see, but almost certainly won’t be on it, at least for now, is New York Rangers franchise crown jewel, Chris Kreider. He has not signed yet with the Blueshirts, nor has he signed a Professional Try-Out (PTO) with the Whale. But don’t be alarmed. When his college season is over, and it’s not yet, that could easily change as those players, along with their counter-parts in Canadian juniors are allowed to be added without an issue.

REDDEN TO WEAR THE C

In a move that is long overdue, veteran defenseman Wade Redden has been named the sixth captain in the history of the New York Rangers Hartford affiliation, first with the Wolf Pack and now with the Whale.

Head Coach Ken Gernander was the teams first captain for the Wolf Pack’s first eight seasons in existence, He was succeeded after he retired and became a coach by Craig Weller. Weller was followed Andrew Hutchinson, then  Greg Moore and the last captain was Dane Byers. The hasn’t had a captain since Byers was traded by the parent New York Rangers to the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 10, 2010 for Chad Kolarik.

SPOTLIGHT: CHAD KOLARIK

BY: Bruce Berlet

One of the Beatles’ most famous songs in a litany of platinum recordings was entitled “The Long and Winding Road.”

The creation of songwriters Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon was released 16 years before Chad Kolarik was even born, but the Connecticut Whale wing can certainly relate.

The 26-year-old Kolarik skated with the Whale on Tuesday for the first time since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in New York Rangers training camp Sept. 20. Kolarik had surgery Oct. 5 and then began that long and winding road back with intensive rehabilitation under the guidance of Whale athletic trainer Damien Hess and strength and conditioning coach/trainer Mark Cesari.

Kolarik also received a very helping hand from college sweetheart Kylee Botterman, a gymnastics star at the University of Michigan whom he married in July during an upbeat offseason in which he also signed a new contract with the Rangers after a promising four games on Broadway and getting 17 goals and 14 assists in 36 games with the Whale after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets for former Hartford Wolf Pack captain Dane Byers.

SPOTLIGHT: HOLIDAY CHEER

BY: Bruce Berlet

The Connecticut Whale family is happy on many fronts this holiday season, starting with good health for most and a spot atop the Northeast Division as the first full season for the renamed franchise nears the two-fifths pole.

The strong guidance of coach Ken Gernander and assistants J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller has enabled the Whale to survive major injuries to standouts such veteran defenseman Wade Redden and skilled wings Mats Zuccarello and Chad Kolarik and the recalls of centers Kris Newbury and John Mitchell, speedy rookie wing Carl Hagelin, rugged right wing Andre Deveaux and defensemen Tim Erixon and Stu Bickel.

SPOTLIGHT: CHAD KOLARIK

BY: Bruce Berlet

If you want to see the personification of tough luck, look no farther than Connecticut Whale right wing Chad Kolarik.

After persevering through nagging hamstring problems last season to earn kudos from New York Rangers coach John Tortorella for his work during four games with the parent club, returning to continue his solid play in the AHL playoffs and then getting a contract extension on June 17 and married on Aug. 5, Kolarik was primed to enjoy a run at a steady job on Broadway.

WHALE CUTS

WHALE ANNOUNCE ROSTER DELETIONS

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Two Players Released, Four Assigned to ECHL Greenville

Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld today announced the following cuts from the team’s training camp roster:

WHALE MOVES

WHALE ANNOUNCE ROSTER CHANGES

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Parent Rangers Assign Seven, Whale Send Six to ECHL Greenville

Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld today announced the following changes to the team’s training camp roster:

KOLARIK OUT

Andrew Gross reports on his Twitter page from Connecticut Whale training camp at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT stated that Chad Kolarik’s injury that has kept him out of virtually everything to this point, has been diagnosed as a torn ACL. Kolarik will have surgery on Tuesday and will miss at least six months.

Kolarik’s injury is a big blow for a young Whale team that historically has had some trouble scoring goals early in a season. It is also a major setback for Kolarik, who came to the Whale last season in a trade for then captain Dane Byers, who was hoping to have a big season to expand upon a productive 2010-2011 season where he notched a combined 21g, 20a for 41pts in 49 games played between Springfield and Hartford.

Kolarik also got his first taste of NHL action playing in four games with the Rangers and tallied an assist for his first NHL point.

Ken Gernander and his staff will need to find a way to pull together the young talent on the roster and others will need to step up to fill that offensive role.

Our best wishes to Chad Kolarik for a full and speedy recovery.

NO BAND-AIDS NEEDED FOR THESE CUTS

RANGERS TRIM TRAINING CAMP ROSTER BY 28
35 Active Players Remain with the Club

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned the following 21 players to Connecticut (AHL): goaltenders Chad Johnson, Jason Missiaen and Cameron Talbot; defensemen Lee Baldwin, Collin Bowman, Sam Klassen, Tomas Kundratek, Jyri Niemi, Jared Nightingale, and Pavel Valentenko; and forwards Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Tommy Grant, Jordan Hickmott, Tayler Jordan, Kale Kerbashian, Chad Kolarik, Chris McKelvie, Matt Rust, Scott Tanski, Kelsey Tessier, and Jason Wilson.  In addition, the Rangers returned seven players to their respective junior club: defensemen Peter Ceresnak (Peterborough, OHL) and Samuel Noreau (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL); and forwards Shane McColgan (Kelowna, WHL), J.T. Miller (Plymouth, OHL), Michael St. Croix (Edmonton, WHL), Christian Thomas (Oshawa, OHL), and Andrew Yogan (Peterborough, OHL).