Crawford's Corner: Rangers' Traverse City Roster Set

Aug 14, 2014

Don't look now, but it's less than a month now until the first phase of the Ranger training camp season, which is the annual Traverse City Tournament for NHL prospects in Traverse City, Michigan.

The tourney begins September 12, and the Rangers announced their prospect team roster on Tuesday. 

The roster, which can be viewed here, includes six players who spent time with the Wolf Pack last season.  Those are forwards Michael Kantor, Nick Latta, Chris McCarthy, Josh Nicholls and Michael St. Croix, and defenseman Sam Noreau.  Other participants who are currently Ranger property, and are age-eligible to play for the Wolf Pack this season, include: forwards Ryan Haggerty, Richard Nejezchleb and Adam Tambellini, along with defensemen Mat Bodie, Troy Donnay and Daniel Walcott, and goaltender Mackenzie Skapski.  Also on the Traverse City roster is European prospect Petr Zamorsky, a 22-year-old defenseman signed as a free agent by the Rangers in June, who played the last three years in the Czech Extraliga.

Beyond those names, there are also four free-agent youngsters who could find their ways into Wolf Pack training camp, if their Traverse City performances open enough eyes.

Nathan Burns is a 6-2, 175-pound centerman who totaled 27 goals and 77 points in 68 WHL games this past year between Saskatoon and Swift Current.  Another WHLer, center Logan Nelson, 6-1 and 186 pounds and a fifth-round pick by Buffalo in 2012, registered 23-31-54 in 59 games with Victoria.  Bryan Moore, a 6-0, 199-pound right-winger, had a combined 25 goals and 63 points in 58 games with Sarnia and Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario League.  And Paxton Leroux, a left wing who is 6-3 and 200 pounds, is an OHL product whose season was limited to 14 games between London and Kitchener in 2013-14, but who had 66 penalty minutes in 22 games with London in 2012-13.

The Traverse City tournament runs through September 16, and many, if not most, of the prospects will then move on to the Rangers' training camp, which opens September 18.