Rangers call up Gabe Perreault from Hartford to help spark offense
The Rangers' Gabe Perreault after scoring goal during a preseason game against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Errol Anderson
Coming off an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Islanders on Saturday night, the fifth time in seven home games that they have been shut out, the Rangers on Sunday called up prized prospect Gabe Perreault from their AHL Hartford farm team and returned Jaroslav Chmelar to Hartford.
Perreault, the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2023 (No. 23 overall), leads Hartford in goals (five), assists (five) and points (10) in nine games. He was named the AHL’s Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 2 after posting three goals and three assists in three games that week.
He had a solid preseason with the Rangers, playing in each of the first five games and contributing two goals and two assists, but was sent down to Hartford before the final preseason game.
The 5-11, 179-pound winger played two seasons of college hockey for Boston College and signed with the Rangers after his sophomore season ended last spring. He played five games with the Rangers at the end of last season and did not register a point.
With the Rangers’ struggles to score goals, Perreault, 20, could be inserted into the top-six forward group immediately. The Blueshirts have scored 35 goals in 16 games. Entering Sunday, their 2.19 goals per game were tied with Calgary for last in the NHL. They are 0-6-1 at home and have been outscored 17-1 in the six home regulation losses.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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