Carolina Hurricanes NHL center Vincent Trocheck
On Friday, the New York Rangers announced new numbers for several free agent signings.
Vincent Trocheck, who wore 21 in Florida and 16 with the Carolina Hurricanes, will don 16 with the Blueshirts. Oddly enough, the center he is replacing wore that jersey number as well. Ryan Strome signed a five-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks in July.
Also announced is new backup goalie Jaroslav Halak will wear his familiar 41 and Ryan Carpenter was assigned 22.
Vincent Trocheck will wear no. 16 with Rangers
Trocheck, 29, registered 21 goals and 51 points with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. He is a two-way player, who is regarded as a Brad Marchand type that can score and get under your skin. Another key aspect to his game is an ability to win draws which has been a thorn in the Rangers side for what feels like a decade. For his career, Trocheck is 52.1in between the dots.
GM Chris Drury absolutely loves players that are hard to play against and Trocheck fits that description.
“[The center position] is an important part of any hockey team and it’s a hole we wanted to address,” Drury said after the signing. “Just excited to have Vincent on board. He’s a real good player, does a lot of different things. We’re excited to have him.”
The feeling is mutual as Trocheck had the Rangers at the top of his list.
“This was one of just a few teams that we really looked at and thought it was a good fit,” Trocheck said. “Coming in we knew that New York was probably our No. 1 choice, and when they came today it was an easy decision.”
New York signed Trocheck to a 7-year deal with an AAV of $5.625 million on July 13. The first three years of the contract come with a full no-move clause and then turn to a modified no-trade for the remainder of the term. .
Nashville to host 2023 NHL Draft
The Nashville Predators will host the 2023 NHL Draft and Awards show at the Bridgestone Arena, the league announced Thursday.
This marks the first time that the two events will be conducted in the same city since both were held in Vancouver in 2006.
The 2023 NHL Awards will be held on June 26, with the draft conducted on June 28-29.
Nashville, which previously served as the site of the 2003 NHL Draft, is hosting the awards show for the first time.
“We are thrilled to bring two of our marquee events, the 2023 NHL Awards and the 2023 NHL Draft, to Nashville, a special city that certainly knows how to throw a great party,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
“From the 2003 NHL Draft to the 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final to the 2022 NHL Stadium Series game, the city, the Predators organization and the country music community have overwhelmed the NHL with their welcome and support every time. Nashville has hosted a League event. We cannot wait to return next June to celebrate the stars of our game and introduce the next generation of NHL players.”
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-Field Level Media contributed to this article