New York Rangers Blueshirt Beat 10/2/17: Robin Kovacs a No Show at Camp
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 04: Robin Kovacs #71 of the New York Rangers skates against the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on October 4, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Islanders defeated the Rangers 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers arrive in Lake Placid for team building, prospect Robin Kovacs doesn’t show to Hartford Training Camp, and more in Monday’s Blueshirt Beat. 

The Rangers took off for upstate New York yesterday for a team building and bonding trip that will run through Tuesday. The trip will feature one practice on Monday at the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, and a speech from famed mountain climber Ed Viesturs, who has reached the top of Mount Everest seven times.

It will also allow the guys to sort of wind down after the grind of camp and everyone to come together, learn more about each other off the ice. The Rangers have done trips like these in the past, in Banff National Park of Alberta, Canada.

Prospect News

Elsewhere in Ranger land, prospect Robin Kovacs refused to show up to Hartford training camp according to Steve Zipay of Newsday Sports. Kovacs was one of the first cuts from main camp a few weeks ago, now on waivers for contract termination. He could be headed to the Swedish League.

Blessed with a high level of skill, speed, and wicked shot Kovacs never put it all together on North American Ice. It certainly didn’t help that he played on the fourth line for a really bad Hartford team last year. One can only wonder what Kovacs could’ve done with a more offensive role.

The Rangers also updated the early season status of some prospects, including Ty Ronning and Adam Huska. Ronning potted two goals on Friday, and Huska stopped all 27 shots he faced in 40 minutes of action in an exhibition.

The Hartford Wolf Pack announced some roster moves of their own as their training camp and preseason forge ahead. Interesting to note, the Wolf Pack had former 2012 First Round Pick Henrik Samuelsson in their camp as a Professional Try Out.

He was reassigned yesterday to Idaho of the ECHL.

The one time Phoenix draft pick has fallen quite a bit unfortunately. He does have a 40 point AHL campaign to his name as well as a decorated junior career. We’ll see if he’s called upon to help the Wolf Pack at any point.

The remainder of the players in Hartford look to be a stronger contingent than last year’s team. Though the team is shaping up to be a very young squad.

Hopefully guys like Sean Day, Neal Pionk, Boo Nieves, and Vinnie Lettieri, are given more opportunity in an effort to prepare them for NHL role as soon as possible.

Neal Purcell has a tremendous passion for New York Rangers hockey and the sport of hockey in general. A graduate of SUNY Cortland in Upstate NY, Purcell coaches both a high school hockey team and a travel team in the winter. Purcell is also a part of a small family business in the Central New York Region.