New York rangers prospect Libor hajek
Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

The New York Rangers are currently riding a three-game winning streak and already are seeing some great results from the players they acquired via trades last month.

Ty Ronning has had an incredible season playing for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. He has scored 55 goals to go along with his 22 assists for 77 points in 64 games.

Ronning is second in the WHL in shots on goal and tied for second in goals scored. He now holds the Giants’ single-season record for goals scored, breaking the previous mark of 48 goals set by Evander Kane in 2008-09.

The son of former NHL player Cliff Ronning, Ty was drafted in the seventh round (No. 201) by Rangers in the 2016 NHL Draft.

The Future Rangers are having great seasons

Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, Ryan Lindgren, Yegor Rykov, all recently acquired via trades the Rangers made last month, are all having successful seasons in their respective clubs.

  • Hajek, playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL), has registered 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points, along with 28 penalty minutes in 53 games.
  • Howden has skated in 42 games with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors this season, registering 23 goals and 40 assists for 63 points, along with a plus-26 rating and 38 penalty minutes.
  • Lindgren has tallied nine points, two goals, seven assists, in 35 games with the University of Minnesota this season, and he has established collegiate career-highs in goals, assists, and points during his sophomore year in 2017-18.
  • Rykov finished his KHL season last week where he registered 14 points, two goals, 12 assists and a plus-11 rating, in 53 regular season games with SKA in 2017-18, and he established KHL career-highs in games played, goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating this season.

Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil continue to have great seasons playing with the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack. Rangers fans can expect to see these two players play at Madison square garden as the regular season wraps up in late March.

Thanks, Mom

Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News reported that Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov has his mom to thank for him becoming a professional hockey player.

“My mom made me,” Namestnikov said. “The early practices, she’d always wake me up in the morning. I didn’t really like it in the beginning. As I got older I got more into it.”

His father, Evgeny, and his two uncles all played in the National Hockey League. Namestnikov had a big influence to play in the NHL from his family, but his best story from when he was younger had nothing to do with a hockey moment. One time while he was in the Red Wings locker room he met  Verne Troyer, you know, Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies. “I don’t know why I was so scared of him. I kind of ran away and I was scared to go back,” Namestnikov said. “That’s one story I can remember from my time.”

Who would have thought a man half his size would scare him so much.

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A graduate of St. John's University class of '91. I have been a fan of the New York Rangers since the days of Peter Puck. Founder of Ranger Proud, the Facebook page that covers all news, notes, pre /post-game stats, and player quotes. I can be reached at [email protected]