Several Whalers Will Play in NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City

Although Austin Levi, Matt Mahalak, J.T. Miller and Curtis Crombeen will report to the Whalers training camp on Sept. 1, they'll be headed to Traverse City, MI, shorthly afterwards to participate in the annual 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament from Sept. 10-14.

Levi and Mahalak will play for Carolina, Miller will play for the New York Rangers and Crombeen (as a free agent) will play for Dallas.

Here's the release from Carolina:

RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, announced today that the Hurricanes will participate in the 2011 NHL Prospects Tournament from Sept. 10-14, in Traverse City, MI. This marks Carolina’s third appearance at the annual tournament, hosted by the Detroit Red Wings. The Hurricanes’ squad won the tournament in 2009. Click here to view the team's roster.

Jeff Daniels, head coach and general manager of Carolina’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, will coach the Hurricanes’ team in the tournament along with Charlotte assistant coach Geordie Kinnear. Teams will be comprised of drafted players and signees from each of the eight participating NHL clubs, as well as amateur tryout invitees. A limited number of players with prior professional experience, but in no case more than one full season, are eligible to compete.

See the rest of the release.

Click here for more information about the tournament.

Here's the release from the Rangers:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today the roster for the 2011 Traverse City Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.

The annual prospect tournament is scheduled to begin on September 10 when the Rangers’ prospects face-off against the St. Louis Blues’ prospects. This marks the sixth consecutive year that a team of Rangers prospects will be competing in the eight-team tournament.

A group of 24 prospects will represent the Rangers next month at the annual Traverse City Prospects Tournament, which the Blueshirts won in 2007. Nineteen  of the 24 members of the 2011 roster are players whose NHL rights are currently owned by the Rangers.

Ten players are Rangers draftees from the past two years, while 13 others have already signed their first NHL contracts with the team.

18 of the 24 players participated in the Rangers’ annual Prospect Development Camp earlier this summer.  This includes 2011 draft picks J.T. Miller, Michael St. Croix, Shane McColgan, Samuel Noreau and Peter Ceresnak.

See the rest of the release.   Click here to see the Rangers roster.

Here's the release from Dallas:

Frisco, TX – The Dallas Stars will be one of eight NHL clubs to participate in the annual NHL Prospects Tournament and rookie camp at the Center Ice Arena in Traverse City, Michigan, from Sept. 10-14.

The tournament runs from Saturday, Sept. 10 through Wednesday, Sept. 14. In addition to the Stars, the tournament features rookie squads from the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. Practice sessions and tournament games will be held on the Center Ice Arena’s two sheets of ice – David’s Rink and Huntington Rink.

See the rest of the release.  Click here to see the Stars roster.

JAMIE DEVANE, MITCHELL HEARD PLAY WITH THE LEAF ROOKIES: Whalers Jamie Devane and Mitchell Heard will play for the Toronto Maple Leafs as thyey host a Rookie Tournament in Oshawa starting on Sept. 10.  The Ottawa Senators are playing in the same tournament, so Stefan Noesen will probably be playing as well.  The Senators have not announced their roster as yet.

Here's the release from Toronto:

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced their 25 player roster that will participate in a Rookie Tournament hosted by the Leafs in Oshawa, Ontario. The players will compete in three games beginning on Saturday, September 10 versus prospect teams from the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators. 

Attending the rookie tournament for the Maple Leafs is forward Matt Frattin, who was Toronto’s second choice, selected 99th overall, at the 2007 Entry Draft. Frattin made his NHL debut last season with the Maple Leafs on April 9 against the Montreal Canadiens. Other notables on the Leafs rookie tournament roster include defencemen Jake Gardiner and Jesse Blacker, and forwards Jerry D’Amigo, Greg McKegg and Brad Ross.

Here's the rest of the release and the Leafs' roster.

All Plymouth players mentioned - except for Devane - should be back in time to start of the Whalers regular season on Sept. 21 in Owen Sound.

Devane may play this season with the Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs' American Hockey League affiliate.