Former New Jersey Devils forward Stephen Gionta received a
professional tryout offer from the New York Islanders on Monday.
Gionta, who was a key member of the Devils run to the Stanley
Cup Final four seasons ago as a member of the “CBGB Line,” has been a reliable
penalty killer for the team. During the 2015-2016 season, Gionta had one goal
and 10 assists in 82 games for New Jersey.
Over the past four years, Gionta lit the lamp 15 times,
while helping out on 35 tallies in 270 National Hockey League games. In the Devils
24 games during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he scored three goals and four
assists, as he helped New Jersey reach the Stanley Cup Final.
The Rochester, New York native and younger brother of former
Devil and Montreal Candiens and current Buffalo Sabres captain, Brian Gionta, signed
with the Albany River Rats as an undrafted free agent after graduating from
Boston College in 2006.
Gionta made his professional debut during the 2005-2006
season in the American Hockey League, picking up a hat trick and adding an
assist, as he helped the River Rats defeat the Springfield Falcons 5-3 on that
night. He picked up his first NHL goal in the season finale, on April 7, 2012
against the Ottawa Senators and goaltender Craig Anderson. The goal was the
game winning goal.
Another former Devil, Tuomo Ruutu was offered a professional
tryout with the Vancouver Canuks. Ruutu played in 33 games for New Jersey
picking up one assist. The Canuks also invited James Sheppard and goalie Kevin
Carr to camp on PTO’s.
Ruutu’ older brother, Jarkko, played five years with the
Canuks from 2000 to 2006. Ruutu, has scored
148 goals and 198 assists in 735 games between the Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina
Hurricanes and Devils.
Sheppard has played 394 games with the New York Rangers, Minnesota
Wild and San Jose Sharks. This past season he played for the Kloten Flyers of
the Swiss League. Carr does not have NHL experience under his belt, the past
two years he played between the pipes in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers.
Devils general manager, Ray Shero said that the Devils have
no internal timeline to sign the team’s All-Time leading scorer, Patrik Elias.
The 40-year-old veteran, was limited to just 16 games for New Jersey during the
2015-2016 campaign due to a right knee injury.
This past May, Elias had surgery on the knee and was
expected to need about four to six months of recovery before getting back to
business. He had spent most of the summer, back home in the Czech Republic before
returning earlier this month and begin skating at the Prudential Center.
Shero told Northjersey.com, “We wanted to make sure we are on the same page on things, which is he
will skate on his own and we will kind of see where he is. There is no decision
on our end or his end.”
He added, “There is
certainly none to make at this point because he, at this point, does not know
when he [can] start to push. When he does that, how is it going to react? And
we will see exactly where we are as a team at that point anyway. So we are
going to keep an open mind both ways, but it is great having Patrik around and
I am happy he is back.”
The two-time Stanley Cup winner (2000 & 2003), sits third
in games played for the organization, with 1240. Only Ken Daneyko (1,283) and
Martin Brodeur (1259) have played in more.
In other News:
Sabres center, Ryan O’Reilly, will replace the injured Tyler
Seguin on Team Canada for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Seguin played in Canada’s
first two pre-tournament games against Team USA.
In a statement released by the Dallas Stars, Seguin said, “I am disappointed that I can’t represent
Canada at the World Cup of Hockey. Anytime your country calls, it is a great
honor and it is something every kid from Canada dreams about getting the chance
to do.”
“While I am upset that
I don’t get the opportunity to play, I understand the situation Canada is in
with a short tournament. I wish all the best for that team, and the good news
is I will get to be able to be with my Stars teammates from Day One [of
training camp.] We are excited to get the season going and we can’t wait to get
Cedar Park and get to work.”
Team Canada will play its final pre-tournament game on Wednesday
at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as they take on Russia.
Their first World Cup match will be against the Czech Republic on Saturday at
the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
Team Canada general manager, Doug Armstrong said, “It is never easy to lose a player because
of injury, let alone someone of the caliber of Tyler, but once again, it speaks
for the depth of the talent on the country to be able to add a Ryan O’Reilly to
our team.”
Armstrong added, “Ryan
just won gold at the World’s alongside a number of our players in that dressing
room, so we are expecting him to [jell] quickly as we wrap up our pretournament
against Russia. On behalf of our coaching and management staff, and all of the players,
we want to welcome Ryan and wish Tyler a speedy recovery.”
Seguin scored 33 goals and 40 assists in 72 games for the
Stars this past season, while O’Reilly had 21 goals and 39 assists in 71 games
in his first season with the Sabres. In seven seasons with the Colorado
Avalanche and Sabres, O’Reilly has scored 111 goals and 195 assists in 498
games. Seguin has 162 goals and 192 assists in 426 games between the Boston
Bruins and Stars.
