Brett Seney sidelined, Aku Raty adds depth at forward for the Rockford IceHogs
'Yeah, that's huge. You know, regardless of what point of the season you're in, when you lose your captain, you lose a guy that's, you know, been so good for you again on both sides of the puck, it's definitely going to be a big loss for us. But, you know, the show goes on.'Other IceHogs' forwards will have to step-up as the team tries to nail-down a Calder Cup Playoff berth. One of those forwards is 23-year-old Aku Raty. He was recently acquired in a trade by the Blackhawks with the Utah Hockey Club. The Blackhawks received Raty (Pronounced Rat-too), and defensemen Victor Soderstrom and Shea Weber for a 2026 5th-round draft pick.Raty played in 50 AHL games with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL before the trade where he accounted for four goals and 15 assists. He scored his first goal with the IceHogs this past Sunday in Milwaukee.Raty expects to develop chemistry with his new teammates quickly. 'I would say I'm a smart player, so I should be able to build chemistry. That's on me, obviously, with some guys it's harder than with others, but I'VE got to watch my (video) clips, talk with the teammates and just what kind of (understand) what tendencies they have and just be ready at game time.'IceHogs' forward Gavin Hayes is impressed with Raty's work ethic.'Oh, he works hard. I mean, in practice, he's one of the hardest workers. I can take some things from him, too. Yeah, he's got a good shot. A great guy, too.'The IceHogs next game will be Wednesday night when they host the Manitoba Moose.
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Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Ranking the Bruins' top 10 prospects: James Hagens headlines deeper pool of talent
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This season will be critical if Letourneau wants to reassert himself as a top prospect. He has strong puck skills for a player his size, but he needs to utilize that frame more. BOSTON ,MA - JULY 1 Dean Letourneau, in action at the second day of Boston Bruins Development Camp at Warrior Arena in Boston ,MA on Tuesday , July 1 2025. (Jonathan Wiggs Globe /Staff ) Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff 6. William Moore, C Another BC forward, Moore stands as a potential middle-six regular if his steady two-way game continues to mature. The No. 51 pick in the 2025 draft, Moore ranked second on the US National Team Development Program U-18 team with 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) in 64 games last season. The primary question for Moore is whether his offensive talents can continue to evolve as he braces for tougher competition in the years ahead. Advertisement If Moore's scoring capacities plateau, he could project as a third-liner. 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Long regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft, Hagens dropped to No. 7 on draft night because of concerns over his size (5-11, 190 pounds) and what was considered an underwhelming freshman season at BC. He might have some growing pains when it comes to fighting for inside ice in the pros, but Hagens's elite puck skills make him the type of player who will consistently generate chances. 'He's been that way his whole life — in terms of what he's done,' general manager Don Sweeney said of Hagens's reputation as an impact player. 'So we just hope the natural progression is you'll be able to do at the NHL level.' Our full rankings: 1. James Hagens, C 2. Fraser Minten, C 3. Fabian Lysell, RW 4. Dans Locmelis, C 5. Will Zellers, F 6. William Moore, C 7. Dean Letourneau, C 8. Georgii Merkulov, F 9. Frederic Brunet, D 10. Chris Pelosi, F 11. Michael DiPietro, G 12. Oskar Jellvik, F 13. Elliott Groenewold, D 14. Cooper Simpson, F 15. Loke Johansson, D 16. Andre Gasseau, F 17. Vashek Blanar, D 18. Ryan Walsh, F 19. Dalton Bancroft, F 20. Riley Duran, F Honorable mention: G Philip Svedeback, F John Farinacci, D Liam Pettersson, F Cole Chandler, F Beckett Hendrickson, D Jackson Edward, D Ty Gallagher. Conor Ryan can be reached at
USA Today
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Texans WR Tank Dell makes an appearance at training camp
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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Willing To Help: D-Man Tyler Kleven Ready To Take Next Step On Both Ends Of Ice For Ottawa
You might not have noticed, which is odd considering the subject in question is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman, but Tyler Kleven was all over the place during the Ottawa Senators' too-short-but-still-inspiring 2025 playoff run. His shot-pass from the point was tipped to tie the score in Game 2, his poised breakout led to another tying goal in Game 3, and his sense to jump up into the play and gain the zone led to the Senators' overtime goal in Game 4. And it should have come as no surprise to anyone who watched Kleven closely during his first full NHL season. The 23-year-old from Fargo, N.D., improved and had more of an impact as the season went on, and it's a trajectory both he and the Senators count on continuing after Kleven signed a two-year deal in June that carries a cap hit of $1.6 million. Considering the fact Kleven played only 53 games in the minors – all of which came in 2023-24 – he hasn't exactly been a slow burn. The Senators have brought him along at a good pace, both at the AHL and NHL levels. But with almost 100 big-league contests and one playoff round now to his credit, Kleven feels at home as a third-pair defenseman with the potential to move up to the second pair down the road. 'I felt like I definitely took some steps this season,' Kleven said. 'In the playoffs, I got to play in different scenarios a little more than I did at the start of the year.' There is a sense Kleven hasn't even come close to reaching his potential as an NHL blueliner yet. As is the case with all young players, he spent most of the season gaining the trust of the coaching staff and making low-risk plays that would not lead to mistakes. But he gained confidence as the season progressed, and that was evident in Game 3 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Senators trailing 2-1, without a single third-period shot and from a defensive-zone faceoff, Kleven gathered up the puck and tried to move it up ice, but the pass was deflected by Max Domi. Kleven then calmly gathered the puck back up and skated a few strides before making a pass that helped set up Brady Tkachuk's tying goal. "With the caliber of player you're playing against, it's hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night." - Tyler Kleven Both the Senators and Kleven are confident he has more in his arsenal. He had almost no ice time on special teams in the regular season or the playoffs, and there's certainly an element to his game that lends itself to him being an effective penalty-killer. Even though he registered a respectable 105 hits this season, his college game suggests he's a much more physically robust player. And while he can shoot it a ton, getting the puck on net has been an issue. He registered 78 shots on goal, but he also took another 75 that were blocked. 'With the caliber of player you're playing against, it's hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night,' Kleven said. 'It just doesn't happen like that. You wait for your moment, and once that moment comes, you take advantage of it. I thought there were times during the season that I showed I was a physical player, and in the playoffs, I was way more physical.' Kleven spent much of the first half of the season playing alongside veteran Travis Hamonic on the third pair, then teamed with Nikolas Matinpalo once the latter was called up just after Christmas. Coincidentally, that was when Kleven's game started to take off. That familiarity helped Kleven, who played much of last season with Matinpalo on the Senators' AHL affiliate in Belleville. With Nick Jensen expected to be out for some of next season after undergoing off-season hip surgery, there might be a chance for Kleven to move up in the lineup, depending on what the Senators do in terms of trades or signings over the summer. One thing working in Kleven's favor is that, even though he shoots left, he's comfortable playing the right side as well. In fact, with the Senators' system, he often ends up there as the play develops. And because he has such a long reach and stick, he's adept at breaking up plays in the defensive zone. 'On the right side, if they ever need someone to help out there, I got more looks toward the end of the season,' Kleven said. 'My last 20 games, I got more looks there. In the offensive zone, I get to use my one-timer more, and I didn't get to use that a ton. It takes a little time to learn, but I certainly don't mind playing the right side.' This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season. You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.
