River Rats Call Up Four Players From ECHL

Published on February 25, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release


ALBANY, NY - The Albany River Rats announced today that they have signed forwards Aaron Clarke and Ryan Cruthers and defenseman Mitch Ganzak to professional tryout contracts. The River Rats also recalled defenseman Ryan McGinnis from loan with the Florida Everblades.

McGinnis, 21, is back in Albany for his third stint of the season. The Flint, Michigan native was on the River Rats season-opening roster, before being loaned to the Everblades in early October. McGinnis returned to Albany and made his AHL debut on December 12th at Manchester; in two games for the River Rats this year he has no points and a +2 rating. McGinnis has appeared in 43 games for Florida this season and has 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists, 36 penalty minutes and a team-leading +13 plus/minus rating.

Cruthers, 24, comes to Albany from the Mississippi Sea Wolves, where he is leading the team in points (56), goals (26), assists (30) and power play goals (7) in 50 games played. The Farmingdale, New York native is in his first full season as a pro and he made his AHL debut on December 26th with the Lake Erie Monsters against Toronto; in five AHL games this year Cruthers has two assists, two penalty minutes and a +2 rating. Cruthers, who was selected to the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game in Reading, PA, is currently tied for seventh in the ECHL in points.

Clarke, 26, started the season with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) and currently ranks third on the team with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 40 games played. The Peterborough, Ontario native joins his third AHL team of the season; he made his AHL debut on December 26th with the Binghamton Senators against Syracuse. Clarke has played in seven games over two stints with Binghamton this year and has one goal, the game-winning on December 27th at Hershey. He also played in three games with the Providence Bruins in mid-January and recorded one assist. In his second full season as a pro, Clarke was also selected to the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game.

Ganzak, 24, also comes to Albany from Wheeling, where he has 33 points (5 goals, 28 assists) and 68 penalty minutes in 48 games played. The Redford, Michigan native made his professional and AHL debut on April 12, 2008 with the Manitoba Moose after finishing his senior season at Miami University (Ohio). Ganzak also played in one AHL game this year with the Norfolk Admirals on January 3rd at Portland. He scored his first career pro and AHL point with one assist in his debut with Manitoba.

All four players are expected to be in the River Rats lineup as the team begins a three-game road trip on Wednesday, February 25th at 7:00 pm against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Arena at Harbor Yard. Albany's next home game is scheduled for Sunday, March 1st against the Norfolk Admirals; a 5:00 pm face off at the Times Union Center.

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