Day of transactions, not that you’d know it from practice: The same cast was on today as was on yesterday. The most notable change was that Ryan Pulock is out of the red no-contact jersey and back in real-boy defenseman’s blue. He’s not playing this weekend, but that’s a step closer.
Brent Thompson was hopeful Sebastian Collberg could be close to getting back to contact, too. Mike Halmo continues to make progress.
All that same-cast-as-yesterday, obviously, gets tweaked by the news that came down as the team was getting on the ice: Harry Zolnierczyk was reassigned to Bridgeport this morning, though he wasn’t yet in town (and Thompson, channeling Steve Stirling, broke out the old don’t-know-I’ve-got-him “until I see the whites of his eyes” line). After practice, Jack MacLellan was sent back to Stockton, released from his PTO; Bridgeport also called up Peter Sivak, which sounds like a bit of offensive-minded insurance.
The Ontario Reign went back-to-the-futurey for their AHL logo and uniforms. This as Bridgeport prepares to go to Manchester on Saturday for, at least as things stand, the last time. Hard to believe. (Probably going to put together little retrospective things on the three departing Eastern Conference teams when they make their final appearances.)
Good wishes to Bakersfield goalie Ty Rimmer, who announced on Twitter last night that he had surgery for testicular cancer. Fellow Oilers prospect Brandon Davidson faced and beat the same thing a little over two years ago.
And RIP, Bob Simon.