The New York Rangers, parent club of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, announced Friday that the club has agreed to terms with free-agent forwards Corey Locke and Tyler Arnason and re-signed forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau.
Locke, 25, skated in 77 games with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League last season, registering 25 goals and 54 assists for 79 points. He ranked fourth in the AHL in assists, tied for seventh in points and tied for 13th in power-play goals (13). He also tied for the AHL lead with 29 power-play assists.
Locke added 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 20 games during the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs, helping the Aeros to the conference finals.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound forward has skated in 390 career AHL games in five seasons with Hamilton and Houston, registering 110 goals and 198 assists for 308 points, along with 251 penalty minutes. The three-time AHL All-Star (2006, 2008 and 2009) is Hamilton’s all-time franchise leader in goals (85), assists (144) and points (229).
In addition, Locke has skated in 46 AHL postseason contests, collecting 22 goals and 23 assists for 45 points. In 2007, he led Hamilton to the Calder Cup championship with 22 points in the postseason.
The Toronto native was originally Montreal’s fourth-round selection, 113th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Arnason, 30, skated in 71 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season, registering five goals and 17 assists for 22 points. The 5-foot-11, 204-pounder has skated in 487 career NHL contests with Chicago, Ottawa and Colorado, registering 88 goals and 157 assists for 245 points.
Arnason’s only AHL experience came in 2001-02, when he was named the winner of the Dudley "Red" Garrett Award as the outstanding rookie in the league. Arnason totaled 26 goals and 30 assists in 60 games with the Norfolk Admirals that season.
The Oklahoma City, Okla., native was originally Chicago’s seventh-round selection, 183rd overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Tyler’s dad, Chuck, was a Calder Cup champion with Nova Scotia in 1972 and went on to play more than 400 games in the NHL.
Parenteau, 26, skated in 74 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2008-09, registering 29 goals and 49 assists for 78 points. His 49 assists tied a career-high, and he established a new career high in penalty minutes (142). Parenteau ranked among AHL leaders in several statistical categories, ranking ninth in points, while tying for 10th in assists and 16th in goals. He also tied for 12th in the AHL with 24 power-play assists.
The 6-0, 195-pound forward has skated in 415 career AHL games in six seasons with Cincinnati, Portland, Norfolk and Hartford, registering 146 goals and 212 assists for 358 points, along with 390 penalty minutes and a plus-25 rating. Parenteau has also skated in 46 Calder Cup Playoff games, tallying 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points, and has totaled one assist in five NHL matches, all with Chicago in 2006-07.
The Hull, Que., native was acquired by the Rangers on Oct. 11, 2007, from the Chicago Blackhawks.
