Priskie, Anas among five Bobcats placed on NHL training camp restart rosters

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Steven Pappas

The NHL opened their training camps Monday in preparation for the restart of the 2019-2020 season and there are some former Bobcats who will join various rosters this summer in preparation for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Former Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey captain Chase Priskie will be joining the Florida Panthers squad as they get ready to take on the New York Islanders.

Priskie was traded earlier this season from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Panthers and recorded eight goals and 35 assists with the Charlotte Checkers and Springfield Thunderbirds in his first season in the American Hockey League.

The Vancouver Canucks have given former Quinnipiac defenseman Brogan Rafferty a spot on the team’s expanded roster for the postseason. Rafferty played in two NHL games last season with the Canucks after signing with them following the Bobcats’ season.

Rafferty was a member of the AHL’s Second All-Star Team this season as he led all rookie defenseman in assists with 38 and points with 45 for the Utica Comets. The Canucks will face off against the Minnesota Wild in the Qualifying Round.

After four impressive seasons with the Iowa Wild, the Minnesota Wild offered a roster spot to Sam Anas. The center had a breakout year in 2019-20 recording a career high and league leading 50 assists and 70 points solidifying him on the AHL’s First All-Star Team this season.

Anas’s Wild will face off against Brogan Rafferty and the Canucks in the Qualifying Round.

Two more established Bobcats were on NHL rosters when the season restarted Monday. Both Devon Toews of the New York Islanders and Connor Clifton of the Boston Bruins will continue their blossoming careers with their respective teams. 

Toews has had a fantastic year on Long Island tallying six goals and 22 assists, second among defensemen in scoring on the team.

Clifton registered two goals in 31 games with the Bruins this season after becoming the first former Bobcat to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Finals last season.

The Qualifying Round for the 2020 NHL Playoffs is set to begin on August 1st, with the last possible game being played on October 2nd.