Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some future New York Rangers are in limbo this season
When it was reported that Vitali Kravtsov would be returning to Russia next month to play for Traktor in the KHL, it could the first of a number of similar player moves. The New York Rangers have some prospects who may not play hockey at all this season or are looking at delays before games begin.
We’ve already seen center Morgan Barron sign his Entry Level Contract (ELC) as soon as the Ivy League announced that all fall sports would be cancelled. With his chance to win a NCAA championship dashed, he turned pro. The Rangers have a number of collegiate players who don’t have the same option.
NCAA players face uncertain future
The Rangers have four unsigned prospects who are supposed to be playing in the NCAA this season. Top defenseman Zac Jones is at U-Mass Amherst, forward Riley Hughes attends Northeastern University, Forward Eric Ciccolini is at Michigan and defenseman Simon Kjelberg is at RPI, all entering their sophomore years.
Late last month, Hockey East announced that they were going to play the 2020-21 season. There will be restrictions on who they will play and it’s uncertain when the season will start, but they intend to play a full schedule. That means that Zac Jones will probably remain at UMass, though he is not eligible for the World Junior Championships in December.
The same goes for Riley Hughes at Northeastern, also in the Hockey East Conference. The ECAC announced similar plans so Simon Kjellberg should return to RPI this fall.
The Big Ten has announced that all fall sports will be cancelled and they are uncertain about resuming in the spring and that affects forward Eric Ciccolini at the University of Michigan. Is he willing to lose a year of competitive hockey? He may have no choice.