The New York Rangers have once again made tweaks to their roster, and the latest moves completed were done ahead of Wednesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes for injury insurance. Juuso Parssinen was placed on waivers on Wednesday, and the team learned that the forward went unclaimed. He was promptly assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League, and his roster spot was filled by a defensive call up.
Rangers recall Connor Mackey
UPDATE: Juuso Parssinen has been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack and Connor Mackey has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) November 26, 2025
Will Borgen is a game-time decision for the Rangers, and with Scott Morrow no longer on the active roster, the Blueshirts needed an extra body just in case. That's where Mackey comes in, and he joins the team once again. Mackey appeared in one game for the Blueshirts during the 2023-24 season, and he logged 16:27 during his lone tour of duty. Last season he appeared in two games, and he averaged 16:08 across the two contests.
He is an NHL veteran of 42 games across five seasons, and the 6'3". 205 pound Mackey has been known for his toughness, and the abilty to be a sparkplug. His tilt with Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators is a moment Rangers fans remember fondly. At the time the Rangers were losing 2-0, and then he dropped Tim Stützle with a hit, and Tkachuk stepped in to fight Mackey even though it was a clean hit. The Rangers went on to score seven unanswered goals, and the rest is history.
Morrow was not an option for the Rangers
Due to a rule change to prevent NHL teams from stashing waiver eligible players in the AHL on off days to accumulate extra cap space for the trade deadline, the Rangers were unable to recall Morrow since he's yet to appear in a game with the Wolf Pack since being waived. Had the rule not been in effect, there's a good chance the former Carolina Hurricane would have been with the Blueshirts with Wednesday's game in Carolina.