JESSIMAN SPEAKS...

Hugh Jessiman, the NY Rangers 12th overall pick in the 2003 NHL draft, has been traded to the Nashville Predators for future considerations.

Jessiman spoke with Howlings just prior to his boarding a plane for Milwaukee where he will join the Pred's AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

"Kenny (Wolf Pack head coach, Ken Gernander) called me and told me about the trade. He told me that the organization was grateful for the effort that I'd put in and wished me well in Milwaukee." Jessiman said. "I then got a call from Milwaukee and they told me that they were looking forward to my joining the team and told me that I would have every opportunity to prove myself and get a shot at the NHL."

Of the 30 players selected in the 2003 draft, to this point, Jessiman is the only player to never have appeared in an NHL game. "I'm really happy to be going to Milwaukee. It's a fresh start. I'm just really disappointed that I couldn't make it work here (Hartford) or with the Rangers." Jessiman said. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be but that Milwaukee can be a silver lining in all of this."

One of Jessiman's main problems is that the Rangers organization is so deep at the forward position. "My chances are better to make it to the NHL there." The

6-6, 235-pounder said, "There aren't as many people in front of me there and my chances will be a lot better."

The right winger from Darien, Connecticut joins former Wolf Pack teammate and ex-Ranger Jed Ortmeyer in the Predator's organization.

"I have no ill feelings at all towards the Rangers or the Wolf Pack. The fans have been great and very supportive. I have nothing but great respect for them all. I've made great friends here and look forward to what lies ahead."

Jessiman expects to be in the lineup Friday night when his new team, the Admirals take on the Detroit Red Wing's AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Here's a first look at Jessiman in his new Nashville jersey and the official release:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has traded forward Hugh Jessiman to the Nashville Predators for future considerations.

Jessiman, 24, has appeared in six games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season. In 2007-08, he established AHL career-highs in games played (71), goals (18), assists (24), points (42), penalty minutes (154), and plus/minus rating (10). His 18 goals tied for fifth on the Wolf Pack, while he finished eighth on the club in assists. Jessiman also appeared in five playoff games with Hartford, recording one assist and a team-leading 21 penalty minutes.

The 6-6, 235-pounder has appeared in 172 career AHL games over four seasons with Hartford, collecting 32 goals and 42 assists for 74 points, along with 301 penalty minutes. He registered his first career AHL point, a game-winning goal, and added an assist on January 21, 2006 vs. Providence. In addition, Jessiman has skated in 14 career AHL playoff games with the Wolf Pack, recording one goal and one assist for two points, along with 30 penalty minutes.

The New York, New York native was originally selected as the Rangers first round draft choice, 12^th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Comments

[rcm]

Very hard for me to understand this one. Although I never saw him play I understand that at times he was very visible and other times invisible. He has all the physical attributes to bump against anybody and force them off the puck or just sit in front of the goal like Holmstrom of the Red Wings and block the goalie's vision out of the play.

To me this sounds more like coaching than anything else. But I must be wrong.

[elsie]

I wish they'd gotten a player with comparable upside and risk such as Ryan Flynn, a Preds draftee @UMinn...

[rangerfan1983]

I think Jessiman is going to flourish in a new system. I heard he spent the summer training in Los Angeles with Marty McSorley.... I'm worried the Rangers might have dealt him too soon. Sure, he hasn't turned out over last few years - but I think he's just stepping into his game.

[Mitch Beck]

RCM,

I like Hugh quite a bit both as a player and more so as a person. You're absolutely right about his up and down play. He and I had talked about it a number of times. Personally I just think the pressure of playing for his childhood favorite team and of being the first round pick and the expectation level was just too much for him and it hindered his play. You also have to remember that he came out of college early and missed a gigantic amount of time with a sever ankle injury and that slowed down his progress as well.

I think that once he gets away from the spotlight and the microscopic probe of NY that reaches even here in Hartford that he'll rediscover his game and turn things around. He also has fewer players in front of him so he'll have a faster track to the NHL if he can put his game back together again. Don't be surprised at all to see Hugh get some time in Nashville this season. I wouldn't count him out just yet.

ELSIE,

I think given his play to this point there really wasn't much of a market for Hugh. As most have noted in their evaluations of the situation, Hugh was basically a bust here so bringing back a player right now was highly unlikely. I do think that it is of a significant note that both Al Montoya and Hugh Jessiman, the Rangers first round picks in 2003 and 2004 never played a minute of time in NY... although Al did sit on the bench as a backup a couple of times. When you add in the untimely death of Alex Cherepanov, that makes makes three of the Rangers seven first round draft picks (Jessiman, Montoya, Korpikoski, Staal, Sanguinetti, Cherepanov and Del Zotto) dating back to 2003 won't ever see the ice as a member of the team. That's a big problem.

RANGERFAN1983,

I don't know if Hugh was traded too soon. I think he had gone here as far as hewas going to as I stated above. As I said, don't count him out yet. That I think would be a mistake.

[steve]

Rick Middleton and Marc Savard

[Denver Frank]

Good for Hugh. It was obvious he was going nowhere with NYR. Much like Ortmeyer or, even earlier, Malhotra. Saw Manny play in Denver last night with Columbus and he held his own quite well in a 4-2 win over the Avalanche. Best of luck with Nashville, Hugh. Hope to see you in the NHL soon.