Jessiman Re-Signs with Rangers

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with restricted free agent forward Hugh Jessiman, who played at Dartmouth.

Jessiman, 24, skated in 71 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) this past season, registering 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points, along with 154 penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating.  He established career-highs in goals, assists, points, penalty minutes, and plus/minus rating. 

Among all Wolf Pack skaters, he ranked third in penalty minutes (154), eighth in points (42), and tied for fifth in goals (18) and eighth in assists (24).  He also posted nine multiple-point games, including one three-point effort on March 29 vs. Springfield (one goal and two assists).  Jessiman recorded a career-high, six-game scoring streak from March 15 to March 29, collecting nine points (three goals and six assists) over the span.  In addition, Jessiman appeared in five playoff games with Hartford, registering one assist and a team-leading, 21 penalty minutes.

The 6-6, 230-pounder has skated in 166 career AHL games in three seasons with Hartford, registering 32 goals and 42 assists for 74 points, along with 299 penalty minutes.  In 2006-07, Jessiman notched his first career multiple-goal game on March 4 at Hershey (two goals), and recorded a three-game, goal-streak from February 24 to February 28 (three goals).  On January 21, 2006, he tallied his first career AHL points with a two-point effort vs. Providence (one goal and one assist). 

In 14 career AHL playoff games with the Wolf Pack, Jessiman has collected one goal and one assist for two points, along with 30 penalty minutes.  Additionally, he has also appeared in 45 career games with the Charlotte Checkers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), registering 25 goals and 20 assists for 45 points, along with 108 penalty minutes.

In college, Jessiman skated in 80 career contests with Dartmouth College of the East College Athletic Conference Hockey League (ECAC), collecting 40 goals and 42 assists for 82 points, along with 137 penalty minutes.  In 2002-03, he set the Dartmouth record for freshman scoring with 47 points (23 goals and 24 assists), capturing the ECAC, Ivy League and New England Hockey Writer's Association Rookie of the Year honors.

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