Higgins Heading to Big Apple
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New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather
announced today that the club has acquired former Yale forward
Chris Higgins and defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko
from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forwards Scott Gomez
and Tom Pyatt, and defenseman Mike Busto.
Higgins, 26, has skated in 282 regular season contests with
Montreal, recording 84 goals and 67 assists for 151 points, along
with 96 penalty minutes. The 6-0, 205-pounder has eclipsed the
20-goal mark three times. In 2007-08, he established career-highs
in games played (82), goals (27), assists (25), points (52), power
play goals (12), game-winning goals (five), and shots (241).
He led Montreal in shots, tied for second on the team in power
play goals and game-winning goals, and ranked third in goals. He
was also one of only three Canadiens to skate in all 82 games
during the season. Higgins registered 11 points (six goals and five
assists) in the first 13 games of the season, and went on to
surpass the 20-goal plateau for the third straight year.
Higgins appeared in 57 games with the Montreal Canadiens this past
season, registering 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points, along
with 22 penalty minutes. He tied for second on the team with two
shorthanded goals, and placed sixth on the club with 151 shots
despite missing 25 games due to injury.
In addition, he led the Canadiens in goals (five) and shots (40)
during the month of November. He tallied his first career hat trick
on November 11 vs. Ottawa to cap off a season-high, four-game
scoring streak that began on November 1 at the New York Islanders,
registering six points (four goals and two assists) over the
span.
As a rookie in 2005-06, he led Montreal with three shorthanded
goals. In addition, Higgins has registered six goals and five
assists for 11 points in 22 career postseason contests with
Montreal.
The Smithtown, New York native was originally Montreal’s
first round choice, 14th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
