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What’s next for Rangers after sending Cole Beaudoin back to AHL Hartford
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- What’s next for Rangers after sending Cole Beaudoin back to AHL Hartford
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The writing probably was there on the wall, as they say, for New York Rangers rookie Cole Beaudoin , who was assigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old center played only six shifts for a total of 3:29 TOI in New York's 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. He had only one shift in the second period, when the Rangers largely were in a one-goal game, leading 2-1 until Will Cuylle scored with 1:34 left in the period.
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Beaudoin skated two shifts in the third period, and one of those was in the final minute of regulation after Mika Zibanejad's empty-net goal iced the victory.
So, even though coach Mike Sullivan said it wasn't his plan to skip over the fourth line more often than not Tuesday, that's what he did.
"I don't think that's something that we're going to look to do on a regular, consistent basis," Sullivan explained postgame . "It was just how the game evolved and looking for certain matchups. You sprinkle in some of the power plays and the penalty kills and defending the lead down the stretch. There were a lot of factors for that reason."
Beaudoin is scoreless in four games with the Rangers after originally being recalled from the minors to take Joe Veleno 's spot as the 4C. Veleno is out three months with a lower-body injury sustained in an Oct. 4 win over the Utah Mammoth.
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Acquired from the Mammoth this summer as part of the Vincent Trocheck trade, Beaudoin had a terrific training camp and then exploded for five points in his first two professional games with Hartford . His coach there, Jay Leach , called him "relentless," and Beaudoin looked the part over 17 shifts in his NHL debut against the Islanders last week.
IT'S A FIRST GOAL IN PRO HOCKEY FOR #NYR PROSPECT COLE BEAUDOIN (R1, 2024) pic.twitter.com/i4sMbHKgFN
— Stat Boy Steven 🇳🇱🇮🇪 (@StatBoy_Steven) October 4, 2026
However, he had a bad turnover against the Washington Capitals that led to the game-deciding goal last Friday, and he was used less and less the past two games.
It's far from a bad thing, of course, considering his age and the fact that a year ago he was playing major junior hockey in the OHL. At Hartford, Beaudoin will be back in a top-6 role, playing big minutes in all game situations, beginning with Wednesday's game against Lehigh Valley.
It feels like he'll be back on Broadway again sometime this season, though.
What's next for Rangers after recalling veteran Justin Dowling from Hartford
Rhona Wise-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Rangers replaced Beaudoin on the roster with veteran center Justin Dowling . The 36-year-old has 154 games of NHL experience, including two last season with the Rangers. Dowling made his Rangers debut by logging 7:05 TOI in the 2026 Winter Classic at loanDepot Park in Miami, a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.
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Two seasons ago, Dowling played a career-high 52 games with the New Jersey Devils, whom the Rangers visit in their next game on Thursday. Dowling had seven points (two goals, five assists) and averaged 10:13 TOI with the Devils in 2024-25, and played in each of their five Stanley Cup Playoff games against the Carolina Hurricanes, when they lost the best-of-7 first-round series.
At Hartford, Dowling had two points (goal, assist) in four games this season, after tying for third on the Wolf Pack with 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 46 games a year ago.
He's played 623 games in the AHL, and is two assists shy of 300 in the minors.
That'll have to wait, of course, because now he fills an important hole on the Rangers roster. His wings are veteran Oliver Bjorkstrand and either Matt Rempe , who played Tuesday, totaled five hits and got into a fight, or Jaroslav Chmelar, who played the previous six games.
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Though he brings defensive awareness and much experience, Dowling is smaller (5-foot-10, 182 pounds) and not as fast as either Beaudoin or Veleno. So, this will bear watching, considering that Veleno's mot expected to return until mid-January or so.
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