The Connecticut Whale keep adding on the prospects. Yesterday it was J.T. Miller, now it’s Sam Noreau. The Rangers 5th round draft pick last year will be joining the Whale for the playoff push. In 58 games with Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL, Noreau put up a line of 5-12-17 with 92 PIMs. In eight playoff games, Noreau did not record a point, but had 18 PIMs.

Noreau is a big kid, standing 6’5″ and 215 lbs, he is a big body that is going to bang people around. He’s not a scorer, as noted by his stats, but the Whale have enough defensemen that have offensive tendencies.

The signing of Noreau would explain why the Whale released Peter Ceresnak from his ATO yesterday. They needed room for Noreau.

The press release is after the jump

WHALE SIGN DEFENSEMAN SAMUEL NOREAU TO ATO

*           *           *           *

Six-five, 215-pounder was Fifth-round Ranger Pick in 2011

HARTFORD, April 19, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has signed defenseman Samuel Noreau to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement.

Noreau, 19, was a fifth-round selection (136th overall) by the parent New York Rangers in the 2011 NHL Draft, from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  In 58 games this season with the Drakkar, the 6-5, 215-pound Noreau scored five goals, good for third among team defensemen, and added 12 assists for 17 points, while serving 92 minutes in penalties, the second-highest total on the club.  The Montreal, Quebec native also skated in eight postseason contests for Baie-Comeau, going scoreless with 18 PIMs.

In 159 career QMJHL contests over three seasons with the Drakkar, Noreau has totaled 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points, along with 250 PIM.

 

SAMUEL NOREAU’S AMATEUR RECORD

Regular Season                          Playoffs

Year           Team                 Lge.         GP    G     A   Pts.     PIM     GP     G     A  Pts.  PIM

2009-10       Baie-Comeau      QMJHL     34     1      3      4        17       —      —     —   —     —

2010-11       Baie-Comeau      QMJHL     67     5      5     10      141      —      —     —   —     —

2011-12       Baie-Comeau      QMJHL     58     5     12    17       92        8       0      0    0     18

 

The Whale start their best-of-five, Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers tonight at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, with faceoff at 7:00 PM (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com).  Game Two of the series will also be in Bridgeport, this Saturday, April 21 at 7:00, before the series switches to the XL Center in Hartford for Game Three this Sunday, April 22.  Faceoff for that contest will be 5:00.  A Game Four, if it is necessary, would be in Hartford Wednesday, April 25 at 7:00, and if the series went the full five games, a decisive Game Five would be next Saturday, April 28 in Bridgeport at 7:00.

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