Under the lights of Madison Square Garden on Nov. 10, Gabe Perreault slipped back into the New York Rangers lineup with the calm assurance of a player whose rise was building for months.
Only days earlier, he was in the minors, wearing the navy and silver of the Hartford Wolf Pack, driving their offense with a team-high five goals and 10 points. Perreault earned AHL Player of the Week honors and sharpened every part of his game, just as the Rangers hoped when he was among the final cuts after a strong preseason showing at training camp.