Rangers sign Jackson Dorrington to entry-level contract, defenseman to play with AHL Hartford

As the New York Rangers continue their quest to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a fourth straight season, management continues to have an eye on the future, as well. To that end, the Rangers signed defenseman prospect Jackson Dorrington to a three-year entry-level contract Sunday.

Following in the footsteps of center prospect Noah Laba, who signed his entry-level deal last Tuesday, Dorrington will play the rest of this season with Hartford of the American Hockey League on an amateur tryout contract (ATO).

The Rangers acquired Dorrington as part of a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. New York landed forward J.T. Miller, defenseman Erik Brannstrom (since traded to the Buffalo Sabres) and Dorrington for a conditional first-round draft pick, center Filip Chytil and defenseman Victor Mancini.

Dorrington, who turns 21 on April 13, recently completed his junior season at Northeastern University. The alternate captain recorded 15 points (two goals, 13 assists), most in his three years at Northeastern, in 37 games. His 73 blocked shots were a team high and ninth most in the nation, and he finished second among Northeastern defensemen in scoring.

The big (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) defenseman had a season-high three points (one goal, two assists) in a 4-2 win against Boston College — and Rangers prospects Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue — on Nov. 23. Dorrington also had an assist last week in his final game, when Northeastern lost 4-3 in double overtime to Maine in the Hockey East semifinals.

Over 105 games at Northeastern, Dorrington had 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists). He scored six goals in 2023-24 when he was voted Northeastern’s Unsung Hero.

Jackson Dorrington joins fellow Rangers prospects with Hartford in the AHL

The Canucks selected Dorrington in the sixth round (No. 176 overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. Prior to college he played for Des Moines in the USHL and represented the United States at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

He’ll join a largely veteran defense corps at Hartford, where Matthew Robertson is really the only other defenseman viewed as a prospect. Hartford has nine games remaining on its schedule.

The Rangers top two defenseman prospects are still in college. There’s a chance Fortescue could turn pro once his sophomore season concludes with Boston College, which is in the Frozen Four. But 2024 top pick EJ Emery needs more time to develop and will return to North Dakota next season for his sophomore year.

Laba scored a goal in his pro debut with Hartford this past Friday against Hershey and was scoreless in a 2-1 overtime win against Milwaukee on Saturday. The 21-year-old had three solid seasons at Colorado College and is a key prospect at the center position for the Rangers.

Hartford will play road games this week against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday and Providence on Saturday.