Hrivik gets first NHL deal with Rangers

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with free agent forward Marek Hrivik.

Hrivik, 20, led Connecticut (AHL) with five goals and tied for the team lead with nine points in nine playoff games. He ranked second among AHL rookies in playoff goals, tied for third in points and first in power play goals (two). He also tied for sixth in the league overall in playoff goals and power play goals.

Hrivik posted a six-game point streak from April 21 at Bridgeport to May 7 vs. Norfolk, registering five goals and three assists over the span. The six-game streak tied as the fourth-longest in the AHL during the playoffs, and included a three-game goal streak which tied as the longest in the postseason. Hrivik completed the first round with a team-high, four goals, in Connecticut’s three-game sweep against Bridgeport.

Marek Hrivik

Hrivik signed an Amateur Tryout Agreement with Connecticut on March 30, and made his professional debut on March 31 vs. Adirondack. He notched one goal in eight games with the Whale during the regular season. Hrivic registered his first professional point with a goal on April 11 at Portland.

Prior to joining Connecticut, Hrivik skated in 54 games with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), registering 29 goals and 41 assists for 70 points, along with eight penalty minutes and a plus-13 rating. He tied his QMJHL career-highs in assists and power play goals (11). Hrivic ranked third on the team in goals, assists, points, and power play goals, and tied for second on Moncton in plus-minus rating. He also registered one goal and two assists in four playoff games with the Wildcats.

The 6-1, 195-pounder skated in 179 career QMJHL games with Moncton, registering 93 goals and 111 assists for 204 points, along with 40 penalty minutes and a plus-29 rating. In 2010-11, Hrivik established career-highs in goals (38), assists (41), points (79), penalty minutes (18), and power play goals (11) while skating in 59 games. He led Moncton and tied for seventh in the league in goals, and ranked second on the team and tied for 15th in the QMJHL in points.

Hrivik made his North American debut during the 2009-10 season, recording 26 goals and 29 assists for 55 points in 66 games after being selected by Moncton in the first round (34th overall) of the 2009 CHL Import Draft. Hrivik has also registered six goals and 20 assists for 26 points in 29 career QMJHL playoff games. He skated in the 2010 Memorial Cup with Moncton, tallying one assist in three tournament contests.

The Zilina, Slovakia, native has also skated in several international tournaments, including the 2009 and 2011 IIHF U-20 World Junior Championship. In 2011, Hrivik ranked second on Slovakia with two goals in six tournament contests.