New York Rangers sign Bryce McConnell-Barker to entry-level contract

New York Rangers general manager and president Chris Drury announced Thursday that the club has signed forward Bryce McConnell-Barker to a three-year, entry-level contract. The contract begins in 2023-24. 

McConnell-Barker was selected in the third round (No. 97) by the Rangers in the 2022 NHL Draft. He tallied 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists) in 68 games last season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Soo Greyhounds. He was named Soo’s Rookie of the Year. This season, he has a team-leading 45 assists and 74 points in 66 games and currently sits second in the goals department with 29. He was named OHL Player of the Week in January after recording eight points in three games. McConnell-Barker was named the Greyhounds captain for the 2022-23 season. Throughout his OHL career, he has recorded 52 goals and 71 assists for 123 points in 134 games.

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis weighed in on the signing “The first thing that stands out watching McConnell-Barker is his defensive play. He’s smart, takes space away and has a great backcheck. I wish his skating was better, and it’s something that hasn’t improved all too much, but coaches can fix that. I think there’s some decent bottom-six potential here.”

Prior to the OHL, McConnell-Barker played Triple-AAA with the London Jr. Knights program. In 2019-20, he registered 29 goals and 48 points in 33 games and was crowned the Alliance Hockey Player of the Year. That same season, he also had a six-game stint with the Komoka Kings of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) and scored three goals and six points in that frame.