Rangers Assign Cole Beaudoin to Hartford, Recall Justin Dowling
Beaudoin got just 3:29 of ice time Tuesday. Now the 20-year-old heads back to Hartford, and a 36-year-old journeyman takes his spot in New York.
After Cole Beaudoin got just 3:29 of time on ice Tuesday, the Rangers are sending him back to Hartford for more seasoning.
The New York Rangers are going to be without their fourth-line center in Joe Veleno for an extended amount of time. Cole Beaudoin, 20, has slotted into that role in his absence, but after four games, he is being sent back to the Hartford Wolf Pack for more development in the AHL.
#NYR feel it's important for Cole Beaudoin to get more minutes in Hartford https://t.co/R50IoCMIZh
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) October 14, 2026
Beaudoin has been perfectly fine in a small sample size, but as we saw Tuesday, fourth-line NHL minutes are not ideal for a young player who has the potential to be a middle six center in the NHL long term. The most important thing for Beaudoin's development right now is to play important minutes in a top six role in the AHL. Not only will he get more ice time, but he will also have the opportunity to play on the power play and potentially even kill penalties.
As a result, Justin Dowling gets the call-up. While it may not be the most exciting scenario, Dowling is a 36-year-old journeyman with plenty of experience playing in both the NHL and AHL. In 154 career NHL games, Dowling has nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points. He's a guy who can plug into the fourth line, fill a role, and won't lose sleep if he only gets five to eight minutes of ice time per night.
In four games played with the Wolf Pack this season, Dowling already has a goal and an assist. It's also important to note there are new rules regarding veterans in the AHL that the organization needs to be mindful of. The Wolf Pack have a surplus of players on their roster who qualify as veterans, to the point where they have had to sit two of them on a nightly basis. Swapping Beaudoin for Dowling ensures that more guys are being utilized throughout the system and, as mentioned, fits their current roles much better.
Dowling has the chance to stick in Veleno's absence, but with Juuso Parssinen and Glenn Gawdin also in the AHL, there are options if he struggles to make an impact. The Wolf Pack take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at home Wednesday, and the Rangers will take on the New Jersey Devils on the road Thursday.
