Former Bulldog Greg Rallo Back In NHL With Florida Panthers
Big Rapids, Mich. - Another former Ferris State University men's ice hockey standout is in the National Hockey League (NHL) as the Florida Panthers announced today (March 25) that center Greg Rallo has been recalled from the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Rallo, 31, earned his first recall to Florida this year and played in Sunday night's (March 24) 3-0 setback against the New York Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. He had played in 62 games to date with San Antonio this season and led the AHL team with 22 goals while ranking second on the club with 38 points.
The Gurnee, Illinois, native made his original NHL debut with the Panthers on Dec. 18, 2011 against Carolina, which represented the only contest he had played on hockey's biggest stage prior to last night.
Florida plays their fourth game of a five-game road trip when they visit the New York Islanders at 5 p.m. (ET) today. Rallo was on the ice eight total minutes last night.
This season, he's the third former Bulldog player to skate in the NHL. Former All-American Chris Kunitz currently ranks as one of the league's top goal scorers and point producers for the Pittsburgh Penguins while defenseman Zach Redmond made his NHL debut this year with the Winnipeg Jets before being sidelined by a season-ending injury sustained in practice.
Rallo, who originally inked a one-year, two-way contract with Florida, played at Ferris State from 2002-06. In his professional career to date, Rallo has played in 469 games and registered 250 total points (110-140-250). Overall, Rallo has spent the last seven seasons in the AHL with Iowa, Albany, Rockford, Manitoba, Texas and San Antonio.
During his Ferris State career, Rallo compiled 108 career points with 46 goals and 62 assists in 152 contests at the center and wing positions. He was honored as the 2005-06 team's Most Valuable Player and also earned the program's Lloyd Earl Trophy with a team-leading 39 points on 17 goals and 22 helpers in 40 encounters during that campaign. In the 2002-03 season, Rallo was named the recipient of the squad's Rookie of the Year Award. He concluded his Ferris State career ranked among FSU's top 30 all-time leaders in goals (46), points (108), and assists (62).
Earlier this season, Redmond officially became the 10th former Bulldog player to play in the NHL for at least one game. Former Bulldog players to see action in the NHL have included Rallo, Redmond and Kunitz along with past players including wing Dean Clark, defenseman Mike Colman, defenseman Jason Blake, defenseman Dave Karpa, defenseman John Gruden, defenseman Andy Roach and forward Rob Collins.