New York Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski has been the captain of the Hartford Wolf Pack for three seasons and has played a lot of hockey with San Jose Sharks defenseman Ty Emberson.

New York Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski has been the captain of the Hartford Wolf Pack for three seasons and has played a lot of hockey with San Jose Sharks defenseman Ty Emberson.

Although Brodzinski has solidified himself as a full-time NHLer this season, he played 47 games in the AHL in the 2022-23 season. While playing for the Wolf Pack last season, Emberson won the 22-23 AHL's Eastern Conference Defensive Defenseman of the Year award. 

"It's pretty similar to what he brought to our team the entire year, last year," Brodzinski told THN about Emberson's play this season. "He brings some offense. But I think most importantly, he [is a] solid defensive player. You're going to get big hits out of him. You're going to get physical play. He's tough to play against and really good defensively."

As for what he meant to the Wolf Pack:

"It was a huge loss because of [him] being one of our better defensemen last year," Brodzinski explained. "I was excited to have him back, and then he gets claimed. It was a he was a huge loss."

In 69 games with Hartford, Emberson had seven goals and 20 assists. He played in nine playoff games and tallied two goals and three assists.

He has been a solid addition to the Sharks' lineup. At one point, Sharks head coach David Quinn called Emberson the team's best defenseman. 

Although Emberson won't play tonight due to injury, his impact on the ice has been felt. He's been paired with the Sharks No. 1 D-man in Mario Ferraro. Throughout the season, they have often been one of the best shutdown pairs across the entire league.

Unfortunately for Emberson, he won't be able to play against the Rangers this season as he missed both games due to injury.

"[Jacob] MacDonald is close [to returning]. Emberson, not so much," Quinn said this morning. 

Being the true captain that he is, Brodzinski was still proud to see Emberson get his chance in the NHL. 

"It's always good to see a friend move on to the next level and get that chance in the NHL," Brodzinski said. 

THN asked if they had any plans to see each other, but they could not get together due to the Sharks playing in Los Angeles last night. Brodzinski did say they would try to meet up before tonight's game.

Brodzinski has one goal and eight assists in 27 games for the Rangers this season.

The Sharks take on the Rangers at 7:30 p.m. PST.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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