In a chat with the Rangers website, assistant coach Jeff Beukeboom described McIlrath as a hard working, in-your-face defenseman that “hits hard and doesn’t mind sticking up for his teammates.”
Beukeboom added that McIlrath has improved “dramatically” since his first game and is getting better and better each week.
McIlrath said that his goal is be called up by the Rangers but understands it may not happen until training camp.
He said that the toughest adjustment has been playing at a level where all the players are smart and everyone is a good player.
The Whale play the Sound Tigers tonight in Hartford.
On 12/20, McIlrath told Paul Doyle of the Courant “Its been really good. The knee feels real good. Obviously I have to get my game back because its been a while, but it’s slowly coming along. The hands are getting better. I feel a lot more comfortable each day.”
He said that he was willing to be patient with his return but expected it to be after Christmas or around New Years.
At Blueshirts United, Dylan McIlrath talked about how he is in the process of returning to the ice and working his way back into the lineup for the Whale after offseason knee surgery.
He said that he hopes to participate in bag skates and conditioning drills by the end of the week as now he is only hopping on the ice at the end of practice and skating around by himself.
McIlrath says that he credits the training staff with the Rangers and the Whale with helping him get as healthy as possible.
