21.   Late last month, in a game against Los Angeles, their rookie defenseman Bryan McCabe was bloodied by the experienced fists of Troy Crowder.

22.   Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Radosalv Suchy was set to sign a three-year contract and be reassigned.

23.   One was the first National Hockey League goal for Rumun Ndur, a Ranger rookie defenseman.

24.   Palffy let another new teammate, Lubomir Visnovsky, stay at his house when the rookie defenseman first arrived after playing six years in the Slovakian League.

25.   P.J. Axelsson made it all happen by skating the puck around the right circle while being chased by rookie defenseman Francis Bouillon.

26.   Right wing Kelly Chase, who fought Bruins rookie defenseman Kyle McLaren, got five minutes for fighting and a game misconduct, as did McLaren.

27.   Rookie defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, who left the game in the first period Wednesday, is listed as day to day with an arm injury.

28.   Rookie defenseman Daniel Tjarnqvist, one of seven Thrashers at the World Championships in Sweden, was named the top defenseman in the tournament. . . .

29.   Rookie defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski got the play started when he outfought Todd Harvey behind the Ducks net.

30.   Rookie defenseman Andrei Zyuzin got on the ice late for a change, and Rene Corbet eluded him near the San Jose blue line.