Bobby Sanguinetti

Playing career

Sanguinetti grew up in Lumberton Township, New Jersey, after being born in Trenton. His peewee team, the New Jersey Rockets, won the 2001 Tier 1 USA National Championship, and he played in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Philadelphia Flyers minor ice hockey team. He attended Lawrenceville School for his freshman and sophomore years, leaving after being drafted. Selected by the New York Rangers with the 21st pick in the first round of the 2006 NHL entry draft, Sanguinetti, a Rangers fan growing up, has said he models his game after former Ranger Brian Leetch and wears 22 to honor Leetch, who wore number 2. In the 2006–07 season, he finished second among Ontario Hockey League defensemen in goals with 23 and tenth with 53 points. The Owen Sound Attack were eliminated in four playoff games, during which Sanguinetti recorded three goals and three assists. He was then called up to the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he had five assists in seven regular season games and one point in the playoffs. The Rangers signed him to his first professional contract in April 2007. During the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Sanguinetti greeted fans outside the arena and signed autographs. Promoted to the Rangers on January 10, 2009, he did not play and was returned to Hartford the next day. In 2009, he was selected for the AHL all-star game, playing for PlanetUSA alongside Russian teammate Artem Anisimov, and led PlanetUSA in the hardest shot competition. The following season, he was again selected to the AHL all-star game and won the fastest skater competition, setting a new AHL record. Called up to the Rangers twice that season, he made his NHL debut on December 27 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing 16.14 minutes on 22 shifts. He played five games for the Rangers, recording no points and four penalty minutes, with five shots and an even plus/minus rating. On June 26, 2010, Sanguinetti was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2011 and a sixth-round draft pick in 2010.