Sad news for a former member of the New York Rangers family.  The mother of former Hartford Wolf Pack forward and Rangers prospect Hugh Jessiman died Wednesday following a fall while walking in the Scottish Highlands, where the Jessiman family was vacationing together.  Laura Woodberry Jessiman of Darien, Connecticut was found near Durness, Sutherland, Scotland after a search by police and mountain rescue personal.  She was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.  More information about the tragedy is available from the Darien Times, BBC, and UK hiking site Grough.

On Wednesday, July 1, Hugh and a collection of NHL, AHL and former college players, including Rangers prospect Greg Moore, are scheduled to participate in The Big Assist, an exhibition game to raise money for the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation, which assists Connecticut residents suffering from spinal cord injuries.  The players, headed by the Ottawa Senator’s Ryan Shannon and featuring Tampa Bay Lightning star Martin St. Louis, will honor Laura Jessiman by wearing patches with her initials and holding a moment of silence prior to the game, which will be dedicated to her memory.  For more information on the  event, or to buy tickets, visit the OHHF web site.

Our condolences go out to the Jessiman family.