The New York Rangers claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers, the team announced prior to Saturday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Iorio, a 23-year-old 6-foot-4, 220-pound defenseman, appeared in 21 games for the San Jose Sharks this season, recording three assists before being placed on waivers. He also skated in six games for the Sharks’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
In 2024-25, Iorio appeared in 67 games for the AHL’s Hershey Bears, recording five goals and 20 points — the third-highest total among Bears defenseman last season. He also ranked third among Bears defensemen in shots (86) and was tied for third in assists.
Iorio has skated in 30 career NHL games, split between the Sharks and the Washington Capitals — who drafted him in the second round, 55th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft — tallying four assists. He played in one playoff game for the Capitals in 2023-24. Washington placed Iorio on waivers in October 2025, where he was subsequently claimed by the Sharks.
Iorio has skated in 196 regular-season games in the AHL, split between the Barracuda and Bears, amassing 11 goals and 63 points. He won back-to-back Calder Cup championships with Hershey in 2023 and 2024. In 31 career AHL playoff games, he has one goal and seven points.
The defenseman hails from Coquitlam, British Columbia, and spent four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), appearing in 191 games. Iorio totaled 21 goals and 82 points during his Wheat Kings tenure, finishing fifth on the team with 33 assists and 44 points in 2021-22.
Rangers’ mistakes, late comeback cost them in loss to Penguins
The Rangers dropped their third straight game Saturday, falling 6-5 to the Penguins. New York is now firmly entrenched at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with an eight-point cushion separating them from the second-last team (which, as of Saturday night, was a tie between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers).
Don’t let the score deceive you.
New York put up what was arguably its worst defensive effort of the season on Saturday. They fell into a 2-0 hole in the first half of the first period (again) after two costly defensive zone turnovers led to Pittsburgh goals.
In the second period, after Jonathan Quick robbed Rickard Rakell on a cross-crease chance, three Rangers stood around and watched as Anthony Mantha buried Rakell’s pass off the rebound.
The Penguins put the game out of reach early in the third, striking 0:20 apart to open up a 5-1 lead as the Rangers got caught puck-watching.
While Alexis Lafrenière — who notched his first multi-goal game of the season — and Will Cuylle both scored in the final two minutes to close the gap to one, it was too little, too late for New York to mount a comeback.
The Rangers play once more before the Olympic break, as they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
