(Norfolk Admirals release)

The Norfolk Admirals have signed defenseman Daryl Boyle to a one-year American Hockey League Standard Player’s Contract, Admirals General Manager Claude Loiselle announced today.

Boyle, a 6-foot-1, 191-pound defenseman, made his professional debut with the Admirals on April 2 at Philadelphia. The 21-year-old native of Lethbridge, Alberta, played the final six games of Norfolk’s 2007-08 season under an Amateur Tryout Contract, registering a +3 rating with two penalty minutes.

WHL FINALS

Game 4: (W-3) Spokane Chiefs 4 @ (E-3) Lethbridge Hurricanes 1
Spokane wins Best of 7 series 4-0

C Mitch Fadden, LET:
Game: 0-0-0, -2, 2 PIM (holding)
Playoffs: 19 GP, 5-15-20, -3, 17 PIM (plus 10 min misconduct)

Spokane completed the four game sweep of Lethbridge with a 4-1 win in Game 4 tonight (Wednesday) to win the 2008 WHL championship. Fadden was scoreless in all four games and finished the series with a minus-6 rating. He finishes the playoffs with 20 points in 19 games, good enough for fourth (tie) in the league.

What’s Next for Fadden: The Lightning are starved for offensive production on the farm and Fadden is one of the first of a new wave of forward draftees expected to help in that area. Fadden and his representatives will sit down with Claude Loiselle and Jay Feaster of the Lightning over the next weeks to hash out Fadden’s first professional contract. Once signed, Fadden will likely end up on Norfolk next season. Fadden’s first step toward playing in the NHL – after signing a contract – will be to earn a spot in the Lightning’s training camp.

Note: With the completion of Fadden's season, there are no Lightning prospects left playing this year.

The Tampa Tribune’s Erik Erlendsson is reporting Jeff Halpern's knee injury he sustained in the USA's 5-4 loss to Canada Tuesday at the World Championships is a ruptured ACL of his right knee in addition to a Grade III sprain to his MCL and a slight tear to the lateral meniscus.

Erlendsson reports the USA captain will wait 4-6 weeks to allow the MCL injury to heal before undergoing reconstructive surgery on the ACL tendon. He is expected to miss 5-6 months of action from the time of the surgery on the ACL, which means the earliest Halpern could return to action would be late December or early January.

WHL FINALS

Game 3: (W-3) Spokane Chiefs 2 @ (E-3) Lethbridge Hurricanes 1
Spokane leads Best of 7 series 3-0

C Mitch Fadden, LET:
Game: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM
Playoffs: 18 GP, 5-15-20, -1, 17 PIM (plus 10 min misconduct)

Lethbridge is one game away from being eliminated after Spokane’s Tyler Johnson (1990) scored on the Chiefs’ third shot of overtime to take Game 3. Fadden, who hit a post in overtime, is scoreless and minus-4 in the series thus far. Game 4 is tonight (Wednesday) in Lethbridge.

WHL FINALS

Game 2: (E-3) Lethbridge Hurricanes 2 @ (W-3) Spokane Chiefs 5
Spokane leads Best of 7 series 2-0

C Mitch Fadden, LET:
Game: 0-0-0, -2, 0 PIM
Playoffs: 17 GP, 5-15-20, E, 17 PIM (plus 10 min misconduct)

Lethbridge came within 2-1 and 3-2 of Spokane in Game 2 of the WHL Finals, but couldn’t find the tying goal as Spokane put the game out of reach in the third period to take a 2-0 series lead on the Hurricanes. Mitch Fadden was scoreless for the second straight game and is now minus-3 in the series. Games 3-5 are in Lethbridge starting Tuesday.