Prospect News

Helenius Recalled to Norfolk [1]

11/30/2008 - 9:53pm

The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned goaltender Riku Helenius to the Admirals from their ECHL affiliate, the Augusta Lynx, Admirals General Manager Mike Butters announced on Sunday.

Helenius, a 6-foot-3, 202-pound goaltender from Palkane, Finland, appeared in two preseason games for the Admirals, going 1-1-0 with a 4.00 goals-against average and .840 save percentage. He did not play in a regular season game with Norfolk prior to being reassigned to Augusta on October 16.

The 20-year-old went 3-4-1 in his first eight games of North American professional hockey with the Lynx this season, posting a 4.41 goals-against average and .874 save percentage. He recorded his first pro win in his pro debut, stopping 44 of 46 shots on October 21 at Gwinnett.

Helenius was originally drafted in the first round (15th overall) by Tampa Bay in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
AHL Game Night 11/29: Penguins at Admirals [2]

11/29/2008 - 9:40pm

You fear Matt Smaby.

WBS-3
NOR-4 (OT)

Karri Ramo allowed 3 goals on 23 shots before being pulled in favor of Mike McKenna who stopped 4 of 4 shots the rest of the way for the win.

First Period
NOR Konopka, (7) (Bochenski, Smaby), 4:33
WBS Letestu, (1) (Stone, Thomas), 7:52

Second Period
WBS Caputi, (4) (Richmond, Jeffrey), 8:33
WBS Mormina, (1) (Taffe, Minard), 15:14

Third Period
NOR Bochenski, (9) (Heward, Konopka), 1:29 (PP)
NOR Szczechura, (11) (Ward, Segal), 14:54

Overtime
NOR Smaby, (2) (Rogers, Segal), 2:13

Smaby and Brandon Bochenski were the game's first and second stars.

Kudos to Darren Rumble for shaming his team by pulling Ramo after the second period. Norfolk responded by outshooting the Penguins 22-4 the rest of the way and tallying three unanswered goals to finish their home stand at 2-1-0.

Matt Smaby has 2 goals and 3 points in his last two games, sandwiched with a Turkey Day trip home to Minnesota. You get the feeling he, like several of his Admirals prospect teammates, is starting to turn the corner and line up for a callup and a real shot at the NHL later this season.

Box score [3] from TheAHL.com.
Smaby Reassigned to Norfolk [4]

11/29/2008 - 12:17pm

The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned defenseman Matt Smaby to the Admirals, it was announced today by Lightning Executive Vice President & General Manager Brian Lawton.

Smaby, a 6-5, 220-pound native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was recalled on November 27 and served as a healthy scratch November 28 at Minnesota. He has skated in 17 games with Norfolk this season, recording a goal, two assists and 22 penalty minutes. The 24-year-old has appeared in 141 career AHL games with Norfolk and Springfield, tallying four goals, 21 assists and 131 penalty minutes.
Lightning Recall Downie and Smaby [5]

11/27/2008 - 11:26am

The Tampa Bay Lightning have annouced [6] that they have recalled RW Steve Downie and D Matt Smaby from Norfolk of the AHL after injuries to W/D David Koci and D Marek Malik.

Downie, who was recently acquired in the Steve Eminger deal, has 1 goal and 13 points to go with 51 penalty minutes in 10 AHL games this season between Norfolk and Philadelphia. The forward also appeared in six scoreless games amassing 11 penalty minutes for the Flyers prior to being dealt to the Lightning. The pesky winger has appeared in 38 career NHL games with 6 goals, 12 points, and 84 penalty minutes.

Smaby has 1 goal and 3 points in 17 games with Norfolk this season to go along with 22 penalty minutes. The stay-at-home defenseman played well with Tampa Bay down the stretch of last season and has played 14 career NHL games with 12 penalty minutes.

Both players offer to raise the grit and intensity level of a Lightning club recently accused of lacking those elements [7] by Head Coach Rick Tocchet.
Rosehill Suspended Four Games [8]

11/26/2008 - 6:32pm

The American Hockey League today announced that Norfolk Admirals forward Jay Rosehill has been suspended for four (4) games and Springfield Falcons defenseman Theo Peckham has been suspended for three (3) games as a result of their altercation prior to an AHL game between the teams in Springfield on Nov. 21.

In addition, both the Admirals and Falcons have been fined an undisclosed amount.

Rosehill will miss Norfolk’s games on Wednesday (Nov. 26) vs. Springfield, Friday (Nov. 28) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Saturday (Nov. 29) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Sunday (Nov. 30) at Hershey.
Ramo Reassigned to Norfolk; Henley Recalled from Lynx [9]

11/25/2008 - 4:16pm

Lightning GM Brian Lawton announced today that goaltending prospect Karri Ramo has been reassigned from Tampa Bay to the Norfolk Admirals (AHL). The Admirals resume play Wednesday night against the Springfield Falcons at home. Ramo was recalled after Saturday's Norfolk game and played in relief of starter Olaf Kolzig in Sunday night's game against the New Jersey Devils.
BoltProspects 2008-2009 Preliminary Rankings Report [10]

11/28/2008 - 8:00pm

Today, Bolt Prospects is releasing its Preliminary Prospect Rankings for the 2008-2009 season. Eight prospects make their debut in the Top 25 since the end of the 2007-2008 season. Half of the debutantes enter the list via the 2008 NHL Entry Draft including the #1 overall pick. The other half enter the list via various trades and acquisitions made by the new Lightning ownership.

Just a reminder of the rules: a prospect is any player under the age of 24 on opening night of the Lightning’s NHL season that has not played 41 or more games in an NHL season or more than 82 games in their NHL career. For goaltenders, the games thresholds are slightly different. Netminders will be considered prospects if they have not achieved 30 or more decisions in an NHL season or 41 decisions in their NHL careers. In addition, all college players will be considered prospects, regardless of their age, until they graduate. Players over the age of 24 on opening night that have not graduated are considered overage prospects.

With all the legal disclaimers out of the way, lets begin:

1. C Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay (NHL)

Despite a slow start to his rookie campaign, Stamkos remains the clear consensus choice as the Lightning's top prospect. It's only a matter of time before Stamkos, with his world class speed and shot, becomes one of the game's elite forwards. We just hope the Lightning can finally figure out the right linemates and role to put Stamkos in a position to succeed.
Bolts to recall Ramo and either Heward or Hutchinson [11]

11/22/2008 - 3:08pm

The St. Pete Times [12] is reporting that Lightning GM Brian Lawton has indicated that Bolt goaltending prospect Karri Ramo will be recalled prior to Sunday afternoon's game against the New Jersey Devils. Ramo will backup starter Olaf Kolzig while netminder Mike Smith nurses a lower body injury that has been nagging him for a few games.

Along with Ramo, Lawton indicated that either Jamie Heward or Andrew Hutchinson would be recalled to fill in for blueliner Lukas Krajicek, who suffered a lower body injury during the Lightning's 4-1 victory over Nashville Friday night. Both Heward and Hutchinson are right-handed defenseman, and Lawton indicated that was the main reason for the recall of one of these two players. Heward was scratched in today's afternoon Admirals game against Lowell, possibly tipping the hat as to who would be recalled.

In order to make room for Ramo and Heward/Hutchinson, both Gary Roberts and Chris Gratton will be placed on the Injured Reserve list. Roberts is suffering from an upper body injury, while Gratton is out with a minor knee tweak. This move may cue a recall of goaltender Riku Helenius from the Augusta Lynx to back up Norfolk's Mike McKenna.
Finding the answer [13]

11/15/2008 - 10:14am

By Corine Gatti
NORFOLK, Va. – It is part of the life of an athlete. Being traded and packing up the suitcase to start over in an unfamiliar city is nothing new. Norfolk center Paul Szczechura experienced that last winter after being informed that the Iowa Stars traded him to the Norfolk Admirals. Shocked and disappointed, Szczechura turned his thinking around and his game around. “It was a little rough in the beginning when I found out and left Iowa [Stars],” Szczechura said. “It was around Christmas time and I knew I had to work harder.” Iowa had initially signed Szczechura to an Amateur Tryout Contract in March 2007 after finishing his collegiate career at Western Michigan University [CCHA]. He was signed to an American Hockey League Standard Player’s contract the following season. With that all behind him, Szczechura joined Norfolk undrafted and without an NHL contract.

But that didn’t last.

Szczechura’s destiny and career took a turn for the better. The Brantford, Ontario native tuned into his own offensive rhythm and adapted instantly to an Admirals jersey. The Southeast seemed to smile down on the rookie, notching seven goals in his first 10 games with Norfolk. The center tied the Admirals for third on the team with 14 goals, and finished the 2007-2008 campaign by scintillating fans with 26 points in 24 games.A two-year NHL contract with the Lightning soon followed in April. What deemed to be a setback, the trade paid dividends for both Tampa and Szczechura.

Change was good.
ECHL Prospects Statistics Update [14]

11/11/2008 - 3:52pm

Augusta Lynx
F Justin Keller, 4 GP, 4-1-5, 2 PIM, -2
D Kevin Quick, 10 GP, 1-4-5, 8 PIM, +2 * (leads all Lynx defensemen in assists and points)
F Chris Lawrence, has not yet played

G Riku Helenius, 3-2-1-0, 0 SO, 3.24 GAA, .902 sv% *

indicates not on current roster
* indicates Rookie

In today's Augusta Chronicle, head coach John Marks said he expects an additional forward will be reassigned to the Lynx prior to this weekend's back-to-back tilt against the Florida Everblades.