Aces Shuffle Deck Heading Into Victoria Tonight
Published on December 27, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
VICTORIA, BC - The Alaska Aces have acquired winger Evan Kotsopoulos and the ECHL rights to forward Mike Walsh from the Utah Grizzlies in exchange for veteran left winger Lance Galbraith.
Kotsopoulos will be in the lineup tonight when Alaska, losers of five straight for only the second time in its ECHL history, opens a two-game series against resurgent Victoria at 4:05 p.m. AT, with live radio coverage on KFQD 750 AM. Walsh, who had four assists in five games for Utah in its first-round playoff loss to the Aces a year ago, remains in the American Hockey League for now with Grand Rapids. He has yet to play an ECHL game this year and has two goals in 14 games for the Griffins.
The Aces (11-14-2 overall, 6-10 on the road) have dropped 10 of their last 13 games, with just seven wins in 23 contests since a 4-0 start to fall into last place in the West Division. The Salmon Kings lost three straight to open the year in Alaska, eventually going just 1-9 in their first 10 games, but have since rallied for an 11-4-3 record (including six consecutive victories) over their last 18, leaving them just one game shy of the.500 mark. Prior to the Christmas break, Victoria swept both Las Vegas and Stockton in three-game series at home.
Kotsopoulos, a fourth-year pro who racked up 41 points (14g-27a) last year with Utah and Mississippi, had one goal and four assists in 24 games with the Grizzlies this season. Walsh, who will turn 27 in two weeks, is in the midst of his fourth pro season after spending four years at Notre Dame. Originally a fifth-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2002, the 6-2, 218-pounder registered 35 points (13g-22a) in 49 ECHL games for Utah last season.
Galbraith scored 18 goals in 46 games for Alaska last season and added 10 more in the playoffs as the club went all the way to the Kelly Cup Finals, but had been limited to three goals in 23 games this season. In other Aces transactions occurring during the holiday break, forward Patrick Brosnihan (two assists in 23 games with the Aces this season) has retired from pro hockey. He had been playing under an AHL contract with Peoria. Alaska also has surrendered its ECHL rights to Bryan Leitch, who has since been re-assigned by Milwaukee (AHL) to the Florida Everblades. He scored twice in four games with the Aces.
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