Atlanta Assigns 14 Players to Wolves
September 16, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Chicago Wolves News Release
The Atlanta Thrashers have assigned 14 players to the Chicago Wolves, including goaltender KARI LEHTONEN (CAR-ee LEH-tuh-nehn), who was named the No. 1-rated player in The Hockey News' 2003 and 2004 Future Watch, and the publication¹s minor pro prospect of the year last season.
In addition, the Thrashers assigned forwards STEPHEN BABY, KEVIN DOELL, TOMMI SANTALA, BRAD SCHELL, KARL STEWART and COLIN STUART; defensemen JEFF DWYER, PAUL FLACHE, LANE MANSON, BRIAN SIPOTZ and LIBOR USTRNUL; and goaltenders ADAM BERKHOEL and MICHAEL GARNETT.
LEHTONEN paced Wolves netminders with 20 wins, a 2.41 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in 39 regular-season appearances last year. The Helsinki, Finland, native posted a perfect 4-0-0-0 mark in his National Hockey League debut with Atlanta last season, notching a 1.25 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage. LEHTONEN was named the starting netminder for PlanetUSA in the American Hockey League's 2004 All-Star Game and represented runner-up Finland in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Chicago-native BABY (BAH-bee) paced team rookies and ranked sixth on the Wolves last season with 14 goals. The 24-year-old forward finished third last year among AHL rookies with a .159 shooting percentage (14 goals on 88 shots).
STEWART paced the Wolves with a +24 plus/minus rating and led the club with 186 penalty minutes. The Aurora, Ontario, native also finished third among AHL rookies and fourth on the team with 32 assists. Last season, STEWART registered one assist and four penalty minutes in five games with Atlanta, which includes his NHL debut on Nov. 7 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
SANTALA ranked fifth on the Wolves with 15 goals and sixth on the team with 37 points in 50 games last season. The Helsinki, Finland, native notched three points (G, 2A) in 33 games with Atlanta.
BERKHOEL (BUHRK-uhl) led the University of Denver to the 2004 NCAA Championship and was named the NCAA Championship Tournament MVP. The 23-year-old goaltender recorded a 24-11-4 mark with a 2.45 goals-against average in 39 games for the Pioneers. BERKHOEL was acquired by the Thrashers from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations on June 27, 2004.
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