
Bryzgalov, Popovic, Hedstrom and Reirden Join Anaheim
April 7, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Cincinnati RailRaiders News Release
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Cincinnati Mighty Ducks goaltender Ilja Bryzgalov, right wing Jonathan Hedstrom and defensemen Mark Popovic and Todd Reirden have been added to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim roster for the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bryzgalov, 22, appeared in 54 games with Cincinnati this season, going 12-26-9 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. The 6-foot-3, 198-pounder ranked third among AHL goaltenders in games and minutes played (3,020) and finished fifth in saves (1,437).
Hedstrom, 25, had 14 goals and 21 assists with 62 penalty minutes in 50 games with Cincinnati this season. The 6-foot, 200-pounder played in four games with Anaheim, going scoreless.
Popovic, 20, had three goals and 21 assists with 46 penalty minutes and a team-leading plus-8 rating in 73 games with Cincinnati in his first professional season.
Reirden, 31, appeared in 58 games with Cincinnati this season, recording seven goals and 13 assists with 97 penalty minutes. The Bowling Green State University product missed 22 games due to injury, including 18 consecutive games December 7 through January 11 with a torn oblique muscle.
Bryzgalov, Hedstrom, Popovic and Reirden join Marc Chouinard, Martin Gerber, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Niclas Havelid, Jason Krog, Mike Leclerc, Andy McDonald, Samuel Pahlsson, Ruslan Salei, Cam Severson, Kevin Sawyer, Alexei Smirnov and Vitaly Vishnevski as former AHL Ducks on Anaheim's playoff roster.
Mike Babcock, a leading candidate for the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year, coached Cincinnati for two seasons before being named the sixth head coach in Anaheim's history May 22, 2002.
Anaheim will face the Detroit Red Wings, who are seeking their second consecutive Stanley Cup and fourth in seven years, in the opening round of the playoffs beginning at 7:00 p.m. Thursday at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.
Anaheim begins its best-of-7 opening round Western Conference playoff series Thursday at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.
American Hockey League Stories from April 7, 2003
- Bryzgalov, Popovic, Hedstrom and Reirden Join Anaheim - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Wolves Face Hershey in Quarterfinal Matchup - Chicago Wolves
- Rangers Name Don Maloney General Manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack - Connecticut Whale
- Eight Players Added To Monarchs Roster In Anticipation Of The Playoffs - Manchester Monarchs
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
- Bulldogs Finish Season on Top of AHL - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Admirals Make History with First AHL Playoff Appearance - Milwaukee Admirals
- Ritchie Rejoins Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
- Sound Tigers Head Into Playoffs On Four Game Win Streak - Bridgeport Islanders
- IceCats Raise Thousands for Habitat for Humanity - Worcester IceCats
- Hossa, Komisarek and Ward to Join Bulldogs for Playoffs - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Sound Tigers Announce Several Transactions - Bridgeport Islanders
- Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin Named AHL Player of the Week - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Aeros Set First Round Playoff Dates - Houston Aeros
- Moose Finish Regular Season as Ninth Seed - Manitoba Moose
- Pirates Open Playoffs against Manitoba - Portland Pirates
- AHL Playoff Time is Here - AHL
- Wolf Pack Announce Qualifying Round Playoff Schedule - Connecticut Whale
- Maple Leafs Announce Year End Award Winners - Toronto Marlies
- Pens' Aubin named Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Norfolk Captures Second South Division Title - Norfolk Admirals
- Sixth Annual West Michigan Sports Awards Wet for May 13 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Postseason Play Begins Sunday as Bears Head to Chicago - Hershey Bears
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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