AHL Syracuse Crunch

Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Forward Raffi Torres from Edmonton Oilers in Exchange for Forward

July 1, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY (July 1, 2008) - The Syracuse Crunch announced today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired forward Raffi Torres from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Gilbert Brule.

Torres, 26, has registered 126 points (67g, 59a) with 255 penalty minutes in 307 career NHL games with the Oilers and New York Islanders. He tallied 11 points (5g, 6a) and 36 penalty minutes in 32 games in 2007-08, missing 49 games due to a knee injury.

The Islanders' second pick, fifth overall, in the 2000 Entry Draft, Torres played parts of two seasons with the club before joining the Oilers prior to the 2003-04 campaign. He notched 34 points (20g, 14a) and 65 penalty minutes during his rookie season in 2003-04 and represented the Oilers at the NHL YoungStars Game during All-Star Weekend. After spending the lockout-cancelled 2004-05 season with the American Hockey League's Edmonton Road Runners, he registered a career-high 41 points (27g, 14a) with 50 penalty minutes with the Oilers in 2005-06. He ranked second on the club in goals and sixth in points and added 11 points (4g, 7a) and 16 penalty minutes in 22 playoff games to help Edmonton advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2006-07, he collected 34 points (15g, 19a) and 88 penalty minutes in 82 games, setting career highs in assists and penalty minutes.

The 6-foot, 216-pound native of Toronto, Ontario played three seasons with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League from 1998-01. He registered 223 points (111g, 112a) and 148 penalty minutes in 185 career OHL games, including a career-high 91 points (43g, 48a) in 68 games in1999-00. He earned OHL All-Rookie Team honors in 1998-99 and was a Second Team OHL All-Star in 1999-00 and 2000-01. One of his teammates with the Battalion from 1999-01 was current Blue Jackets defenseman Rostislav Klesla. Torres also scored in overtime of the bronze medal game for Canada at the 2001 World Junior Championships.

Brule was Columbus' first pick, sixth overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft. He appeared in 16 games with the Crunch last season, notching 10 points (5g, 5a) and 44 penalty minutes. He has appeared in146 career games with Columbus over the past three seasons, tallying 32 points (12 g, 20a) and 52 penalty minutes. In 2007-08, he collected 9 points (1g, 8a) and 24 penalty minutes in 61 games with the Blue Jackets.

Season tickets for the 2008-09 season are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Crunch office at (315) 473- 4444 or by stopping by the Crunch office in the War Memorial at Oncenter.

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