Kowalski gets call to NHL
March 12, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release
Estero, FL - Florida Everblades President and General Manager Craig Brush along with Head Coach Gerry Fleming announced today that goaltender Craig Kowalski has been called up to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League and that goaltender Justin Peters has been assigned to the Everblades from the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League.
Kowalski becomes the third former Everblade this season to earn a call to the NHL joining Martin Lojek and Drew Larman, who both skated in games with the Florida Panthers. The 26-year-old net minder has started in 15 straight games for the Everblades going 9-4-2 in that span. Overall this season the Clinton Township, Michigan native has appeared in 38 games going 24-11-3 with a 2.69 goals against average and a .916 save percentage. Kowalski has also notched two shutouts, which came in back-to-back starts on December 23 and December 29.
Kowalski, who was the emergency back up goaltender for Carolina during their run to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship, was named the ECHL's Goaltedner of the Week for the week of December 18-24, during which he went 3-0-0 with one shutout and a GAA of 2.33. The former 8th round draft pick by the Hurricanes in 2000 is in his third professional season and has compiled an overall record of 55-32-14 in 103 career games between the Everblades and Lowell of the AHL.
To replace Kowalski on the Everblades roster, the Hurricanes assigned Peters from the River Rats where the 20-year-old has played in 29 games compiling a record of 10-17-0 with a 3.15 GAA and a .889 save percentage. Peters was a second round draft pick by the Hurricanes in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and is in his rookie season after spending the past four seasons at the junior level in the Ontario Hockey League.
Last season the Blyth, Ontario native split time between the Toronto St. Michael's Majors and the Plymouth Whalers. In 20 games with Toronto to start the 2005-06 season Peters was 10-6-3 with a 3.83 GAA and a .893 save percentage. Peters finished the year by playing in 35 regular season games with the Whalers compiling a 19-15-1 record with a 2.95 GAA, and adding 13 games in the OHL playoffs where he was 6-7 with a 3.19 GAA.
The Florida Everblades, proud affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers, return to action on Tuesday, March 13 when they host the South Carolina Stingray at 7:30 p.m. at Germain Arena. Florida Everblades group tickets and individual game tickets are now available! Reserve your seat for all the exciting action today by calling (239) 948-7825. Visit www.floridaeverblades.com and www.germainarena.com for more information on group ticket packages, pricing and upcoming Germain Arena events.
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