Tampa Bay deals Chiefs goaltender

Published on February 8, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Johnstown Chiefs News Release


Johnstown, PA (February 8, 2006) - Chiefs General Manager Toby O'Brien announced today that goaltender Brian Eklund has been traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Boston Bruins in exchange for winger Zdenek Blatny.

Blatny, 25, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound native of Brno, Czech Republic, will be assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League. He appeared in five games with the Bruins this season and skated in 35 games with Providence of the AHL, ranking fifth on the team in scoring (8 goals, 30 points) and second in assists (22).

Blatny was selected in the third round (#68) by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. He played three seasons in the Western Hockey League with Seattle and Kootenay, recording 102 goals and 209 points in 170 games. He also helped lead the Czech Republic to a gold medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships.

Eklund, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound native of Braintree, Massachusetts, went 1-0-1 in two games with the Chiefs, beating Reading in a shoot-out last night, 5-4. He made his NHL debut on Nov. 8, 2005 against the Montreal Canadiens. Eklund, who graduated from Brown University, was selected by Tampa Bay in the seventh round (#226) in 2000. He spent most of the 2005-06 season with Springfield, where he recorded a 5-11-1 record with a 4.19 goals-against average.

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