Texas Stars Add Four Players from Idaho Steelheads
Published on January 2, 2022 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Texas Stars News Release
CEDAR PARK, Texas - The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Dallas Stars, announced today the following transactions.
Dallas recalled forward Yauheni Aksiantsiuk from the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads and reassigned him to Texas. Additionally, Texas recalled goaltender Matt Jurusik from loan and signed forward Will Merchant and defenseman Evan Wardley to professional try-outs.
Aksiantsiuk, 20, compiled 16 points (9-7=16) in 17 games for the Steelheads with a +6 rating. He recorded his first professional hat trick Nov. 26 in a 3-2 overtime win against the Allen Americans. Aksiantsiuk also had a -4 rating in three appearances for Texas after he was first called up on Nov. 30.
The 5-foot-7, 170-pound native of Brest, Belarus was selected by Dallas in the sixth round (#162 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Jurusik, 24, had a 6-2-1 record in 10 appearances with Idaho this season with a league-best 1.66 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. He also started two games on a professional try-out with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earlier this month and went 1-1-0, with a 2.00 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Jurusik earned a 28-save shutout in his AHL debut Dec. 12 as the Penguins beat Springfield 6-0.
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound native of La Grange, Ill. signed a standard player contract with Texas on Dec. 28, 2021.
Merchant, 27, registered 21 points (10-11=21) with a +10 rating in 27 games for the Steelheads this season. He is second on the Steelheads with 10 goals and shares second with 11 assists. The Eagan, Minn. native has 180 career points (80-100) in 297 ECHL games, most of that time spent with Idaho. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward made his AHL debut with Texas on April 2, 2017 at Milwaukee.
Wardley, 27, skated in 14 games for Idaho this season, totaling three assists and 32 penalty minutes, with a +6 rating. The Calgary, Alb. native also appeared in four AHL games on a professional try-out with the Syracuse Crunch, notching one assist. He made his AHL debut on Nov. 5, 2021 against Utica. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound defenseman played four seasons at the University of Lethbridge before turning pro.
The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL's Dallas Stars. For more information, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.
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