The Dallas Stars announced this morning that they have recalled forwards Aaron Gagnon and Francis Wathier from the Texas Stars to presumably accompany them on their Western Canadian road trip which starts tomorrow night against the Edmonton Oilers.
Reports from practice are that Brian Sutherby and Adam Burish are "banged up" and we'll await more detailed word on that from the beat writers at the conclusion of practice and Marc Crawford comment.
It seems likely right now, given two call-ups, that at the very least one will not be able to play Thursday, probably both. We'll wait and see.
Adam Burish was stung by a Kings shot from the point in the third period of the Stars 2-1 win on Monday night. Later in the shift, already hurting, he went down to block another shot, selfless as he is. James Neal also was stung by a shot and missed a small part of the second period Monday night but came back to finish the game and indications are that he's fine.
This will put Aaron Gagnon near his limit of 10 games (He's played 7) or 30 days with the NHL team, necessitating another trip through waivers before he can go back down to Texas. We'll keep a close eye on that as we're sure the team is.
Release after the jump and we'll update here when we know more.
Frisco, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has recalled center Aaron Gagnon and left wing Francis Wathier from the Texas Stars, Dallas’ primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Gagnon, 24, has appeared in seven games for Dallas this season, recording two assists, including his first NHL point (Dec. 6 at Columbus). The 5-11, 186-pound center has spent the majority of this season with Texas, skating in 32 games and collecting 14 points (8g, 6a). Gagnon led the Texas Stars in scoring in 2009-10 with 58 points (27g, 31a) through 77 games. The Quesnel, British Columbia, native was signed by Dallas as a free agent February 2, 2007.
Wathier, 26, has played in 42 games for Texas so far this season, ranking tied for second on the team in goals with 12 and tied for third in points with 22. In 2009-10, he recorded 40 points (19g, 21a) and 101 penalty minutes in 76 games with Texas. The St. Isidore, Ontario, native made his NHL debut last season with Dallas, appearing in five games and recording five penalty minutes. Wathier was drafted by Dallas in the sixth round (185th overall) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
The Dallas Stars are currently leading the Pacific Division with a 28-13-5 record (61 points). The Stars will look to extend their current road winning streak to a franchise-best eight games in Edmonton as they face the Oilers at 8 pm CT (TV: FOX Sports Southwest, Radio: Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket).