Earlier today the New Jersey Devils announced a number of roster transactionsrecalling three players from the Utica Comets, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Forward Lenni Hameenaho and defensemen Dennis Cholowski and Colton White were called up, while goaltender Jakub Malek was used as a practice goaltender, per the NHL’s current Olympic regulations.
Hameenaho has played a handful of games with the Devils, starting with a brief stint in mid-January. He has four points in nine games so far with two goals and two assists. Likewise, he was solid in the AHL, with 22 points in 34 games.
The last time Cholowski played in an NHL game was mid-December, and he played just 15 games for the Devils this season. He recorded one assist within that time frame before being cleared off waivers and assigned to the AHL last month.
White has a little more experience in the NHL due to the injuries that have plagued the Devils’ blue line all season. He was a solid depth defender with four points, scored 23 goals and blocked 16 shots.
Malek remains an important goalkeeper. He hasn’t seen NHL ice yet, but has a 7-10-1 record and an .894 save percentage (SV%) with the Comets. As of now, he’ll fill in during practices while the Devils’ starting goalie, Jacob Markstrom, remains with Team Sweden at the Olympics.
Today (February 18) was the first Devils training since the start of the Olympic break. Fans and players alike have enjoyed a brief reprieve from Devils hockey, but now the team is looking to get back on track against the Buffalo Sabers at home on February 25.
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