The Alaska Aces have picked up a reinforcement on defense -- the St. Louis Blues have assigned second-year blueliner Brett Ponich to the Aces from AHL Peoria.
Ponich, 22, is a 6-foot-7, 225-pounder who already in ECHL playoff eligible because he has played 13 games this season for the Evansville IceMen (1-2--3, +3).
In 26 games with Peoria, Ponich hasn't scored a point and is -2.
Two Aces defenseman currently are in the AHL -- rookie William Wrenn, who played with Ponich in junior for WHL Portland, is with the Texas Stars, and Corey Syvret is with the Toronto Marlies.
Also, Aces captain Steve Ward missed the club's last game with an upper-body injury, but practiced Monday and was scheduled to make the team's trip Tuesday to Colorado, where the Aces open a three-game series against the Eagles on Wednesday.
Also practicing was winger Alexandre Imbeault, who sat out last week's three-game homestand against Idaho with a bad back. He too was scheduled to make the trip to Colorado.
