Gotta love the fluid rosters in the ECHL -- meaning you've got to keep a sense of humor about it or you'll get worked up over things that are not under your control.
Take the Alaska Aces for instance. They waived back-up goaltender Andy Iles on Friday to make roster room for goalie Johan Gustafsson, who the NHL's Minnesota Wild assigned to the Aces from AHL Iowa. Well, ECHL Florida snapped up Iles on waivers -- he played for them last season after closing his career at Cornell -- and Gustafsson worked Alaska's 6-4 win at Stockton on Friday night.
But, after backing up Niklas Lundstrom in the Aces' 5-3 loss at Stockton on Saturday, Gustafsson was promptly recalled back to Iowa because Josh Harding left Iowa's game Saturday night after two periods with what NHL Minnesota said was dehydration.
And, so, the Aces are down to one goalie -- Lundstrom -- with three games left on a six-game road trip. Imagine they will make do short-term with emergency back-up goalies.
Hey, at least this time Harding's "injury'' took place on the ice. He was suspended by the Minnesota Wild before season's start after injuring his foot, reportedly by kicking a wall after an off-ice incident with a teammate. Iowa's next game is Monday at Charlotte.