Anchorage winger Zoe Hickel, fresh off winning the inaugural Isobel Cup with the National Women's Hockey League's Boston Pride, is now with USA Hockey's national team and seeking a second straight gold medal in the Women's World Championships.
Hickel, 23, and the Americans kicked off the tournament Monday with a 3-1 win over rival Canada in Kamloops, British Columbia. The Americans face Finland later Tuesday.
On the NHL front, this has been a rough campaign for veteran defenseman Matt Carle of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Carle has been a healthy scratch a considerable number of times this season, but his role and his ice time have been elevated of late following the shelving of Anton Stralman, the Lightning's No. 2 D -- Stralman suffered a broken leg last Friday. In that game against the Islanders, Carle, who came in averaging 16:14 of ice time per game, racked a season-high 24:27. The next night he logged 18:42 and Monday, in a win over Toronto, he logged 21:54, second-most among Tampa Bay D and Carle's second-highest ice time this season.
Speaking of the NHL, former UAF goaltender Chad Johnson is putting up a fine season for rebuilding Buffalo. Johnson stopped 26 of 28 shots Monday in a 3-2 loss to Detroit (empty-net goal in there for Winged Wheel) and owns at career-high in wins at 19-16-3. He owns a 2.38 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
UAA has landed another recruit, according to the British Columbia Hockey League. Incoming forward is Corey Renwick, a 6-1, 190-pounder who is 20 and will join the Seawolves in the fall. Stats-wise, looks like a depth guy -- 9-20--29 in 52 regular-season games with the Nanaimo Clippers, and 2-1--3 in nine playoff games. He's got good size, and the Seawolves can use more of that.
Speaking of the Seawolves, let's check in on how some of the recently departed -- guys who started their pro careers after finishing their college careers earlier this month -- are doing in the play-for-pay game.
Center Blake Tatchell has played two games for AHL's Lake Erie, no points and an even rating. Defenseman Austin Sevalrud, who captained UAA, has an assist and is +1 in five games with ECHL Fort Wayne. And defenseman Chris Williams doesn't have a point, but he's +1, in six games with ECHL Norfolk.
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