AHL Leading Scorer Teemu Pulkkinen Recalled to Detroit
The Detroit Red Wings are looking to add some offense, and in doing so have recalled Teemu Pulkkinen from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Pulkkinen has 30 goals this season in 57 games with the Griffins to lead the league.
The 23 year old did have a stint in the NHL last month when he had six games with the Red Wings. The Finnish star was an AHL all star in the event in Utica last month.
It is likely that Pulkkinen will replace Thomas Jurco in the lineup, who has struggled to score in the last two months. Early in January, he tied a Griffins record by scoring in eight straight games.
“He shoots like Brett Hull,” said Detroit GM Ken Holland in a January story from the Edmonton Journal. High praise for such a young prospect, but Detroit has produced of late. Young players like Gustuv Nyquist and Tomas Tartar have been impact players since joining the Wings.
In his first AHL season last year, Pulkkinen scored 31 goals and 28 assists in 71 games. In his six games with Detroit this season, he only had one goal.
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A fourth round pick in 2010, Pulkkinen did not come with much fanfare to North America. With the Finnish team Jokerit Helsinki he played well, even picking up 54 points in 55 games one season, but he was still a relative unknown.
He is the first player in Griffins history to have 30 goals in back to back seasons and is the second player to have ever recorded three power play goals in a single game.
Detroit is beginning a six game road trip and they have struggled to score of late. Just last night they were shutout 2-0 against division rival Montreal Canadiens, and tomorrow night they play historic rival Chicago Blackhawks.
“Mark Howe and I went to Grand Rapids on Friday and thought he was the best player on the ice. He’s played at a high level for the entire season in the American league.” said general manager Ken Holland.
“We’re looking for a little bit of a boost. We scored one goal against Pittsburgh. We scored no goals last night. … It’s February; it’s a long season. Sometimes you just need a little bit of a boost somewhere along the line. We’re looking for him to be a little piece. Hopefully, we can be a little deeper with our offense.”
The Red Wings are in a playoff position right now, sitting in third place in the Atlantic division.