EX-PACK, EX-ECHL CHECKER, BROUILLETTE MOVING UP

CHECKERS SIGN BROUILLETTE TO PTO
Former Charlotte d-man leads all ECHL blueliners in points

Charlotte Checkers general manager and head coach Jeff Daniels announced today that the team has signed former ECHL Checkers defenseman Julien Brouillette to a professional tryout.

Brouillette, 23, has skated in 12 games with the Greenville Road Warriors and currently leads all ECHL defensemen with 11 points (6g, 5a). He also leads all active ECHL players with a +9 rating.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound native of St. Esprit, Quebec split last season between the ECHL Checkers and Providence Bruins and Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. In 24 games with Providence and Hartford, he recorded one goal and four assists while scoring 13 goals and 20 assists (33 points) in 49 games with Charlotte.

The Checkers (8-7-3) are in action tonight (7 p.m.) and Friday (7 p.m.) against the Adirondack Phantoms. Holiday packs are on sale now and include four games, a merchandise certificate and a puck for just $35. For more information, call 704-342-4423 or email tickets@gocheckers.com.

This move is likely predicated on two other moves made by the Carolina organization.

First defenseman Brett Carson was again recalled to the big club who also announced a trade of defenseman Ian White and forward Brett Sutter arriving from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Anton Babchuk and forward Tom Kostopoulos.

Here are both releases:

Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has recalled defenseman Brett Carson from the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Carson will be available to play for Carolina tonight against the Ottawa Senators at the RBC Center (7 p.m., FOX Sports Carolinas HD, Hurricanes Radio Network).

This marks Carson’s fourth stint with the Hurricanes this season. The Regina, Sask., native has played in two NHL games in 2010-11, averaging 12:33 of ice time per game. In nine AHL games with Charlotte, Carson (6’4”, 210 lbs.) has earned two assists and posted a plus-1 plus/minus rating. Carson, 24, has played in 61 career NHL regular-season games, and has scored two goals and earned 10 assists (12 points). The Hurricanes drafted Carson in the fourth round, 109^th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

And the trade release:

Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has acquired defenseman Ian White and forward Brett Sutter from the Calgary Flames. In exchange for White and Sutter, the Hurricanes have traded defenseman Anton Babchuk and forward Tom Kostopoulos to the Flames.

Rutherford will be available to the media tonight at 6 p.m. in the RBC Center Media Room prior to the Hurricanes’ game against the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., FOX Sports Carolinas, Hurricanes Radio Network). Neither White nor Sutter will be available to play in Carolina’s game tonight.

“Ian is a complete defenseman who can play in our top four, and in all situations, said Rutherford. “Brett is a young forward who is in the development stages of his professional career and gives us depth at the forward positions.

“We thank Tom and Anton for their time with the Hurricanes, and wish them well.”

White, 26, has scored two goals and earned four assists (6 points) in the Flames’ 16 games this season. He established career highs in goals (13), assists (25), points (38) and games played (83) in 2009-10, splitting the season between Toronto and Calgary. White was acquired by the Flames from the Maple Leafs on Jan. 31, 2010, along with Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers, in exchange for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie.

The Steinbach, Man., native is in his sixth NHL season, and has notched 34 goals, 89 assists (123 points) and accumulated 208 penalty minutes in 339 career regular-season games with Toronto and Calgary. The Maple Leafs drafted White (5’10”, 200 lbs.) in the sixth round, 191^st overall, of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, and he played for three seasons under Hurricanes head coach Paul Maurice while in the Maple Leafs’ organization – 2005-06 with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Toronto Marlies, and 2006-07 and 2007-08 with the Maple Leafs.

Sutter, 23, has played in four games with the Flames this season, earning one assist and averaging 10:07 of ice time per game. The Viking, Alb., native is in his fourth professional season, and has scored one goal and earned one assist (2 points) in 18 career NHL regular-season games with Calgary. Sutter (6’0”, 200 lbs.) is currently on a conditioning stint with the Flames’ AHL affiliate Abbottsford Heat, and will report to Carolina’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. The Flames drafted Sutter – the older cousin of Hurricanes alternate captain Brandon Sutter – in the sixth round, 179^th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.