JON MATSUMOTO RECALLED

JON MATSUMOTO RECALLED

Jiri Tlusty placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury

RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has recalled center Jon Matsumoto (mat-suh-MOH-toh) on an emergency basis from Charlotte of the American Hockey League (AHL). In addition, the team has placed forward Jiri Tlusty (YIH-ree T’LOO-stee) on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 16. Tlusty has missed the last nine Hurricanes games with an upper-body injury.

Matsumoto, 24, joins the Hurricanes for his third NHL recall of the season. The Ottawa, Ont., native is in his first NHL season, and has scored two goals and averaged 7:31 of ice time in 11 games with Carolina. Matsumoto (6’0”, 184 lbs.) has notched 10 goals and earned 14 assists (24 points) in 25 AHL games this season with the Checkers. Philadelphia’s third-round pick in the 2006 Entry Draft, Matsumoto has tallied 91 goals and 106 assists (197 points) in 276 career AHL games with Philadelphia, Adirondack and Charlotte. Carolina acquired Matsumoto from the Flyers on June 26, 2010, in exchange for Carolina’s 2010 seventh-round draft pick.

The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Florida Panthers tonight (7:30 p.m., FOX Sports Carolinas HD, Hurricanes Radio Network) in the second game of a two-game road trip. Following tonight’s game, Carolina returns home, where it will host Atlanta on Sunday afternoon (1:30 p.m., Hurricanes Radio Network) at the RBC Center. For information on 2010-11 Carolina Hurricanes ticket packages, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com, or call 1-866-NHL-CANES