December 23, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE â" December 23, 2008
Capitals Recall Bryan Helmer and Andrew Gordon from Hershey
ARLINGTON, Va. â" The Washington Capitals have recalled defensemen Bryan Helmer and forward Andrew Gordon from the
Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.
Helmer, 36, is a 6â™1â, 215-pound 16-year pro from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He is the Bears captain and is the active AHL games played (894) and assists (361) leader. The undrafted Helmer, No. 43 with Washington, has 11 assists in 25 AHL games with year. He was recently named captain for the Canadian team in next monthâ™s AHL All-Star Classic. This is Helmerâ™s second recall of the year, as he recorded one assist in six games with the Capitals from Nov. 28 â" Dec. 10. He has 24 points (8g-16a) in 140 career NHL games with Washington, Phoenix, Vancouver and St. Louis.
Gordon, 23, is a 6â™0â, 185-pound second-year pro from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has 20 points (10g-10a) in 30 AHL games this year and is one of only four Bears to have double-digit goals and assists. Gordon has two game-winning goals and has tallied at least one point in 15 games this season.
He was the Capitalsâ™ seventh-round choice, 197th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Gordon skated in 58 games for Hershey last year and in 11 for the ECHLâ™s South Carolina Stingrays. He ranked third in Hershey and tied for fourth among AHL rookies with 51 points (16g-35a) and tied for second on the team and was fifth among AHL rookies in assists. Gordon, No. 63 with Washington, led Hershey in playoff scoring with five points (3g-2a) in five games. He had 14 points (8g-6a) in the regular season for South Carolina last year and tallied eight points (5g-3a) in nine playoff games for the Stingrays.
Helmer and Gordon are available to play tonight when Washington faces the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Gordon would be making his NHL debut.
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