04/10/2009 4:19 PM -
Carolina's First Choice In 2008 Draft Ready For AHL Debut With River Rats
ALBANY, NY – The Albany River Rats announced today that center Zach Boychuk has joined the team from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, his WHL junior club. Albany also announced that defenseman Jonathan Paiement has been returned on loan to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades.
Boychuk, 19, joins Albany after completing his fourth season of junior hockey with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL. The Airdrie, Alberta native was drafted by Carolina in the first round (14th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He began the 2008-09 season in Carolina’s NHL training camp and made his NHL debut on October 17th at Los Angeles. After playing in two NHL games, Boychuk (5’10”, 180 lbs) was returned to Lethbridge, where he posted 57 points (28 goals, 29 assists) in just 43 games played. He helped lead his junior team as the seventh seed into the WHL playoffs, where they knocked off the second seeded Saskatoon Blades in seven games in their first round series; the Hurricanes were swept by the Calgary Hitmen in the second round. Boychuk also represented Team Canada in the 2009 Under-20 World Junior Championships in Ottawa, scoring seven points (4 goals, 3 assists) in six games and helping the Canadians win their second straight goal medal.
Paiement, 24, returned to the River Rats lineup on Wednesday night against Philadelphia for the first time since being hospitalized after the team’s bus accident on February 19th. The Montreal, Quebec native finished the game with a +1 rating and scored two shootout goals in Albany’s 4-3 win over the Phantoms. Paiement (6’1”, 196 lbs), who has 12 points (1 goal, 11 assists) in 45 games for the River Rats this season, was reassigned to Florida (ECHL) on Thursday; the Everblades begin their first round Kelly Cup Playoffs series with Gwinnett on Friday night at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida.
In their final road game of the season Albany will face off with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday, April 10th at 7:05 pm at Wachovia Arena. The River Rats last home of the 2008-09 season is on Saturday, April 11th against Binghamton at 7:00 pm at the Times Union Center.
River Rats flex ticket packages and individual game tickets are on sale now at the River Rats office and the Times Union Center Box Office. For more information please contact the Albany River Rats at (518) 487-2244 or online at www.albanyriverrats.com.
