MINNESOTA WILD REASSIGNS FORWARDS TO IOWA
Apr 14, 2023SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has reassigned forwards Damien Giroux, Marco Rossi, Nick Swaney, and Sammy Walker to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL). Forward Nic Petan has been placed on waivers and will be assigned to Iowa Saturday if he clears waivers.
Giroux, 23, has recorded 21 points (3-18=21), 28 penalty minutes (PIM) and 85 shots in 65 games with Iowa this season. He set new career highs in assists and points and recorded two multi-point games, including a three-point game on Dec. 28 against Colorado (2-1=3). The 5-foot-10, 180-pound native of Hanmer, Ontario, has collected 47 points (13-34=47), 75 PIM and 182 shots in 147 games spanning three seasons in Iowa. Prior to his time in Iowa, Giroux spent the better part of four seasons with the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), collecting 194 points (101-93=194), 83 PIM, 21 PPG’s and a plus-46 rating. Giroux made his NHL debut on Apr. 13 at Nashville and earned an assist.
Rossi, 21, has tallied 50 points (16-34=50) and 46 PIM in 51 games with Iowa this season. He ranks second on the team in points, third in assists, fourth in power-play goals (six) and fifth in shots on goal (131). Rossi was named AHL Player of the Week on Mar. 20. He has also collected one assist in 19 games with Minnesota this season. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound native of Feldkirch, Austria, owns one assist in 21 career NHL games with the Wild. Rossi has notched 103 points (34-69=103), 92 PIM and a plus-15 rating in 114 career AHL games with Iowa. He was selected by the Wild in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Swaney, 25, has recorded 28 points (16-12=28), 14 penalty minutes (PIM), three power-play goals (PPG) and 129 shots in 46 games with Iowa this season, ranking third on the team with a plus-13 rating. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound native of Lakeville, Minn., owns 68 points (3-35=68), 32 PIM, six PPG and a plus-19 rating in 114 career AHL games, all with Iowa. Swaney recorded 101 points (46-55=101) and 20 PIM in four seasons (2017-21) at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, helping the Bulldogs to consecutive NCAA Championships wins in 2018 and 2019. He was selected by the Wild in the seventh round (209th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and most recently signed a one-year, two-way contract with Minnesota on July 17, 2022. Swaney made his NHL debut on Apr. 13 at Nashville.
Walker, 23, has tallied 46 points (26-20=46) and a plus-18 rating in 54 games with Iowa this season. He leads Iowa in goals and power-play goals (nine), is tied for first in plus/minus rating, ranks second with five game-winning goals (GWG) and fifth in points. Among AHL rookies, Walker is tied for second in GWG and ranks third in goals, tied for third in PPG and is fifth in plus/minus rating. Walker has tallied one goal and one assist in nine games with Minnesota this season. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound native of Edina, Minnesota, recorded 112 points (48-64=112) and 81 PIM in 144 games during four seasons at the University of Minnesota (2018-22). Originally selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round (200th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Walker signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Minnesota on Aug. 18, 2022. Walker made his NHL debut on Dec. 10 at Vancouver and recorded his first career NHL goal on Dec. 27 at Winnipeg.
Petan, 27, has recorded 60 points (23-37=60) and 50 penalty minutes (PIM) in 51 games with Iowa this season. He leads the team in points, ranks T-1st with a plus-18 rating, second in assists, T-2nd in goals and power-play goals (seven) and third in shots on goal (152). Petan has also collected a goal and two assists in 10 games with Minnesota this season. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound native of Delta, British Columbia, owns 33 points (7-26=33) and 44 PIM in 164 career NHL games in parts of seven seasons with Winnipeg (2015-19), Toronto (2019-21) and Vancouver (2021-22). Petan has tallied 239 points (80-159=239) and 140 PIM in 235 career AHL games with Manitoba (2015-18), Toronto (2019-20), Abbotsford (2021-22) and Iowa (2022-23). Minnesota signed Petan to a two-year, two-way contract on July 13, 2022.
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