MINNESOTA WILD RECALLS FORWARDS LUKE JOHNSON, GERALD MAYHEW AND KYLE RAU FROM TAXI SQUAD
Jan 31, 2021SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled forwards Luke Johnson, Gerald Mayhew and Kyle Rau from the taxi squad, recalled forwards Will Bitten and Mason Shaw from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) to the taxi squad and reassigned goaltender Andrew Hammond to the taxi squad. In addition, the team announced today that defenseman Matt Dumba (lower-body) has been placed on Injured Reserve and forward Mats Zuccarello (upper-body) has been placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve.
Johnson collected 31 points (18-13=31) and 43 penalty minutes (PIM) in 42 games with the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season. He ranked T-2nd in the AHL in PPG (13) and third on the team in goals and fourth in shots on goal (154). The 5-foot-11, 174-pound native of Grand Forks, North Dakota, also appeared in three games with Minnesota in 20019-20. He owns one assist in 18 career NHL contests. Johnson was signed as a free agent by Minnesota on July 1, 2019. He wears sweater No. 41 with the Wild.
Mayhew tallied 61 points (39-22=61), 68 PIM and a plus-16 rating in 49 games with Iowa last season. He led the AHL in goals and GWG (10), ranked T-2nd in PPG (13), T-3rd in scoring and T-6th in shots on goal (179) and won the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP. Mayhew’s 39 goals were most in AHL since the 2011-12 season. The 5-foot-9, 161-pound native of Wyandotte, Mich., also recorded two goals in 13 games with Minnesota in 2019-20. He tallied a goal and three hits in his NHL debut at Toronto on Oct. 15, 2019, to become the eighth player in franchise history to score a goal in his NHL debut. Mayhew was signed as a free agent by Minnesota on May 10, 2019. He wears sweater No. 26 with the Wild.
Rau tallied 43 points (14-29=43) in 51 games with Iowa last season. He ranked third on the team in assists and PPA (18), fourth in scoring and fifth in shots on goal (135). The 5-foot-8, 176-pound native of Eden Prairie, Minn., owns five points (2-3=5) in 42 career NHL games, including two assists in nine games with Minnesota. Rau also appeared in one Stanley Cup Playoff Game with the Wild in 2018. He was signed as a free agent by Minnesota on July 1, 2017 and wears sweater No. 37 with the Wild.
Dumba has tallied four points (3-1=4) in nine games this season and ranks T-1st amongst NHL defensemen in goals. He ranks second on the team in hits (18) and fourth in shots on goal (25).
The Minnesota Wild hosts the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports North and KFAN 100.3 FM. The team will wear its Reverse Retro Jersey for the first time this season.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com.