The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned 19-year-old rookie defenseman Justin Faulk to the Charlotte Checkers. Faulk surprised many with his tremendous conditioning and play in the preseason, to the point where Jim Rutherford was quoted to say he was among the top four defensemen in the organization.
After playing in all 6 preseason games and three rough outings to start the regular season, Faulk was scratched in place of Jamie McBain. The Hurricanes have not lost since.
The Canes now have 7 defensemen on the roster, with Derek Joslin as the only one who hasn't yet seen any action in the regular season. Joslin came into Training Camp with mononucleosis.
Related: Chip Alexander tweeted that Canes prospect and Boston College standout Brian Dumoulin attended last night's game vs the Bruins and sat with healthy scratches Joslin and Faulk for the game. Dumoulin and Faulk played together in the World Juniors tournament for Team USA last winter.
The Checkers will be playing three games in three days this weekend, so Faulk should expect to see a lot of ice time in the top pairing. The full release is after the jump.
HURRICANES ASSIGN FAULK TO CHARLOTTE
Rookie defenseman to join Carolina’s AHL affiliate
RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has assigned defenseman Justin Faulk to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Faulk, 19, made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes in the team’s season opener on Oct. 7 against Tampa Bay. The South St. Paul, MN, native has played in three of the Hurricanes’ six games this season, averaging 18:59 of ice time per game. Faulk (6’0", 205 lbs.) is in his first full professional season after winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in 2010-11. The Hurricanes drafted Faulk in the second round, 37th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.