Hurricanes Assign Martin Necas and Haydn Fleury to Checkers, Recall Clark Bishop

The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Wednesday that they have assigned forward Martin Necas and defenseman Haydn Fleury to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. In a corresponding move, the Hurricanes have recalled forward Clark Bishop.

Necas, Carolina’s 2017 12th-overall draft pick, skated in seven regular season games with the Hurricanes this season, tallying his first two NHL points. He scored his first NHL goal on Tuesday in Tampa Bay.

Fleury has skated in just one game for the Hurricanes this season, wherein he did not record a point. He has been a health scratch six times through seven games. He played in 67 NHL games last season and recorded eight assists.

The two young players were seeing very little beneficial ice time or usage with the Hurricanes, so now they will have the opportunity to play with a very good Checkers team and get the quality and quantity of minutes that will benefit their development.

Bishop has three points (one goal, two assists) in four games with the Checkers so far this season. In hist first full season in the AHL, Bishop posted 28 points in 68 games. Checkers head coach Mike Vellucci spoke highly of the forward based on his performance during Canes Camp. “He brought it every single game last year...he’s competitive and he’s going to do whatever it takes to make it. His engine is always running,” said Vellucci.

This is Bishop’s first NHL call-up.

The Hurricanes press release on the moves is below. Additionally, the Hurricanes announced earlier today that forward Phil Di Giuseppe has been placed on waivers, so more roster moves could be forthcoming.

Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has recalled forward Clark Bishop from Charlotte (AHL) and assigned forward Martin Necas and defenseman Haydn Fleury to the Checkers.

Bishop, 22, has posted three points (1g, 2a) in four AHL games this season. The St. John’s, N.L., native is in his third professional season and has recorded 37 points (10g, 27a) in 114 career AHL games. Selected by the Hurricanes in the fifth round (127th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, Bishop played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for Cape Breton from 2012-16, tallying 129 points (57g, 72a) in 202 games.

Necas, 19, has recorded two points (1g, 1a) in seven games with Carolina this season. The 6’2”, 189-pound forward registered his first NHL assist vs. NY Rangers on Oct. 7 and scored his first NHL goal at Tampa Bay on Oct. 16. Necas spent the majority of the 2017-18 season with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga, where he posted 17 points (9g, 8a) in 24 games. Selected by the Hurricanes in the first round (12th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, Necas made his NHL debut on Oct. 17, 2017 at Edmonton.

Fleury, 22, has appeared in one game this season for Carolina. The 6’3”, 208-pound defenseman recorded eight assists in 67 NHL games with the Hurricanes and two points (1g, 1a) in three AHL games with Charlotte during the 2017-18 season. Fleury has registered 29 points (9g, 20a) in 73 career AHL games, all with the Checkers. The Carlyle, Sask., native was selected by the Hurricanes in the first round (seventh overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft.