Loans and assignments: Thursday notes

Between trades, loans and reassignments, it’s been a wacky week or so. The latest came this morning, when Riley Wetmore appeared on the AHL transactions; he skated this morning, then started out for Stockton. Similar reason given as was with most of the other guys who’ve been sent to the Coast this year: He’s got to play. “Stockton’s got three games with Colorado this weekend. It’s an opportunity to get him playing,” Scott Pellerin said.

So let’s see if we can sum it up. Wetmore, Mike Keenan to Stockton. Mike Cornell to Florida (ECHL). Andrey Pedan up from Stockton. PTOs for Jake Newton and Joel Broda. Greg Miller and Mike Dalhuisen* traded separately for Nicolas Tremblay and Adam Brace.

Wetmore had been playing more of a third/fourth-line role, so bringing in the likes of Broda and (less recently) Matthew Pistilli, who appear to be aimed higher up the lineup, it’s less of a surprise to see them playing over Wetmore. On the other hand, even as well as Newton played this weekend, it’s a bit more surprising to see Cornell and Keenan depart.

Call it an audition, for him and for the forwards. “We’ve seen both Mikes play all year,” Pellerin said. “It’s an opportunity to see another player.”

How much? Packed house: With Joe Finley appearing good to go, Marc Cantin sprung from suspension and Pedan flying in today, Bridgeport has its opening-night top-seven defense back, with Matt Donovan playing the role of Calvin de Haan. Newton makes eight.

Besides, the specter of the return of the NHL hangs… especially with John Tavares now out for the year, Arthur Staple reports.

Same forward lines as last weekend, though Broda was a fourth man today on Sundstrom’s line rather than Quine’s.

Fun fact that didn’t quite fit in today’s Finley story: The coach at Holy Angels, where he helped out while he was rehabbing, is Trent Palm, who was part of the Minnesota Duluth team that won the NCAA title with Kenny Reiter in net (and that went through Bridgeport on the way).

Tweeted yesterday (well, retweeted @JChaimo) but neglected the link here: an oral history of the Albany bus crash, early in the morning of five years ago Wednesday.

And at this writing the women’s gold medal game is through two periods. Quite a game so far… as expected.

*-We’ve gone from three Mikes on the Bridgeport defense to none. I don’t like this trend.

Michael Fornabaio