TXT_BIOGRAPHY

2009-10: Attended the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) training camp…Assigned to Adirondack (AHL) after clearing NHL waivers on 9/22/09…Made his Phantoms debut and had one assist as he played in his 200th career AHL game on 10/9/09 vs. Springfield…Scored his 100th career AHL goal, his first for the Phantoms, on 10/17/09 vs. Albany…Missed two games due to injury on 11/1/09 vs. Syracuse and 11/4/09 at Bridgeport…Returned to the lineup on 11/13/09 vs. Binghamton…Scored a shootout goal on 11/14/09 vs. Bridgeport…Assisted on the game-tying goal with 35 seconds left in regulation and scored the game-winning shootout goal on 11/28/09 at Hershey…Scored the only Phantoms goal on 12/4/09 vs. Norfolk at Wachovia Center…Played in his 400th career Pro game and scored a power play goal on 12/12/09 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton…Scored the game-tying goal late in the third period, had an assist and scored a shootout goal on 1/13/10 vs. Bridgeport…Had back-to-back two-point games with a goal and an assist on 1/15/10 at Norfolk…Extended his goal streak to three games with an empty net goal on 1/16/10 at Norfolk…Missed the last two games due to injury and is currently out the lineup.

2008-09: Split the season between the Minnesota Wild (NHL) and the Houston Aeros (AHL)…Led Houston in goals (31) and was third on the team in points (51) despite playing just 45 games…Was recalled to Minnesota five times during the year and played in 21 NHL games overall…Scored a goal in his first game with the Wild on 11/4/08 at San Jose…Played in 18 of Houston’s 20 Calder Cup playoff games, helping the Aeros reach the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Manitoba Moose in six games.

CAREER NOTES: Drafted by Phoenix Coyotes in the 1st Round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft…Made his NHL debut with Phoenix at the beginning of the 2001-02 season…Missed a majority of the 2002-03 season recovering from a head injury suffered on 3/20/02 vs. Pittsburgh…Played for Team Canada in the 2003 IIHF World Championships in Finland and helped the Canadians win the gold medal with a 3-2 win over Sweden…Made his AHL debut with the Springfield Falcons during the 2003-04 season…Claimed off waivers by Edmonton from Phoenix on 11/11/05…Claimed back by Phoenix on waivers from Edmonton on 12/19/05…Traded to Carolina by Phoenix for Pavel Brendl on 12/28/05…Traded to Pittsburgh by Carolina along with Niklas Nordgren and Carolina’s 2nd round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft for Mark Recchi on 3/9/06 (That draft pick was later traded to San Jose and then to Philadelphia, where the Flyers selected defenseman Kevin Marshall).

COLLEGE/JUNIORS: Played one year of junior hockey with the Calgary Royals of the AJHL…He scored 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 58 games and was named to the 1999 AJHL First All-Star Team and the AJHL Rookie of the Year…Played two years of NCAA Division I college hockey for Boston College of Hockey East…Named to the 2000 Hockey East All-Rookie team…Helped the Eagles reach the 2000 NCAA Frozen Four, but lost in the finals to North Dakota 4-2 at the Providence Civic Center …Finished his sophomore season ranked second on the team in points (50) and third in goals (25) and was named to the 2001Hockey East Second All-Star Team and the 2001 NCAA East Second All-American Team…Named the 2001 Beanpot Tournament MVP…Scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the 2001 NCAA National Championship game at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York as B.C. beat North Dakota 3-2 for the school’s first hockey championship since 1949…He was named to the 2001 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team.