Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has acquired center/left wing Jiri Tlusty from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for the rights to center Philippe Paradis.
Tlusty will report to Carolina’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Albany River Rats.
“This trade gives us an opportunity to pick up a young, skilled forward who is further along in the development phase,” said Rutherford. “We feel that Jiri has a chance to be with the Hurricanes sooner than Philippe, who is a good, but still very young prospect.”
Tlusty, 21, is in his third full professional season in North America after being drafted by Toronto in the first round, 13th overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The Slany, Czech Republic, native has played in 74 career NHL regular-season games with the Maple Leafs, scoring 10 goals and earning 10 assists (20 points).
In 105 career AHL regular-season games with the Toronto Marlies, Tlusty (6’0”, 209 lbs.) has scored 43 goals and earned 60 assists (103 points), including eight goals and seven assists (15 points) in 19 games this season.
