Lightning recall Melichar, send Brookbank to Norfolk

nor_200.jpgThe Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL parent club of the Norfolk Admirals, have assigned left wing Wade Brookbank to the Admirals and have recalled defenseman Josef Melichar from Norfolk, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Lawton announced today.

Both Brookbank and Melichar were acquired by the Lightning in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes last week.

Brookbank, 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, has played in 27 games with Carolina this season, scoring one goal and adding 40 penalty minutes. He is a veteran of 127 career NHL games with Nashville, Vancouver, Boston and the Hurricanes. He has amassed six goals and nine points with a 345 penalty minutes in his career. Brookbank also has a career plus-5 rating.

The 11th-year pro has appeared in 231 career American Hockey League games between Grand Rapids, Binghamton, Milwaukee, Manitoba, Providence, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Albany and Norfolk. In those games, Brookbank has scored two goals and 18 assists with 858 penalty minutes. He also has one assist and 30 penalty minutes in 17 Calder Cup Playoff games.

Melichar, a 6-2, 222-pound native of Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, made his Admirals debut on Sunday in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, recording four shots. He also has played in 15 games with the Carolina Hurricanes this season, recording four assists and 25 games with Albany of the AHL, recording a goal and five points.

In his seventh NHL season, Melichar has played in 325 career NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina. He has recorded seven goals and 44 points, including one shorthanded goal, during his career. Melichar has also played in 152 career AHL games with Norfolk, Albany and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, recording six goals and 24 points.

Melichar was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round, 71st overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

The Admirals will return to Scope on Friday night to face off against the Hamilton Bulldogs at 7:15 p.m.