The Chicago Blackhawks, parent club of the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals, have acquired forward Vaclav Pletka from the Philadelphia Flyers, parent club of the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, in exchange for forward Eric Meloche.
Meloche, originally acquired by the Blackhawks from the Flyers with Patrick Sharp in exchange for Matt Ellison and a third-round draft pick last December, skated in 57 AHL games last season for Philadelphia and Norfolk, totaling eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points.
The 30-year-old Montreal native has recorded 75 goals and 104 assists for 179 points in 369 career AHL games for Philadelphia, Norfolk and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Meloche won a Calder Cup championship with the Phantoms in 2005, and reached the Finals with the Penguins in 2001 and 2004.
Pletka, 27, has spent the last four seasons in Europe after two years (2000-02) with the Phantoms. In 132 career AHL games in Philadelphia, the Czech forward recorded 40 goals and 40 assists for 80 points, hitting the 20-goal mark in each campaign.
