The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defensemen Alexandre Picard and Robert Bortuzzo from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.
Picard, 26, played in six games for Pittsburgh earlier this month, going scoreless with a plus-4 rating while averaging 12:41 of ice time per game.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Picard was signed by Pittsburgh as an unrestricted free agent on July 5. Picard has spent the majority of the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he has amassed five points (1g, 4a) in 12 games. His plus-9 rating is currently tied for the team lead.
Picard, who hails from Gatineau, Que., has appeared in 242 career regular-season games for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens and Penguins, collecting 19 goals, 46 assists and 65 points.
Bortuzzo, 22, made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh on Nov. 5 at Los Angeles, going scoreless with two penalty minutes in 10:38 of ice time.
Bortuzzo, who stands 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, has played in 11 games this season for Wilkes-Barre, collecting three points (1g, 2a) and posting a plus-5 rating. Bortuzzo missed all of training camp and the beginning of the season while rehabbing from an injury suffered at the team’s rookie camp in Oshawa, Ont.
A native of Thunder Bay, Ont., Bortuzzo was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round (78th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft. Bortuzzo has appeared in 165 career regular-season games with Wilkes-Barre, totaling seven goals, 34 assists, 41 points and a plus-46 rating. He has one assist in 16 career postseason contests.
