clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Scott Lehman Makes NHL Debut

New, 1 comment
In one of the more surprising player personnel moves of the season the Thrashers called up Scott Lehman from the AHL to fill in for an injured Exelby. The Lehman choice was unexpected because there are other players in the Thrashers system who are brighter prospects. But both Arturs Kulda and Grant Lewis have been felled by injuries lately. Kulda was not dressed in the Wolves AHL game and Lewis had played just one game after being out of for weeks.

The call-up of Lehman brought back memories of the surprising one NHL game for Luke Sellars who was playing in the ECHL for Greenville at the time. The Chicago Wolves were way out west in Salt Lake City and a late injury made it impossible to get connecting flights, so Sellars drove down from Greenville and played less than 5 minutes. Not a long NHL career, but at least he got his name in the NHL record books. Lehman too now has his name in the NHL record book. Lehman played even less than Sellars 3:30 coming in at 3:03 for the game.

UPDATE:
With Lehman playing just 3 minutes who received more ice time? Below I have each Thrashers defenseman's average TOI (Time On Ice) for the season and their ice time last night.
Usual/Pens Game
23:32/25:52 Hainsey
16:29/20:10 Oystrick
23:05/23:24 Enstrom
20:51/22:42 Havelid
13:42/16:20 Valabik
N.A./3:03 Lehman

Comment: I had expected to see Hainsey or Enstrom play 27 minute but the Atlanta coaching staff chose to give the 3rd pairing guys more ice time versus the Penguins. So Oystrick broke 20 minute mark (probably for the 1st time all season) and Valabik broke 15 minutes (likely a personal best as well).