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By Matthew Wuest - www.RedWingsCentral.com March 12, 2007 Anton Axelsson is reportedly looking for a new team. The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported this week that the 21-year-old left-winger is seeking a fresh challenge and is not planning to return to the Frolunda Indians of the Swedish Elite League next season. The younger brother of Boston Bruins forward P.J. Axelsson has seen limited third- and fourth-line minutes. He has five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 52 games with an even plus-minus and 33 shots. “I know other teams in the league that would play him on the top two lines right away,” said Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson. “I see him as a guy a lot like P.J. They’re similar players. Checking, skating, hard-working ... He reads the game and is useful for the team.” Axelsson told Aftonbladet that he is interested in signing with the Red Wings and that he is open to playing in the minor leagues. That said, Axelsson’s signing deadline isn’t until next year, so the Red Wings might be happier if he transferred to a new Swedish Elite League team for 2007-08. KINDL AGITATES: Defenseman Jakub Kindl (Kitchener, OHL) has three goals and four assists in his last three games, and was the center of attention on Thursday in a 4-1 win over the London Knights. The Knights, coached by former NHL tough guy Dale Hunter, were annoyed with Kindl for a hit in a previous game that knocked captain Rob Drummond out of the lineup with a concussion. The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Kindl scored twice on the power play on Thursday and “didn’t mind rubbing it in,” doing a “combination fist-leg pump at the Knights’ bench” according to the London Free Press. Of his celebration, Kindl told the Kitchener Waterloo-Record, “They were chirping me the whole game, so I just tried to give them a little ... you know.” Kindl was challenged to fight numerous times. He piled up 15 penalty minutes and dropped the gloves with Jordan Foreman late in the contest. “I guess they were still pissed about the hit in our building against one of their players who didn't finish the game,” he told the paper. “It’s all part of hockey. I kind of expected this, but I didn't expect it to be tough like that.” BOOTLAND RECALLED: Darryl Bootland saw his first action with the Red Wings this week since making his NHL debut in 2003-04, appearing in a pair of games after being called up from Grand Rapids. HOT: Goaltender Jimmy Howard (Grand Rapids, AHL) has four shutouts in his last nine games, though in he’s allowed five and seven goals in two of his other games during that stretch ... Goaltender Logan Koopmans (Toledo, East Coast Hockey League) has started three games since recovering from a groin injury that sidelined him for three months. He’s posted two wins and stopped 91 of 99 shots ... Forward Cory Emmerton (Kingston, Ontario Hockey League) has returned from a broken ankle after missing more than nine weeks. He showed no rust, collecting three goals and two assists in three games. COLD: Defenseman Juho Mielonen (Ilves Tampere, Finnish junior league) has no points in his last five games and one in his last seven after returning from shoulder surgery ... Forward Evan McGrath (Grand Rapids, AHL) has just one point in his last nine games ... Forward Eric Himelfarb (Grand Rapids, AHL) has just one point in his last nine games and 24 points in 52 games. He’s in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract. The following is this season’s statistical report to date:
The following is this season's statistical report for goaltenders to date:
LEAGUE LEGEND: AHL -- American Hockey League; ECHL -- East Coast Hockey League; RUS -- Russian Elite League; RUS-2 -- Russian second level; FIN -- Finnish Elite League; FIN-J20 -- Finnish under-20 junior league; SWE -- Swedish Elite League; SWE-2 -- Swedish second level; SWE-3 -- Swedish third level; SWE-J20 -- Swedish under-20 junior league; OHL -- Ontario Hockey League; WHL -- Western Hockey League; NCAA -- National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1; USHL -- United States Hockey League. |
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