The third call-up from Wheeling took place today and surprisingly it wasn't Carl Sneep.
Rugged forward Adam Payerl got the call to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Payerl, 21, began the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting one goal and five penalty minutes in five games. He also fought Hershey enforcer Matt Clackson in the preseason.
At 6-3, 215 pounds Payerl is a big, tough kid. Even though the Penguins have the toughest player in hockey in Steve MacIntyre, along with Zach Sill, Bobby Farnham and Alex Grant, Payerl's toughness gives the team even more depth in the physicality department.
When you look at the group of players who are willing to drop the gloves for the Penguins, it's an interesting lot. MacIntyre scares opponents on reputation alone, Sill and Grant are both proven fighters at this level and Farnham and Payerl are the rookies with a ton of enthusiasm. It all should make for some entertaining games coming up.
- In other news, the AHL Board of Governors voted to discontinue to the current test of hybrid icing, effective Friday, Jan. 18.
League president said hybrid icing was tested for 564 games this season and the results have been positive. The decision to discontinue the test, he said, is to keep things consistent with the NHL.
I thought the new icing rule was a good idea. It prevented injuries in the sense that players no longer had to plow each other through the end boards as they raced to touch the puck first. I'm all for physical play in hockey, but some of the crashes that resulted from the icing races were just plain violent. Just ask Edmonton Oilers defenseman Taylor Fedun, who shattered his leg in 2011 while racing back for an icing call.
Hopefully hybrid icing comes back next season.
- According to an AHL press release, approximately 170 players have been called up to their NHL clubs as of Tuesday. That works out to 5.6 call-ups per AHL team. The WBS Penguins had six players go up, so that makes sense.
- Stay tuned after tonight's game in Norfolk to find out which players will be headed to Pittsburgh for the Black & Gold scrimmage on Wednesday. I expect something to come out either tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest.