Wingers To Suit Up For the Lock Monsters

RALEIGH, N.C. – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced today that the team has reassigned left wings Tomas Kurka and Mike Watt to Lowell of the American Hockey League. Kurka and Watt were recalled on Monday, played for the Hurricanes against Toronto and Atlanta and will be available to play with the Lock Monsters tonight against the Portland Pirates.

Kurka (5’ 11”, 190 lbs.) was selected by Carolina in the second round, 32nd overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He scored his first NHL goal in his NHL debut on Feb. 26 at Phoenix and has totaled three goals and two assists in 11 NHL games. On Tuesday, Kurka scored a goal against Toronto for his fifth NHL point. In 60 games with Lowell this season, Kurka, 21, has 17 goals and 11 assists (28 points) and ranks fifth on the team in scoring. A native of Most, Czech Republic, Kurka turned professional last season and had 13 goals and 15 assists (28 points) in 71 regular-season games with Lowell.

Watt (6’ 2’’, 212 lbs.) was signed as a free agent by Carolina in the 2002 offseason. The Seaforth, Ont., native appeared in his third game with the Hurricanes on Wednesday and has played 155 NHL games with Edmonton, New York Islanders, Nashville and Carolina, scoring 41 points (15g, 26a) and accumulating 45 penalty minutes. Watt, 26, has eight goals and 12 assists (19 points) in 58 games with Lowell this season. He was selected by Edmonton in the second round, 32nd overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

The Hurricanes return to the RBC Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. to face Buffalo. Tickets are available via the team’s official website, CarolinaHurricanes.com, the Dodge Box Office at RBC Center or by calling 919-834-4000.