RALEIGH, NC—Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the club has reassigned forward Oskar Osala (OH-sa-la) to the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League. Osala was recalled from Albany on Wednesday and made his Hurricanes debut that night in Carolina’s 4-3 overtime loss at Washington.

Osala, 22, has scored 15 goals and earned 16 assists (31 points) in 55 games this season with the Hershey Bears and Albany River Rats this season. The Vaasa, Finland, native began his North American professional career last season, registering 23 goals and 14 assists (37 points) in 75 regular-season games with Hershey. Osala (6’4”, 225 lbs.) notched six goals and earned four assists (10 points) in the Bears’ 22-game march to the AHL’s 2009 Calder Cup championship. Washington drafted Osala in the fourth round, 97th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, and he made his NHL debut in 2008-09, playing in two games with the Capitals. The Hurricanes acquired Osala on March 3 along with Brian Pothier and second-round draft pick, in exchange for Joe Corvo.