Dan Sexton gets the call.
At 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, 22-year-old Dan Sexton would fit well in an ECHL or AHL clubhouse, which is where he's spent his first professional season until now. Because of Teemu Selanne's broken hand, he is getting a chance to step into the Ducks' lineup, possibly tonight against the Minnesota Wild.
The speedy right wing began the season with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors, scoring 26 points in 18 games, before moving up to the AHL's Manitoba Moose on Nov. 25. In five games for Manitoba, Sexton recorded a goal and two assists. He was signed as a free agent out of Bowling Green over the summer.
The Winninpeg Free Press describes Sexton's reaction to the news, after Selanne suffered the broken hand last night in Dallas:
"Any time you get to see a player go up and play their first NHL game, it's exciting," Moose coach Scott Arniel said after this morning's skate. "I talked to him on the phone last night and I think he thought I was kidding when I told him. He was in the ECHL a couple of weeks ago, was here and now is up there. It's great to see him get a chance.
"We've seen flashes of his skill. You can see he has really good hands. He's smart with the puck. He's not a big-body guy but he does a good job of staying out of the way, not get run over by some big guys. He's got lots to learn at this level but he's shown some good signs."
The Moose were playing in Peoria, Ill., so Sexton doesn't have far to travel. Here's a quick read from the Free Press after Sexton joined the Moose.
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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