Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled center Paul Szczechura and left wing Radek Smolenak from Norfolk of the American Hockey League. Szczechura, 23, leads Norfolk in scoring this season, racking up 11 goals and 13 assists in 23 games. Szczechura, who was signed as a free agent by the Lightning on April 24, 2008, has not played a single game in the NHL. Smolenak, a 6-2, 180-pound winger who turns 22 on Wednesday, was selected by the Lightning in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He played two junior seasons with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League from 2004 to 2006, tallying 74 goals and 144 points in only 65 games. This season, Smolenek has recorded eight goals, 18 points and 93 penalty minutes in 23 games with Norfolk. He played in 56 games with Norfolk in 2007-08, scoring 15 goals and 26 points for the season. |
