Let's just say it did not exactly leave us with jaw dropped and eyebrows raised Monday when Alaska Aces rookie winger Olivier Archambault was summoned to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League.
After all, Archambault leads the Aces in goals and points with 18-13--33 totals in 32 games. He also ranks second on the club in plus-minus (+10) and shots on goal (105). He's tied for the ECHL lead in goals by a rookie. Last week, he was named to play in the ECHL All-Star Classic next week in Florida. He's young, he's a dynamic scorer and he has played with the kind of drive that shows he badly wants to be at the next level.
So, great for Archie, of course.
Not so great for the Aces. They lose a game-breaking player who of late has been playing with rookie center Greg Wolfe and winger Raphael Bussieres. They also lose a guy who logs power-play time.
With Archambault gone, the Aces, who open a three-game road series Wednesday in Colorado, are without their leading scorer overall and their leading scorer among defenseman. Brad Richard, 8-5--13 in 24 games, returned to the Aces from Iowa after a four-game stint there, played in one game for the Aces and then was summoned back to the Wild.
For the Aces, it's one of those next-man-up situations. Almost impossible, though, that they can replace the likes of Archambault, so it will be one of those situations where their more offensively gifted forwards will each have to chip in a bit more.