Lankinen, Welychka return to Fuel roster

INDIANAPOLIS - The NHL's Chicago Blackhawks announced Friday that goaltender Kevin Lankinen has been reassigned from the AHL's Rockford IceHogs to the ECHL's Indy Fuel. Additionally, the IceHogs have reassigned forward Brett Welychka to the Fuel.

Lankinen, 23, appeared in one game for the IceHogs since his recall on Nov. 11, stopping 19 of 21 shots in a 2-1 Rockford loss in San Antonio on Saturday. In three starts with Indy this season the native of Helsinki, Finland has posted a 3-0-0 record alongside a 2.33 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. Under contract with the Blackhawks, Lankinen is playing his first professional season in North America after spending the last four years in the Liiga - the top professional league in Finland. In 15 games for HIFK in 2017-18, Lankinen posted a 10-3-2 record alongside a 1.33 goals against average and a .946 save percentage, both career high marks.

Welychka, 24, saw action in eight games with Rockford since his first AHL call-up of the season on Oct. 29, registering three shots on goal. The native of London, Ontario has tallied two goals and two assists in five games with the Fuel to start the 2018-19 season, with both of his tallies coming on the power play. In his first full professional season, Welychka made his professional debut during an eight-game stint with the AHL's Manitoba Moose at the end of the 2017-18 season, scoring a goal and an assist.

The Fuel continue a three-game holiday homestand at Indiana Farmers Coliseum tonight as they take on the Cincinnati Cyclones. Indy wraps up the weekend on Saturday against Kalamazoo during Marvel Super Hero™ Night.

Single-game tickets are now on sale for the Fuel's 5th anniversary season at Indiana Farmers Coliseum! Lock up your seat for every second of the action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum with a Fuel Ticket Plan - grab yours by heading to IndyFuelHockey.com or by calling the Fuel front office at 317-925-FUEL. Don't forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (IndyFuel) for news, updates, contests and much more throughout the 2018-19 season.

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