Kevin Lankinen reassigned to Indy, Josh McArdle recalled

INDIANAPOLIS - The ECHL's Indy Fuel announced a series of roster moves on Thursday, ahead of the club's three-game weekend road swing beginning Friday in Kalamazoo. The NHL's Chicago Blackhawks reassigned goaltender Kevin Lankinen to the Fuel from the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, while the IceHogs additionally recalled defenseman Josh McArdle from Indy on Wednesday. In separate transactions, the Fuel have acquired forward Avery Peterson from the Norfolk Admirals in exchange for cash considerations, and forward Jordy Stallard has left the team and has been placed on team suspension.

Lankinen, 23, returns to Indianapolis on the heels of recording his AHL victory over the weekend with the IceHogs. The goaltender stopped a season-high 38 shots on Dec. 2, backstopping Rockford to a 3-2 overtime win over the San Antonio Rampage. In four AHL starts this season, Lankinen is 1-2-1 with a 2.69 goals against average and a .889 save percentage. The native of Helsinki, Finland has recorded wins in each of his four starts with the Fuel this season, posting a 2.50 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.

McArdle, 24, has skated in all but one of Indy's 20 games this season, registering one goal, two assists and 15 penalty minutes. The defenseman from Roscoe, Ill. tallied his first goal of the season during a 4-3 Fuel win against Cincinnati on Nov. 10, and has a +3 rating over his last four games. Heading to Rockford for his second AHL call-up of the season, McArdle has seen action in two games this season for the IceHogs.

Peterson, 23, has appeared in eight games this season between the Admirals and the Idaho Steelheads, picking up five assists. The 6-foot-3, 209-pound rookie forward split a four-year collegiate career between the University of Nebraska-Omaha and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, helping the Bulldogs to an NCAA National Championship in 2018. A native of Grand Rapids, Minn. and the 2013-14 recipient of the Mr. Hockey Award (best high school player in Minnesota) compiled 24 goals and 24 assists over 108 career NCAA contests.

The Fuel begin a 3-in-3 weekend Friday night with a Central Division showdown against the Kalamazoo Wings at Wings Event Center, followed by stops in Fort Wayne and Wheeling on Saturday and Sunday. Indy returns to the Indiana Farmers Coliseum for a two-game set with the Tulsa Oilers on Dec. 14-15.

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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