Coyotes goaltender David Aebischer cleared waivers Wednesday and will report to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League, joining up with the team in Chicago.
Aebischer, 29, was one of three goalies on the Coyotes roster, and he will be in a similar position with San Antonio. Signed as a free agent, Aebischer appeared in one game this season, stopping 30 of 33 shots in a 3-0 loss at Columbus on Oct. 10.
Coach Wayne Gretzky said that with defenseman Zbynek Michalek returning from the injured list, room was needed on the roster. Phoenix entered the season with a goalie trio that included Mikael Tellqvist and Alex Auld, another free agent.
"The worst thing, the first three weeks of the season for us, we haven't had a lot of games," Gretzky said. "So Aebischer in a lot of ways probably had a right to feel he didn't get a really good chance. But we just haven't had enough games to give him that chance."
Auld will get the start tonight against the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.
"Auld is playing at a level . . . and Tellqvist has played well," Gretzky said. "It's tough to work three guys in, so at the end of the day he'll (Aebischer) be playing in San Antonio."
Gretzky said the demotion by no means rules out Aebischer's return to the Coyotes.
"If he plays well down there, stranger things have happened," he said. "Things can change in the game real quickly."
Gretzky said it was not an easy call, knowing that Aebischer has a history of playing well, and that he did not play poorly for the Coyotes.
"The other side of it, though, is Alex seems to get better every day, and he's the youngest of the three. And the direction we're going in as an organization, it wasn't right to move Alex out of here just because he was the youngest. He has played well, and it's just one of those things. It's a number issue more than anything."
Gratton update
Forward Josh Gratton will remain in San Antonio for the time being as he rehabs a broken finger he suffered in the first preseason game.
"Their (Rampage) situation is similar to ours," Gretzky said. "The first couple of weeks they didn't have a lot of games, but now this week, they're gonna get a lot of games."
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Coyotes update: The Coyotes, who haven't played since Saturday, are still looking for a scoring outbreak. They have only 16 goals in seven games. This is the start of a 13-game stretch in which all but one are against teams in the Pacific Division.
Ducks update: The Ducks are coming off a 4-2 road loss to the St. Louis Blues in a game that Anaheim played shorthanded. Rob Niedermayer was scratched due to a groin injury; Ryan Getzlaf left in the second period with an unspecified injury; and Brad May left the game with an apparent hand injury after a fight but returned.
Aebischer, 29, was one of three goalies on the Coyotes roster, and he will be in a similar position with San Antonio. Signed as a free agent, Aebischer appeared in one game this season, stopping 30 of 33 shots in a 3-0 loss at Columbus on Oct. 10.
Coach Wayne Gretzky said that with defenseman Zbynek Michalek returning from the injured list, room was needed on the roster. Phoenix entered the season with a goalie trio that included Mikael Tellqvist and Alex Auld, another free agent.
"The worst thing, the first three weeks of the season for us, we haven't had a lot of games," Gretzky said. "So Aebischer in a lot of ways probably had a right to feel he didn't get a really good chance. But we just haven't had enough games to give him that chance."
Auld will get the start tonight against the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.
"Auld is playing at a level . . . and Tellqvist has played well," Gretzky said. "It's tough to work three guys in, so at the end of the day he'll (Aebischer) be playing in San Antonio."
Gretzky said the demotion by no means rules out Aebischer's return to the Coyotes.
"If he plays well down there, stranger things have happened," he said. "Things can change in the game real quickly."
Gretzky said it was not an easy call, knowing that Aebischer has a history of playing well, and that he did not play poorly for the Coyotes.
"The other side of it, though, is Alex seems to get better every day, and he's the youngest of the three. And the direction we're going in as an organization, it wasn't right to move Alex out of here just because he was the youngest. He has played well, and it's just one of those things. It's a number issue more than anything."
Gratton update
Forward Josh Gratton will remain in San Antonio for the time being as he rehabs a broken finger he suffered in the first preseason game.
"Their (Rampage) situation is similar to ours," Gretzky said. "The first couple of weeks they didn't have a lot of games, but now this week, they're gonna get a lot of games."
==========
Coyotes update: The Coyotes, who haven't played since Saturday, are still looking for a scoring outbreak. They have only 16 goals in seven games. This is the start of a 13-game stretch in which all but one are against teams in the Pacific Division.
Ducks update: The Ducks are coming off a 4-2 road loss to the St. Louis Blues in a game that Anaheim played shorthanded. Rob Niedermayer was scratched due to a groin injury; Ryan Getzlaf left in the second period with an unspecified injury; and Brad May left the game with an apparent hand injury after a fight but returned.
