Bishop is day to day with an upper body injury, while Filppula has a non-displaced fracture of the right ankle and will miss three weeks, including the Olympics. (Photos/Susan Ferlita)
Gudlevskis is expected to be the back-up goaltender on Saturday, with Cedrick Desjardins getting the start vs. the Red Wings.
Here is the press release from the team:
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forward Vladislav Namestnikov (nam-est-NICK-ohv) and goaltenderKristers Gudlevskis (güd-LEV-skeez) from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced today. Gudlevskis was recalled on an emergency basis.
Namestnikov, 21, has skated in 31 games this season with Syracuse, posting 13 goals and 30 points to go along with 19 penalty minutes.
Vladislav Namestnikov
He ranks tied for first on the team for points and assists. The Zhukovskiy, Russia native also ranks tied for first on the Crunch for power-play goals with six. The 6-foot, 183-pound forward has skated in 75 career AHL games over the past two seasons, all with the Crunch, recording 20 goals and 51 points.
He was originally drafted by the Lightning in the first round, 27th overall, at the 2011 NHL Draft.
Gudlevskis, 21, leads the Crunch in games played with 22 in his first season in North America. His four shutouts leads Syracuse and are tied for the AHL lead. Gudlevskis has assembled an 11-8-2 record with a 2.69 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. He began the season with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, posting a 7-4-0 record with a 1.83 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 11 games.
A native of Aizkraukle, Latvia, Gudlevskis was selected to represent his native country in the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. He played in four games during the 2013 IIHF World Championships, posting a 2-2-0 record with a 2.22 goals-against average and .925 save percentage.
Gudlevskis was drafted by the Lightning in the fifth round, 124th overall, at the 2013 NHL Draft.
In other Bolts news, defenseman Jean-Philippe Cote was put on waivers today for the purpose of sending him back to Syracuse, at least for the NHL’s Olympic break.
“We didn’t have to vote at all; everyone just thought St. Louis was the guy,” Mike Babcock told TSN on Friday. “Prior to that, we all voted and if you got consensus you were in and if you didn’t get consensus you weren’t.”
St. Louis may have been a unanimous choice, according to Babcock, but that had nothing to do with Canadian general manager Steve Yzermanalso being the Lightning GM.
Team Canada coach Mike Babcock spoke about Martin St. Louis selection as Steven Stamkos‘ replacement, “It would have been easy for Steve to say ‘Marty’s on the team [because] I said he’s on the team’ but that to me is not how you manage,” Babcock said Friday. “You just do the best thing and I think we have an opportunity and that’s all you can ask for.”
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