Hawks goalie Delia returns to Hawks on emergency basis
With Cam Ward (knee) expected to miss 6-9 more days, Collin Delia was called up from Rockford on an emergency basis.
Delia was surrounded by reporters after practice and asked how it felt to be back.
"It's nice. Feels like I never left quite honestly," said Delia, who was sent to the IceHogs when Corey Crawford was cleared to play last week. "I was home for probably five days. It was nice to be home. Nice to be in my place again, sleep in my own bed, make a couple meals.
"But happy to be back. Don't know for how long."
Delia is 6-4-3 this season with a .909 save percentage and 3.48 goals-against average. The Hawks have four games in the next seven days against Buffalo, Dallas, Arizona and Toronto.
"He'll get his starts. We'll make sure he gets in," said coach Jeremy Colliton.
IceHogs in town:
For the second straight season, the Rockford IceHogs came into town to practice at MB Ice Arena.
"I think it's good for them," said Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton. "We did this last year with our team in Rockford and it's nice for them to see how it works here and what the conditions are here.
Pretty special environment to be a hockey player and maybe it gives them a little bit of a push."
Rockford is 27-23-9 and fighting with four teams for a Calder Cup playoff berth. Anton Forsberg is third in the AHL with a .921 save percentage and 13th in goals-against average (2.56).
The IceHogs' next two games are at Manitoba on Saturday and Sunday.
Slap shots:
The Hawks agreed to terms with Reese Johnson, captain of the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League, on a three-year, entry-level deal that carries an average annual value of $925,000. Johnson, who is 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, has 22 goals and 23 assists in 62 games. The 20-year-old Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native scored 23 goals in 72 games last season for the Rebels. … Drake Caggiula, who suffered a concussion against Anaheim last week, missed games at Los Angeles and San Jose and did not practice Wednesday. "For now, when he's still having symptoms, it's just wait and see," said coach Jeremy Colliton.