With the season winding down, another Checkers player is getting the opportunity to experience the NHL for the first time.
The Carolina Hurricanes recalled Keegan Lowe from Charlotte on Wednesday, exchanging him for another recent debutant and fellow second-year defenseman in Danny Biega. Lowe, who turned 22 last week, could make his NHL debut as the Hurricanes play the penultimate game of their season in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Lowe, a 6-foot-2, 196 pound defenseman with 11 points (2g, 9a) and 106 penalty minutes this season, received the news immediately following Wednesday’s practice - the kind that has suddenly seen him become a senior figure on a blue line full of rookies. Some of those rookies have been there all season and some have only been around the pro game for a matter of days.
“You hope for it as the season weighs down, and with the situation we’re in and they’re in, there’s always the hope,” said Lowe, referring to both the Checkers’ and Hurricanes’ less-than-ideal position in the standings. “I was really surprised and extremely excited. It’s something you dream about your whole life and it’s possibly coming true soon.
“As much as it sucks not making the playoffs because the playoffs are what we play for, there’s a little bit of sunshine in there for guys like me.”
When Lowe dresses for either or both of the Hurricanes’ final two games of the season (they conclude their slate at home against Detroit on Saturday), he will become the sixth player to make his NHL debut with Carolina following a recall from the Checkers this season, joining Biega, Rasmus Rissanen, Justin Shugg, Brody Sutter and Brendan Woods.
As with those other players, Lowe earned the opportunity by showing steady improvement over time.
“You’ve got to look at the whole picture with him,” said Checkers coach Jeff Daniels. “You go back to last year when he was getting his feet wet and was in and out of the lineup to now where he’s taken that next step. He’s a full-time player for us playing some big situations, is one of the first guys over the bench for the PK, is getting some power-play time and is a hard guy to play against.
“I know some guys want to get up there (to the NHL) in a hurry, but sometimes it takes some time to adapt to the pro game and get better. He’s a competitive kid that wants it.”
In making that assessment of Lowe’s character, Daniels cited the defenseman’s familiarity with the game that stems from being the son of former NHL great and current Edmonton Oilers’ President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe. The elder Lowe made his NHL debut with the Oilers in 1979 and went on to play over 1,000 games, capturing six Stanley Cups.
For his first NHL stint, Lowe will set much more modest goals.
“JD (Daniels) just said to keep it simple and play your game,” he said. “There’s no reason to play a different game there than I would here, and that’s why I’m getting the opportunity. I’ll just be physical, hard to play against and keep it simple.”
“It’ll be a good boost for his confidence factor and knowing that hard work and sticking with it paid off to get his chance,” said Daniels. “He’ll also get a taste of what it’s like at the next level and see where his game’s at, what’s working for him and what he needs to improve.”
After playing the first 10 NHL games of his career since his first recall on March 18, a stint in which he recorded two assists, Biega will return with similar experience. With Haydn Fleury, Carolina’s first-round pick last summer, expected to join fellow late-season tryouts Roland McKeown and Brett Pesce in Charlotte, Biega could very well be the only non-rookie defenseman in Saturday’s lineup. Others in the mix include first-year b
