After a long wait, Checkers defenseman Rasmus Rissanen is finally getting his chance
The Carolina Hurricanes recalled the 6-foot-2, 210-pound native of Finland for the first time following Monday's practice in Charlotte. The fourth-year pro has turned in a solid season with the Checkers, setting career highs in both assists (10) and points (11).
With the absence of Ryan Murphy and Michal Jordan, both currently in Carolina, Rissanen has taken a bigger role on the blue line and has made the most of it, with his 11 helpers ranking fourth among Charlotte defensemen. He has also logged the best plus/minus rating among Checkers defensemen who have appeared in at least 40 games.
Unable to make it to Chicago in time for the Hurricanes' game on Monday, Rissanen will instead plan to arrive in Raleigh Tuesday night.
"I'm really happy and excited," said Rissanen. "It's my first call-up and this is my fourth year. I'm just going to go up there and play my game."
The 23-year-old thought he might get his first opportunity this season after conversations with Hurricanes management last fall. Like the rest of his 260 AHL games, that ended up being a long wait.
"I had a really good camp and they told me I might get a chance if I kept working, but I didn't know when," said Rissanen. "Now it happened, so it's good."
His coach for the last four years, Jeff Daniels, was happy to deliver the news.
"He's a guy that's put in a few years down here and never complained and just kept working and getting better," said Checkers coach Jeff Daniels. "Guys have a lot of respect for him and I know they'll be excited when they hear the news."
"He has more confidence and a better overall game," continued Daniels when asked about Rissanen's growth during their time together. "He's getting a chance to play some power-play minutes that he probably wasn't expecting but that's given him confidence with moving the puck. Just the physical element has risen. He's a strong guy that gets called for a lot of penalties just by being too strong at times. He's just a hard guy to play against that skates real well."
A sixth-round pick in 2009, Rissanen finished last season ranked third all-time in games played by a Checkers defenseman. Prior to turning pro, he played two seasons with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, where he totaled 27 points (5g, 22a) and 192 penalty minutes in 139 career regular-season games. Rissanen also represented his native Finland at the 2008 U-18 World Junior Championship, helping the Finns upset Canada to earn a bronze medal.
This move leaves the Checkers with just five healthy defensemen, as Keegan Lowe was injured during Friday's tilt with Hamilton. With a big slate of five games in nine days coming up, the Checkers will be forced to make some moves to fill the gap left by Rissanen.
