Zach Boychuk Returns to Carolina

Zach Boychuk has had an interesting few weeks.

Since the calendar turned to April, the Checkers’ scoring leader has earned an AHL Player of the Month award, a spot on the league’s Second All-Star Team and his second recall to the NHL. Boychuk announced the transaction on his twitter feed Friday morning, not long after he picked up another two points in Charlotte’s 3-0 win over Grand Rapids. Boychuk, who leads the league with 36 goals and 18 power-play goals and ranks second with 72 points, all of which are career highs and franchise records, is on his way to join the Hurricanes as they play the penultimate game of their season in Detroit. With the recall coming on an emergency basis, he is free to rejoin the Checkers without having to clear waivers, as was the case when he suited up in Carolina’s game in Dallas eight days earlier.

His tweet poked fun at the fact that he completed the rare feat of playing four games in four nights starting with that game against Dallas and continuing through a stretch that saw the Checkers play three in a row. It offered no clues on how long his recall might last, with both Carolina and Charlotte set to play Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, the Checkers would have a difficult time replacing him for another must-win game.

Boychuk has four points (1g, 3a) in 10 NHL games this season while playing mostly in a fourth-line role. The Hurricanes’ first-round draft pick in 2008 has played a total of 95 games with Carolina, Pittsburgh and Nashville, recording 24 points.