Jansen Harkins wasted no time in recording his first point as a professional hockey player.
Harkins, a Prince George Cougars forward who signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Manitoba Moose last Saturday, earned an assist in his first game with the American Hockey League team. In a 4-2 home-ice loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Tuesday night, Harkins picked up the primary helper on a third-period power-play goal by Brandon Denham. The goal was the first of the game for the Moose and pulled them into a 2-1 deficit. Milwaukee outscored Manitoba 2-1 the rest of the way, including an empty-netter.
Harkins, wearing No. 32, was back in action on Wednesday when the host Moose fell 5-2 to the Admirals. He was held without a point in that game.
The Moose are affiliated with the NHL's Winnipeg Jets and play their home games in the same arena, the MTS Centre.
The next game for Manitoba is Saturday afternoon at home against the Rockford IceHogs, who are the affiliate club of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Moose and IceHogs will also meet on Sunday, and the Moose will close out their season with April 15-16 road games against the San Antonio Rampage and Texas Stars. With those four contests remaining, Manitoba's record stands at 23-40-4-5.
Harkins became part of the Jets organization when they chose him in the second round (47th overall) of the 2015 NHL draft.
With the Cougars this season, the 18-year-old Harkins had 24 goals and 57 points in 69 games. In the Cats' first-round playoff loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds, he led the team with five points (two goals, three assists) in four games.
While Harkins has gotten a taste of AHL game action, forward Chase Witala is still waiting for his first shot to play with the Toronto Marlies, the minor league team of the Maple Leafs.
Witala, 20, signed a tryout agreement with the Marlies on Monday but the team was coming off weekend wins against the Syracuse Crunch and Grand Rapid Griffins and was at a slight break in its schedule. The Marlies will host the Lake Erie Monsters tonight and will be on the road Saturday and Sunday against the Crunch and Albany Devils. They'll complete their regular schedule with home games against the Hartford Wolf Pack (April 13) and Rochester Americans (April 16-17).
Statistically, the Marlies are the best team in the AHL this season. Through 70 games, they boast a 50-15-5-0 record, good for 105 points.
Witala played five seasons with his hometown Cougars and wasn't drafted. He did, however, skate in the rookie camp of the Dallas Stars last fall.
Witala ended his major-junior career as the Cats' all-time leader in goals (120) and points (239).
