Penner and Whitfield Called Up Again

Trent Whitfield & Jeff Penner Return to NHL
March 18, 2010

Providence, RI - The Providence Bruins, in their 18th year in the American Hockey League, announced that the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins have recalled forward Trent Whitfield and defenseman Jeff Penner from Providence on an emergency basis. Both players will join Boston today and be available for tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. at the TD Garden. With the moves, the P-Bruins have 25 players on their roster, including 14 forwards, nine defensemen and two goaltenders.

Whitfield, 32, returns to Boston for the third time this season, where he has tallied one assist in 14 games over his previous two recalls. The veteran made his Boston debut on October 21, 2009 against the Nashville Predators and Whitfield later registered his lone helper on January 21 versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 49 games for Providence this year, the club's captain is tied for second on the team in scoring with 41 points and he also ranks second with 17 goals. Whitfield has 11 multiple-point games for the P-Bruins, including three two-goal games.

The 12th year pro and native of Alameda, Saskatchewan, was signed by Boston as a free agent on July 13, 2009 after enjoying NHL time with the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues, along with AHL action for the Portland Pirates and Peoria Rivermen. Whitfield was originally selected by the Bruins 100th overall in round four of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

Penner, 22, earned his first career NHL promotion on March 8, and he made his NHL debut the following night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He skated 13 shifts for 9:17 in Boston's 4-3 overtime loss at Toronto in his only appearance for the parent Bruins during a three-day recall. In his second full pro season, Penner ranks seventh on the P-Bruins in scoring and second among team defensemen with a career-high 30 points, including six goals and 24 assists, in 59 games this year.

As a rookie in 2008-09, Penner became the seventh player in P-Bruins history to appear in all 80 regular season games before then suiting up for another 16 postseason contests. The Steinbach, Manitoba, native finished his first season with 28 points (10g, 18a) and led Providence with a plus-22 rating to earn the team's Plus-Minus Award. Penner was also named the P-Bruins' American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year and received the club's Community Service Award. The undrafted blue-liner was signed by Boston as a free agent on March 29, 2008 after playing one season of college hockey with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, where he received an honorable mention for the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Penner first joined the P-Bruins on an Amateur Tryout Agreement for two games late in the 2007-08 campaign.

*Information gathered from www.providencebruins.com