Providence Roster in Flux Again

Boston Assigns Rookie Goaltender for Third Time This Season
Bartkowski Signs; Chris Casto Joins
March 26, 2013


The Providence Bruins, in their 21st season in the American Hockey League, announced today that the Boston Bruins (NHL) have assigned goaltender Adam Morrison to Providence from the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL).
 This marks Morrison's third trip to Providence. Morrison, 22, was reassigned to Utah on March 20, though he did not appear in a game for Providence. The 6'3", 194-pound goaltender saw time in 10 games for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) before being reassigned to the Utah Grizzlies on February 13. In 14 games with the Grizzlies this season, Morrison has compiled a 6-6-2 record, .903 save percentage and 3.46 goals against average.

Originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Morrison was signed by Boston as an unrestricted free agent on March 16, 2012. Prior to turning pro at the end of 2011-12, the White Rock, BC native spent three seasons in the WHL with Saskatoon and Vancouver.

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today, March 26, that the club has signed defenseman Matt Bartkowski to a one-year, one-way contract extension through the 2013-14 season and University of Minnesota-Duluth defenseman Chris Casto to an entry-level contract. Bartkowski's contract is worth $650,000.
 

Matt Bartkowski
Photo by Thomas Chace Jr.

Since being recalled from the Providence Bruins on March 23, Bartkowski has appeared in two games with Boston this season and registered two penalty minutes while averaging 14:19 of ice time. In total, Bartkowski has skated in 11 NHL games with the Boston Bruins and has recorded six penalty minutes.
 
Bartkowski has appeared in 56 games for Providence this year and has registered three goals and 21 assists for 24 points with 56 penalty minutes. The 24-year-old has skated in a total of 156 AHL games with the P-Bruins and has notched 12 goals and 58 assists during that span.
 
The 6'1'', 196-pound native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round (190th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The Bruins acquired Bartkowski and Dennis Seidenberg in exchange for Byron Bitz, Craig Weller and Tampa Bay's 2010 second round draft pick from the Florida Panthers on March 3, 2010.
 
Chris Casto will join the Bruins organization from the University of Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA), where the defenseman skated in 36 games this year, tallying three goals and six assists. Casto's nine points ranked third among Bulldogs defensemen. In his two seasons at UMD, Casto skated in 77 games and tallied five goals, 17 assists and 30 penalty minutes.
In 2010-11, the 6'2'', 210-pound blueliner from Stillwater, Minnesota, played for the Lincoln Stars (USHL) where he appeared in 58 games and registered six goals and 19 assists with a +15 rating.
 
Casto attended the Bruins annual Development Camp this past summer in 2012 as a camp invite.


*Information gathered from www.providencebruins.com