D-pleted Jets call up Nogier from Moose

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This article was published 20/03/2017 (3159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A string of injuries to the defensive corps has forced the Winnipeg Jets to add blue-liner Nelson Nogier to the roster on an emergency basis.

Nogier, 20, was called up from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League this morning.

He will stay with the club only if a sixth defenceman is required Tuesday when the Jets host the Philadelphia Flyers at MTS Centre.

Neither Paul Postma nor Mark Stuart participated in today’s practice. Ben Chiarot was on the ice but is also hobbled. Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice said the status of each won’t be known until Tuesday.

“No more updates. Nothing’s confirmed. We’ve gotta get through another day and have some guys with (doctors),” Maurice said. “The concern’s on our back end, not up front. (Blake) Wheeler’s fine.”

Wheeler and forward Chris Thorburn were also absent but will be available against the Flyers (33-30-8), who are five points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Winnipeg is already missing regulars Tyler Myers (lower body), Jacob Trouba (upper body) and Toby Enstrom (upper body). Trouba had a light skate today in a yellow “no-contact” jersey.

Nogier, a Saskatoon product, has a pair of goals and 11 assists in his first pro season, following parts of five seasons in the Western Hockey League split between the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades. Winnipeg selected the 6-foot-3, 209-pounder in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft.

He said it’s exciting to be up with the big club, even if he doesn’t get pencilled into Tuesday’s lineup.

“I’m breaking it down to as simple as hour by hour at this point. I’m just enjoying every chance I get to be down here in this room with these guys and just going from there,” he said.

He said after getting the call (Monday night) from Craig Heisinger, the team’s senior vice-president and director of hockey operations, he quickly dialed his parents.

“They were really excited. My mom was jokingly laughing that she might come down for practice today and watch,” he said. “I said, ‘No, no. Stay home. It’s a day-to-day thing here.'”

The Jets recalled defenceman Julian Melchiori from the Moose on March 11 and then called up rearguard Brian Strait on Saturday. Both played in Sunday’s 5-4 triumph over the Minnesota Wild.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca