Appleton back on blades with Moose

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This article was published 10/12/2019 (2100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mason Appleton will finally suit up for some real action, more than six weeks after taking a tumble during a game of catch at the Heritage Classic.

But it’ll be with the Manitoba Moose.

Appleton was sent down to the Winnipeg Jets’ American Hockey League affiliate Tuesday morning. The 23-year-old forward from Green Bay, Wis., did not have to clear waivers to join the Moose and has accompanied the team on a four-game road trip to Texas and Colorado.

He hasn’t played since breaking a bone in his foot while tossing a football with teammates on the field at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Appleton was held pointless in nine games with the Jets while playing on the fourth line before getting injured.

It’s a reassingment to give the former Michigan State Spartan added responsibility and build some confidence under Moose head coach Pascal Vincent.

“That’s a six-week injury and he needs to play minutes to get back to his best level,” Winnipeg bench boss Paul Maurice said Tuesday following the morning skate at Bell MTS Place. “The fourth line here hasn’t seen those kinds of minutes. We’ve got young players here and we don’t want them to have to watch games.”

Appleton has dominated at the AHL level in the past. He registered 22 goals and 66 points for Manitoba during his first pro season in 2017-18 and was named the league’s rookie of the year. Last season, Appleton had three goals and seven assists in 36 games in a Jets jersey, while supplying 15 goals and 17 helpers in 40 games for the Moose.

Gabriel Bourque returned to the Jets lineup Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings after missing 14 games with an upper-body injury and skated on the fourth line with Nick Shore and Logan Shaw.

Young forwards Joona Luoto and David Gustafsson and defenceman Carl Dahlstrom watched from the press box.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell