The Nashville Predators have recalled 2014 first-round pick Kevin Fiala from AHL Milwaukee on emergency basis, per Kevin Wilson:
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-partner=”tweetdeck”><p>.<a href=”https://twitter.com/PredsNHL”>@PredsNHL</a> recall Kevin Fiala under emergency conditions; Cullen & Stalberg are gametime decisions <a href=”http://t.co/OaSnb9B6dm”>http://t.co/OaSnb9B6dm</a></p>— KWilsonPreds (@KWilsonPreds) <a href=”https://twitter.com/KWilsonPreds/status/580477103780569089″>March 24, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Pretty incredible, considering Fiala, 18, was playing in Sweden to start the year and only started his North American career a few months ago. But not totally unexpected given his performance at training camp.
Fiala will potentially replace Viktor Stalberg tonight as the Preds host the Montreal Canadiens. It marks the second call up in four days, as Viktor Arvidsson was put into game action against Buffalo. For anyone wanting a good look at the potential stars that have been in Milwaukee, here’s everything you’ve been waiting for.
The future is now.
Nashville, Tennessee (March 24, 2015) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Tuesday that the club has recalled 2014 first-round selection (11th overall) Kevin Fiala from Milwaukee (AHL) under emergency conditions. Fiala will wear No. 56, and at 18 years, 245 days, is poised to become the fourth 18-year-old in franchise history.
Fiala, 18 (7/22/96), has amassed 17 points (9g-8a) in
26 American Hockey League games since making his North American professional debut with the Admirals on Jan. 21. The native of St. Gallen, Switzerland, started the 2014-15 season with HV-71 of the Swedish Hockey League, posting 14 points (5g-9a) in 20 games – tied for the fourth-most goals and assists, and sixth-most points among SHL junior players – before being assigned to Nashville’s AHL affiliate on Jan. 15. Fiala also represented Switzerland at the 2015 World Junior Championship, being named one of the nation’s three best players for the tournament while tying for fifth among all skaters in goals (4g-1a-5pts, 6gp).
The 5-10, 180-pound winger was a finalist for the 2014 SHL Rookie of the Year Award after tying for the lead in points among all under-18 SHL players with 11 (3g-8a) in 17 games for HV-71. He also represented his homeland at the World Junior Championship, Under-18 World Championship and World Championship in 2014, becoming just the third player ever to participate in all three tournaments in the same year (Andrei Kostitsyn and Vadim Karagan, Belarus in 2003). Fiala led the Swiss in points at both the under-18 tournament (4g-5a-9pts, 5gp), was named one of the nation’s three best players in the process, and World Juniors (1g-4a-5pts, 5gp) as the team’s youngest member. At 17, he was the youngest member of Switzerland’s entry at the World Championship by three years, posting three assists and a team-best +3 rating playing alongside Predators defenseman Roman Josi.
Fiala is poised to become the sixth member of the 2014 Draft to appear in the NHL, joining teammate Viktor Arvidsson (112th overall); Aaron Ekblad (FLA, first overall), Sam Reinhart (BUF, second overall), Leon Draisaitl (EDM, third overall) and David Pastrnak (BOS, 25th overall).
He speaks five languages – Czech, English, French, German and Swedish – and is on Twitter @KevinFiala22.
The Nashville Predators play the final contest of a three-game home stand Tuesday against Montreal (7 p.m. CT, FOX Sports Tennessee, 102.5 The Game) before departing on a two-game road trip to play the Lightning on Thursday and the Capitals on Saturday.