Jiri Smejkal’s time in the minors was short-lived. After being sent down on Wednesday, the team announced (Twitter link) that the forward was recalled from AHL Belleville.
The 27-year-old is in his first season in North America after spending last season with IK Oskarshamn of the SHL where he had 23 goals and 20 assists in 49 games. The hope was that he would push for a full-time spot with Ottawa, giving them a bit of a boost to their bottom six.
However, things haven’t quite gone as planned. He was cut in training camp and has spent the majority of the season in the minors. Accordingly, a report surfaced last month that he could be returning to Oskarshamn but clearly, that didn’t come to fruition.
Smejkal has played in 19 games with Belleville this season, picking up three goals and six assists. He made his NHL debut earlier this month, making two appearances with the big club, being held off the scoresheet while averaging a little under seven minutes a game. The Sens now have a full 23-man roster with this roster move.