Howard Returns To Detroit
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled goaltender Jimmy Howard from the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins.
Howard won both of his starts since joining the Griffins on March 4 to improve to 3-1 in the AHL this season. He stopped 31-of-33 shots in a 5-2 win on Saturday at Texas before steering aside all 21 shots he saw in a 3-0 win at San Antonio last night. Seeing his first AHL action since 2008-09, Howard posted a 2.11 goals-against average and a 0.920 save percentage in four games. The 32-year-old netminder has been limited to 17 games for the Red Wings this season due to injury, sporting a 5-7-1 record. Among goalies with a minimum of 15 games played, Howard leads the NHL with a 0.934 save percentage and is second with a 1.96 goals-against average. Howard, who has not played for Detroit since Dec. 20 in Tampa Bay, has totaled 392 games with the Red Wings since 2005-06 and has a 194-120-54 record, 2.43 goals-against average, 0.915 save percentage and 23 shutouts.
A 12th-year pro, Howard began his professional career with the Griffins in 2005-06 and has made 190 appearances with the team. Howard owns a 91-74-11 record all time in the AHL, alongside a 2.66 goals-against average, 0.911 save percentage and 15 shutouts. Prior to turning pro, Howard spent three seasons at the University of Maine from 2002-05, where he posted a 47-23-10 record, 1.84 goals-against average, a 0.931 save percentage and 15 shutouts. Howard was originally drafted in the second round (64th overall) by the Red Wings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. The Syracuse, N.Y., native was also an Olympian on the United States' 2014 team in Sochi, Russia, and has also represented his country at the 2003 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2012 IIHF World Championship.
