St. Louis Blues To Give 3 Prospects Another NHL Cameo

There's not much left to play for this week for the St. Louis Blues, who will be on the outside looking in when the Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway next week. Nothing to lose, then, in giving three young prospects a bit more of a feel for the NHL game before their season is done. 

#stlblues    have recalled goalie Joel Hofer, forward Hugh McGing, and defenseman Tyler Tucker from Springfield.

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) April 10, 2023

For the final two games of the year, the Blues have recalled goaltender Joel Hofer, forward Hugh McGing, and defenseman Tyler Tucker from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. 

Tucker has the most NHL experience of the three, having played 24 games earlier this season in St. Louis. He recorded one goal and four points in those contests. In the AHL, he had an impressive 21 points in 39 games, while also playing well in his own end.

Hofer is still front and center in Blues' fans minds after garnering a first star selection only last month during a five-game trial with St. Louis. He posted a respectable 2.79 GAA and a .915 SV% in that handful of games.

A fourth-round pick in the 2018 Draft, Hofer had a fine season in Springfield as well, playing 45 games, recording a  25-15-5 record with a 2.57 goals-against and a .918% save percentage. 

McGing will be making his NHL debut if he steps on the ice in either of these final two games. The 24-year-old forward was in his 3rd AHL season, his second with the Thunderbirds, where he was remarkably consistent this year, with 15 goals and 35 points in 68 games, exactly one more goal and one more point than the previous season. 

Photo: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports