Aksiantsiuk, Jurusik, Martin Recalled by Texas Stars

BOISE, Idaho – Following the end of the regular season, forward Yauheni Aksiantsiuk, goaltender Matt Jurusik and defenseman Max Martin have been recalled from the Idaho Steelheads to the Texas Stars, Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Everett Sheen announced on Tuesday.Aksiantsiuk, 20, returns to AHL Texas after concluding his rookie season with the Steelheads, posting 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points with five power play goals and a plus-two rating through 40 games. The Brest, Belarus native was the recipient of the 2021-22 Steelheads Rookie of the Year Award, leading all rookies in goals scored and second among active rookies in scoring. He earned his first professional hat-trick on November 26 against Allen, scoring the second of two overtime-winners on the season, and he was named the ECHL Rookie of the Month in October for his nine points through four games to start the season.The 5-foot-8 forward made his AHL debut on December 1 and has played eight games for AHL Texas in his first season, tallying two goals and two assists with one power play goal. He was selected 162nd overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2020 NHL Draft.Jurusik, 24, re-joins the Texas Stars after playing two games with the Steelheads last weekend during his last ECHL stint of the season. The product of La Grange, Ill. boasted a 6-3-1 record with a 1.95 GAA and a .928 save pct. with two shutouts through 12 games with the Steelheads this season, leading the team in goals-against average and save percentage in his second year in the league. He earned his first-career shutout on December 8 against South Carolina in a 24-save effort and owned back-to-back shutouts prior to last weekend. In 20 career ECHL games between Idaho and South Carolina, Jurusik has an 8-8-2 record with a 2.34 GAA and a .924 save pct. with two shutouts.The 6-foot-2 goaltender was signed by AHL Texas on December 28 and played 20 games since his team debut on January 15, totaling a 9-5-4 record with a 3.05 GAA and an .899 save pct. He earned a 28-save shutout in his AHL debut on December 12 as part of two games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins prior to the holiday break. Jurusik spent a portion of the 2020-21 campaign with AHL Texas but did not play.Martin, 22, heads back to the AHL after a two-game stint with the Steelheads where he earned an assist on Friday night. The Winnipeg, Man. product played 18 games with the Steelheads this season starting from his ECHL debut on January 14, putting together 10 assists with five of those coming on the power play coupled with a plus-seven rating. He owns assists in seven of his last 11 ECHL Games since January 28.The 6-foot defenseman returns for his third stint with the Texas Stars where he has earned two assists in 13 games. Prior to his professional career, Martin played five seasons in the WHL between the Prince George Cougars, Prince Albert Raiders and Kamloops Blazers, tallying 164 points (36-128—164) with a plus-60 rating through 271 games. Martin led Kamloops defensemen in all major scoring categories in 2019-20 and ranked fourth among WHL defensemen in assists (44) as well as fifth in goals (14) and points (58).Get a jump start on next season by locking in your seats with a 2022-23 Season Ticket Plan! Contact the Steelheads at 208-383-0080 and ask about securing your seat ahead of the team’s return this Fall! Follow the Steelheads throughout the summer months on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.