Iowa Wild Sign Joel Chouinard

On Tuesday the Iowa Wild signed defenseman Joel Chouinard to a professional tryout (PTO).

Chouinard is in his fifth pro year after lighting up the QMJHL in his final year with the Victoriaville Tigers (23 goals and 45 assists through 65 games in his final season). He was a sixth round draft pick for the Colorado Avalanche in the 2008.

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This season he’s spent the majority of the year with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL — though he did grab two games in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Between those two periods he spent time with the Lake Erie monsters (AHL), Denver Cutthroats (CHL), and the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL).

Chouinard drew into the lineup for Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to those same Hamilton Bulldogs. He took two shots and had a penalty. This move is connected to the recall of Stu Bickel to the Minnesota Wild and a number of injuries on the Iowa blue line, including Guillaume Gelinas, Gustav Olofsson (since the beginning of the season), and Brad Richard.

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