Capitals Assign Sami Lepisto, Eric Fehr to Hershey

[VodkaFish]

ARLINGTON, Va., – The Washington Capitals have assigned right wing Eric Fehr and defenseman Sami Lepisto to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Lepisto (SA-mee LEH-pihs-toh), 23, was recalled Feb. 15, and played 14:16 in his NHL debut on Saturday night when the Caps won 3-2 at Tampa Bay. He has played in 38 games for Hershey this year, posting 32 points (3 goals, 29 assists). Lepisto leads all Hershey defensemen in scoring and ranks 12th among AHL defensemen in points. His +27 rating leads the Bears and is tied for first in the league. Lepisto has a nine-game point-scoring streak with Hershey, recording two goals, 14 assists and a +14 rating in that time. He has one goal and nine assists in his last four games.

The 5’11”, 176-pound Espoo, Finland native was selected by the Capitals in the third round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, 66th overall. He spent four seasons in the top professional league in Finland before making the move to the United States to play for the Bears.

Fehr, 22, returns to Hershey after being recalled by the Caps on Feb. 4. He saw action in six games for Washington and recorded one assist. He has played in 10 games for Hershey this year after missing most of the season with an injury. He returned to the lineup on Jan. 9 and had an assist on his first shift. Fehr has two goals and four assists with the Bears this year.

The 6’4”, 212-pound Winkler, Manitoba native played in 14 games last year with Washington, recording two goals and one assist. He also saw action in 11 games during the 2005-06 season.