Flyers Return Giroux to Junior Club; Release Two Others

[Thrillhouse]

he Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have returned forward Claude Giroux to his Canadian Hockey League team, the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, according to club General Manager Paul Holmgren.

"We were very pleased with Claude's training camp,” said Holmgren in making the announcement. “He is an outstanding, young player in our organization. The feeling amongst us, from a physical standpoint, was that he wasn’t quite ready yet. In this case, it is better for Claude and better for the organization that he goes back and plays one more year of junior hockey.”

"The strides that he has made in one year are tremendous. He was a good player for us in training camp and he just needs a little more time to develop physically."

Giroux, 19, was scoreless in two preseason games with the Flyers. Giroux, the Flyers’ first round pick (22nd overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, recorded 48 goals and 64 assists for 112 points and 49 penalty minutes in 63 regular season games for Gatineau last season. He was first on Gatineau in goals (48, sixth in the QMJHL) and points (112, fourth in the QMJHL). He also appeared in five regular season games for the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, posting two points (1G,1A) and six penalty minutes.

In addition, the team announced that it released forwards Adam Henrich and Brad Schell. Each was invited to Training Camp on a try-out basis.