Toledo Walleye forward Brett McKenzie earned a call-up to Grand Rapids on Tuesday and quickly made the most of the opportunity.
McKenzie, who is in his first year with the Walleye, was loaned to Toledo's American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids. On Wednesday, the 24-year-old forward scored his first goal in the AHL.
McKenzie, who has tallied 10 points in 10 games for the Walleye this season, scored the tying goal for the Griffins against the Chicago Wolves. Chicago, however, went on to post a 2-1 win in overtime.
McKenzie has scored five goals to go along with five assists for the Walleye. He leads Toledo with two game-winning goals.
The native of Ottawa, Ont., spent the 2020-21 season playing overseas in Poland. The 6-foot-2 and 190-pound forward then signed with the Walleye in the offseason.
In 2019-20, McKenzie played in 56 games for the rival Fort Wayne Komets and produced 60 points with 23 goals and 37 assists. In 2018-19 he played in 62 games for the Atlanta Gladiators, producing 45 points (16 G, 29 A) as a rookie.
He had appeared in six games in the AHL but had yet to record a point.
In 128 ECHL games, McKenzie has 115 total points (44 G, 71 A).
Toledo's AHL affiliate also made another roster move on Tuesday, reassigning goaltender Victor Brattstrom to the Walleye and calling up netminder Kaden Fulcher.
Fulcher is off to a hot start for the Walleye, starting in six of the team's 10 games. The 23-year-old has posted a 3-2-0 record with a 1.77 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage.
His goals-against average ranks sixth in the ECHL, while his save percentage is seventh.
The Brigden, Ont., native has totaled a 20-13-9 pro record with a 2.94 goals-against average.
Brattstrom made his AHL debut with the Griffins on Oct. 16 against Milwaukee and has appeared in four games with Grand Rapids. Brattstrom has amassed a 0-3-1 record with a 5.32 goals-against average and a .835 save percentage. The native of Goteborg, Sweden, is in his fifth pro season and has skated in 125 pro games. He has a 66-46-8 record with a 2.32 goals-against average.
The Walleye (6-4-0) are in second place in the ECHL Central Division with 12 points, one point behind Fort Wayne (6-1-1).
Toledo hosts the expansion Iowa Heartlanders on Friday and Saturday at the Huntington Center.
First Published November 18, 2021, 2:59 a.m.