The Winnipeg Jets announced around 10:30 am CST on Thursday, April 18th that they’ve recalled four players from the Manitoba Moose. Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert, and Parker Ford will make their NHL Debut versus the Vancouver Canucks while goaltender Collin Delia will serve as the backup to Laurent Brossoit tonight.
Lambert, 20, currently leads the Moose with 54 points (20 goals and 34 assists) in 63 games this season. He’s also close in the scoring race alongside all AHL rookies in points, currently in second place with two games left in the Moose’s season. Lambert’s point total also ranks third all-time by a Moose rookie with the chance to move into second pending the results of their season-closing games versus Texas. Lambert hails from Lahti, Finland and was drafted 30th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
The 21-year-old Chibrikov is currently fourth in scoring for the Moose with 46 points (17 goals and 29 assists) in 69 games this season. He follows teammate Brad Lambert’s lead in rookie scoring as Chibrikov is ranked fourth. The Moscow, Russia winger is a power-play specialist, tied for first place in the Moose’s power-play goals department with Brad Lambert. Both Lambert and Chibrikov have seven power-play goals. Chibrikov was drafted in the second-routh (50th overall) by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Ford finds himself a part of this batch of call-ups without his identity line linemates Jeffrey Viel and Kristian Reichel. Ford has scored 39 points (17 goals and 22 assists) in 70 games for the Moose this season. From Wakefield, Rhode Island, the 23-year-old forward has nearly completed his rookie AHL season. Ford went undrafted and opted to spend four years with Providence College in the NCAA before signing as a college free agent with the Manitoba Moose in 2022-23.
Delia is the fourth recall, and his job tonight is the easiest, sit on the Winnipeg Jets bench and help bring the hype alongside the sold-out Canada Life Centre crowd. His 32 appearances for the Moose have been less than stellar, but a goalie with NHL experience is still valuable. The 29-year-old goaltender has produced a record of 11-19-1 alongside a 3.55 goals-against average and a 0.872 save percentage. The Rancho Cucamonga, California native has 52 career NHL games of experience for the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks. Like Ford, Delia also went undrafted and opted to spend three years with Merrimack College before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18 as a college free agent.
