Canes assign Leighton to Checkers

The Carolina Hurricanes on Friday assigned goaltender Michael Leighton to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League.

Leighton was to play for the Checkers on Friday in their road game against the Bakersfield Condors. The Canes complete a three-game road trip to California with a Saturday game against the San Jose Sharks.

Leighton is 1-1 with a 3.05 goals-against average this season for the Canes. He was recalled from Charlotte on an emergency basis on Nov. 21 after goalie Eddie Lack suffered a concussion.

He ranks third among AHL goaltenders this season in goals-against average (1.66) and save percentage (.937), earning a 6-2-1 record for Charlotte.

This story was originally published December 9, 2016 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Canes assign Leighton to Checkers."