Langan Plays First AHL Game

Swan River's Tristin Langan, called up to the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, had a shot in 14 minutes of ice time in his first game in the AHL on Friday night. Langan, 21, who spent the summer in Winnipeg working for the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council, was the No. 2 scorer in the Western Hockey League last season. This year, with the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears, Langan had 12 goals and 30 points in 38 games and was the Solar Bears' leading scorer when he was called up. He also had a plus 21, plus-minus rating. Langan had been offered a hockey scholarship at Carleton University in Ottawa after his final year in the Western Hockey League, but wanted to give a pro hockey a shot. He signed a minor league deal with the Barracuda but was sent to Orlando after training camp. Last year with Moose Jaw in the WHL, he had 53 goals (T-first) and 113 points. During his four-year junior career that spanned parts of four seasons, the 6-foot, 205-pound forward skated in 241 games with Moose Jaw and finished with 78 goals and 184 points and a career plus-68 rating. Amazingly, Langan had never been known as a goal scorer. Even, back in the day, when he played for the Provincial Triple A Midget Parkland Rangers, Langan had just 17 goals in 44 games. He had more penalty minutes (54) than points (45). He was an energy guy, a good skater and strong hitter who could change the course of a game with his clean but physical style. “I’ve always been a guy who does exactly what his coach tells him,” Langan said. “Up until this past year I was asked to be a defensive forward so that’s what I did. I killed penalties and checked the other team’s top line. I had no problem doing that.”