NAHL hockey: Goalie returns for second stay with Avalanche

WASILLA — Nate Pellegrino is back where his North American Hockey League career started.

Pellegrino returned for his second stay in Alaska after the Avs acquired the veteran netminder in a trade with the Alpena Ice Diggers.

“He was playing with two other high-end goalies in Alpena,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said. “I called the (Alpena) coach and convinced him to move (Pellegrino) our way to give him the ability to play more.”

Alaska sent a 2009 tender to Alpena for Pellegrino.

The Woodlyn, Pa., native appeared in seven games for the Ice Diggers this season, posting a 2-3-1 mark with a 3.80 goals against average and .866 saves percentage.

Pellegrino has spent most of the season in a reserve role, behind Alpena’s Nick Graves, who is among league leaders with a .924 saves percentage.

Last season, Pellegrino posted solid numbers in Alpena. In 28 starts, he was 12-9-1 with a 2.93 GAA and .901 saves percentage.

In his rookie year in Alaska, Pellegrino recorded a .906 saves percentage during the 2006-07 campaign. Alaska has not had a goaltender finish the season with a saves percentage above .900 since that season.

Pellegrino made his 2008-09 debut in the Alaska lineup on Saturday and stopped a season-high 40 shots during a 5-2 loss to Fairbanks in the Interior.

He is the fifth player to start in goal for the Avs this season and is one of three netminders currently on the roster.

Austin Maginnis is 6-4-1 with a 3.96 GAA and .879 saves percentage in 12 games. Dylan Woodring is 1-4-0 with a 3.61 GAA and .885 saves percentage in six games.

In another move, Alaska traded forward Trent Krueger to Dubuque of the Tier III Minnesota Junior Hockey League.

Krueger had nine shots and a +1 plus-minus rating in six games this season.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.