Ducks pluck Poitras from Redmen

Mathieu Poitras in action

BY JIM HYNES | The defending Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks have invited McGill Redmen goaltender Mathieu Poitras for a tryout that could see the 25-year-old native of Gatineau, Que., serve as the National Hockey League team's third goaltender for the coming weeks.

The Ducks have needed a third netminder since they dispatched veteran Jean Sebastien Aubin to their American Hockey League affiliate Portland Pirates on March 30. Aubin is expected to return to the Ducks roster once the Pirates' playoffs end.

Poitras, a Canadian Interuniversity Sport Academic All-Canadian and Mechanical Engineering major, received permission to have his April exams deferred until his tryout ends. It is the third NHL tryout for Poitras, who played three full seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before coming to McGill in 2004. He had tryouts with the Ducks in 2004 and the Washington Capitals in 2005.

Poitras is scheduled to graduate this spring as McGill's all-time goaltending wins leader. He posted a record of 81-35-6 in four seasons with the Redmen.