Coyotes Recall Forwards Boko Imama And Milos Kelemen
Scottsdale, Arizona – The Arizona Coyotes and General Manager Bill Armstrong announced Wednesday that forwards Milos Kelemen and Bokondji Imama have been recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners. The pair of forwards have already combined for seven National Hockey League appearances with the Coyotes on the season and are two of ten Roadrunners players this year that have received call-ups to the NHL.
Milos Kelemen rejoins the Coyotes with three points (1g 2a) over his last four games for Tucson, including an assist on Tuesday, March 21. He last took the ice for the Coyotes on March 12 at Mullett Arena against the Minnesota Wild, recording a blocked shot in Arizona’s 5-4 overtime win. In 58 games with the Roadrunners in his first North American professional season, Kelemen has amassed 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 total points, which ranks fourth on Tucson’s active roster at the time of his call-up. Kelemen made his National Hockey League debut on January 24 against the Anaheim Ducks, with each of his first three NHL outings taking place at home in Tempe.
Boko Imama has appeared in four games with Arizona since his season debut for the Coyotes on March 7, when he registered three hits and a blocked shot in a 6-2 win over the St Louis. Blues. The Coyotes are 4-0 when Imama is in the lineup this season, with all four wins coming at Mullett Arena. In his second season with the Roadrunners, the 26-year-old has recorded five goals and eight assists for 13 total points with a plus-five across 43 games played. His 96 penalty minutes and five total fights are both tied for second on the team behind forward Travis Barron. Imama tallied an assist in his last outing with Tucson on Tuesday, March 21 against his former team, the Ontario Reign.
The pair of forwards join defenseman Michael Kesselring, who was recalled Tuesday morning by the Coyotes and has appeared in each of their last four contests. Kesselring recorded a hit and a shot on goal in 19:30 of ice time in his last NHL outing on Tuesday, March 21 in Winnipeg. The 23-year-old last took the ice for Tucson on Saturday, March 11, and recorded his fifth multi-point performance of the season the night before in Milwaukee with a goal and an assist. Kesselring was acquired by the Arizona Coyotes on March 2 from the Edmonton Oilers, who they will face Wednesday night on the road.
In addition, the Roadrunners have recalled forward Tyson Empey from the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators. Empey began the season with Tucson and tallied three points (1g 2a) and 25 penalty minutes across 12 appearances, including a goal on opening night against Henderson. In 20 games with Atlanta this year, the 27-year-old has notched four goals and five assists for nine total points with a plus-two and 34 penalty minutes. Empey joined the Roadrunners prior to the start of last season and amassed 12 points (3g 9a) and 100 penalty minutes over 63 outings and was one of two Tucson skaters to drop the gloves for ten fights in 2021-2022, along with Boko Imama.
Forward Michael Mrazik has also been returned to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators from Tucson. The 21-year-old made his American Hockey League debut with the Roadrunners on March 4 against the San Diego Gulls, and returns to a Gladiators team where he has totaled 10 points (6g 4a) in 22 games played this season. This year represents Mrazik’s first North American professional campaign, after playing in Sweden, Austria, and his home country of Slovakia over the last three seasons.
The Roadrunners wrap up a four-game home stand Wednesday night at Tucson Arena, as they’ll host the Ontario Reign for the eighth and final meeting of the season with the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings at 6:30 p.m. MST. Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes are on the road to take on the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night for the second game of a back-to-back after going against the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday night.
