Nov.03.2006

The Canucks called up 20-year-old defender Alexander Edler from the Manitoba Moose Friday.

Edler will make his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday night.

"We were playing in Grand Rapids yesterday and I was just about to get out and warm up with a little soccer when the coach called me in to tell me I was going to Denver to play with Vancouver," said Edler, the Canucks' 2nd choice, 91st overall in 2004. "It was quite a shock at first. Then I just got excited. It's hard to understand actually."

Canucks general manager Dave Nonis was forced to go to Manitoba for blueline help after Sami Salo left Thursday's game in Minnesota with a knee injury.

Salo is the second Canuck defender to fall to injury. Willie Mitchell has missed the past five games with a concussion suffered Oct. 21st.

Mitchell was the Canucks' top penalty-killing defender through the first nine games. The Canucks have given up six power-play goals in the five games without Mitchell.

Salo is the highest-scoring Canuck defender and is tied for the team power-play scoing lead with Daniel Sedin.

The 6'3", 220-pound Edler has appeared in all 10 games so far this season with the Moose, collecting two assists and six penalty minutes. He notched his first point in his very first professional game for Manitoba Oct. 4/06 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

In 62 games last season with the Kelowna Rockets, the Ostersund, SWE native scored 13 goals and 40 assists for 53 points and 44 penalty minutes in his only season of junior hockey.

Edler finished fifth in scoring amongst defencemen in the WHL. In 12 post-season games, he ended up with three goals and five assists for eight points and 12 penalty minutes.