Anaheim Recalls Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Vinni Lettieri From San Diego
Nov 21, 2021The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled center Benoit-Olivier Groulx and right wing Vinni Lettieri from the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Groulx, 21 (2/6/00), has recorded 1-2=3 points with a +1 rating and two penalty minutes (PIM) in 15 games with the Ducks this season. He scored his first NHL goal as part of his first career multi-point effort (1-1=2), Nov. 7 vs. St. Louis. The 6-2, 200-pound forward earned his first NHL point (assist), Oct. 29 at Vegas after making his NHL debut Oct. 13 vs. Winnipeg.
Selected by Anaheim in the second round (54th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Groulx appeared in two games with San Diego this season, earning one assist (0-1=1) with a +1 rating. He made his professional debut with San Diego in 2020-21, recording 10-19=29 points with a +14 rating in 42 games. The Rouen, France native ranked tied for third in assists, fifth in scoring and tied for fifth in plus/minus (+14) among AHL rookies, while he co-led all AHL skaters in shorthanded points (2-2=4).
Lettieri, 26 (2/6/95), has scored 1-1=2 points in three games with Anaheim this season, including his first goal as a Duck Oct. 31 vs. Montreal. The 5-11, 185-pound forward has appeared in 54 career NHL games with Anaheim and the New York Rangers, recording 3-7=10 points and 14 PIM. Signed as a free agent, Oct. 10, 2020, Lettieri recorded 5-1=6 points with a +2 rating in eight games with San Diego this season, second among Gulls leaders in goals.
A native of Excelsior, Minn., Lettieri has scored 90-74=164 points with 117 PIM in 203 career AHL games with San Diego and Hartford. Lettieri ranks tied for third among all AHL leaders in goals (90) since the start of 2017-18. He also scored 37-46=83 points in four seasons at the University of Minnesota (2013-17), helping the Golden Gophers to a 2015 Big Ten championship.