Coyotes send two 2008 first-rounders to minors
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Phoenix Coyotes are heading for Europe as part of the Compuware NHL Premiere series, but two of their prized youngsters won't be making the trip.
The Coyotes assigned Mikkel Boedker and Viktor Tikhonov, both first-round picks in the 2008 Entry Draft, to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Thursday. Also sent down was Andrew Ebbett, who played for Chicago, Anaheim and Minnesota last season before signing with the Coyotes as a free agent this summer.
Boedker, taken No. 8 in 2008, spent all of 2008-09 with Phoenix but played just 14 games with the Coyotes last season before being sent to San Antonio, where he had 11 goals and 38 points in 64 games. He has 12 goals and 31 points in 92 NHL games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tikhonov, taken No. 28 in '08, had 8 goals and 8 assists in 61 games with the Coyotes in 2008-09, but was sent to San Antonio before the start of last season and played most of the season in Russia.
The moves pared the Coyotes' roster to 25 as they head to Europe, They will play an exhibition game against Riga Dinamo of the KHL in Riga, Latvia, before opening their regular season with a pair of games against Boston in Prague next Saturday and Sunday.