Tri-City Ams Lose Highly-Touted NHL Prospect Rasmussen For Rest of Season

A player who is considered a definite top 15 NHL Draft Prospect will likely miss the rest of the Tri-City Americans season, according to Governor-General Manager Bob Tory.

Thursday, the Americans announced Center Michael Rasmussen will likely be off the ice for three months from a fractured wrist. Tory said Rasmussen was seen by noted hand and wrist specialist Dr. Rodney French in Vancouver, and that was his assessment.

Given the Americans are inside the final two weeks of the regular season, even with a deep run into the WHL Playoffs, Rasmussen's services would likely be missed for the rest of the season. Rasmussen has been out of the lineup the last few games.

He and Defenseman Jusso Valimaki are considered definite top 15 first round draft picks in the NHL Draft coming later this spring. Prior to his injury, Rasmussen, a 6' 5" 205 pound skater, was leading the WHL in goal scoring early in the season, and was on a tear. He had an astonishing 32 goals in the first 50 games this season, along with 32 assists, and at times was virtually unstoppable. He's being compared, style-wise, to NHL great Keith Primeau. Some experts have Rasmussen going in the top ten, even top 5 of the draft.

In Rasmussen's absence, a number of players have stepped up and filled in with scoring and offense, as the Americans are working on a six game winning streak going into this weekend's action.