Fresh off a trip to his hometown, Abbotsford native David Van der Gulik is headed back to the NHL.
Van der Gulik, who was in town last weekend with the Lake Erie Monsters to face the Abbotsford Heat in AHL action, was rewarded for his fine start to the season when the Colorado Avalanche summoned him from their top affiliate on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old right winger had gotten off to a terrific start to the season, posting 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 21 games with Lake Erie.
"It's nice when things are going your way – you've got to get a few good bounces," Van der Gulik told The News last week, reflecting on his hot start with the Monsters.
The Avalanche called the Abby native up to fill in for injured forward Brandon Yip – a former teammate of Van der Gulik's during his NCAA days at Boston University.
Van der Gulik, a former member of the Heat, signed with the Avalanche as a free agent in the summer of 2010. He suited up for six games with Colorado last season, notching one goal and two assists.