ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues are starting to bring in the Black Aces.
The Blues announced Monday afternoon that they have recalled goalie Colten Ellis, forward Nikita Alexandrov, and defenseman Corey Schueneman from Springfield of the American Hockey League after the Thunderbirds' season ended on Sunday in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs against Providence.
Also, the Blues assigned goalie Will Cranley to Florida of the ECHL.
The Blues are currently playing the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference First Round series and are tied 2-2 in the best-of-7 series after the Blues won 5-1 in Game 4 on Sunday; Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday in Winnipeg.
Ellis, 24, was outstanding for Springfield this season, playing in 42 regular-season games and posting a 22-14-5 record with a 2.63 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and three shutouts. His .922 save percentage ranked fourth in the AHL, and his 22 wins was tied for seventh.
Ellis played in all three postseason games for the Thunderbirds and went 1-2 with a 2.32 GAA and .933 save-percentage.
Alexandrov, 24, played in 48 games for the Thunderbirds this season and averaged over a point per game (49 points; 21 goals, 28 assists), which was second on the team, and his 21 goals.
Schueneman, 29, played in 63 games with the Thunderbirds this season and had 20 points (four goals, 16 assists); he also made a cameo appearance in St. Louis earlier in the season and played in four games.
It's a little surprising that Dalibor Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was not on the call-up list but it's believed he wants to play for Slovakia in the upcoming IIHF World Championship from May 9-25 in Sweden and Denmark. Rather than have him here as a Black Ace, it's more prudent to have the 19-year-old playing games instead.