Hamel will replace the injured Bryan Smolinski

OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators have recalled left-winger Denis Hamel from the Binghamton Senators on an emergency basis for the club's next game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., tonight.

The 28-year-old from Lachute, Que., replaces centre Bryan Smolinski, who suffered a bruised right shoulder during the Senators 5-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

In 16 games this season with the B-Sens, Hamel leads the team with 10 goals and 10 assists, and also has 10 penalty minutes and a -5 in the plus-minus rating. Hamel was held off the scoresheet in Binghamton's 1-0 win over the Springfield Falcons Sunday, but he was on a five-game point streak (Nov. 11-19) with seven goals and four assists.

Hamel was named the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 13. In four games that week, Hamel had five goals and three assists, including one game-winning goal.

Hamel's last NHL game was with the Senators against the Capitals in Washington on Feb. 17, 2004. He played a total of five games for Ottawa in 2003-04, recording no points. Hamel has played in 135 NHL games, 130 with the Buffalo Sabres, for a total of 13 goals, nine assists and 67 points. His last NHL goal was Feb. 13, 2003, against the Detroit Red Wings, and last assist was March 19, 2002, versus Ottawa.

The Binghamton Senators are sixth in the East Division with five wins, nine losses, an overtime and shootout loss for 12 points. The B-Sens' next game is in Rochester against the Americans on Wednesday, followed by home games on Thursday with the Syracuse Crunch, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday and Philadelphia Phantoms on Sunday.

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