Coyotes assign two to minors

Jan 1, 2009 - 10:36 PM GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Coyotes assigned C Daniel Winnik and goaltender Josh Tordjman to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Thursday.

Winnik's assignment is for conditioning purposes.

A ninth-round pick in 2004, the 23-year-old Winnik has recorded one assist and 35 penalty minutes in 23 games with the Coyotes this season. The 6-2, 210-pound native of Toronto registered 11 goals and 26 points in 79 contests last campaign, his first in the NHL.

Tordjman, 23, was recalled from San Antonio on Wednesday and served as Mikael Tellqvist's backup in Phoenix's 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Ilya Bryzgalov, the Coyotes' top netminder, was unavailable for the game due to a sore back.

Yet to make his NHL debut, Tordjman has posted a 10-12-1 record with three shutouts and a 2.70 goals-against average in 24 games with the Rampage this season. The 6-1, 153-pound native of Montreal was signed by Phoenix as an undrafted free agent in July 2006.