In a season filled with injuries, trades and mediocrity, the Alaska Aces absorbed more dismal news today – they have lost leading scorer Alexandre Imbeault, who is departing to play in the Czech Republic.

Imbeault’s move robs the ECHL club of its top-line center and power-play quarterback, and further reduces a team that already is without its leading goal scorer this season and its leading scorer from last season. John Lammers, whose 20 goals lead the Aces, is on his second extended call-up to the American Hockey League and Alaska recently traded Colin Hemingway, its leading scorer last season.

Imbeault, 23, leads the Aces in assists and points with 18-30—48 totals in 44 games. He also ranks sixth in the ECHL in points and tied for seventh in assists.

According to Aces spokesman Jack Michaels, Imbeault is leaving to play in the Czech Extraliga, the top pro league in the Czech Republic and one of the top leagues in all of Europe. The Aces today suspended Imbeault, which is a technical move, and they can retain his ECHL rights for next season.

Aces first-year coach Brent Thompson told Michaels during the Aces' pregame broadcast on AM-750 KFQD that Imbeault told him of his plans Friday. The coach said he initially was angry and exchanged "hard words'' with the center, and remains disappointed. Still, he said, he understands Imbeault's wish to cash in on an opportunity to play at a higher level.

"I wish Alex all the best,'' Thompson told Michaels. "It is a higher level, and we are a developmental league.''

Imbeault, a third-year pro in his second season with the Aces, has said in the past his ambition is to get to the AHL. He played 12 games in that league one step below the NHL in his rookie season and six games last season, but has not received a promotion to the league this season.

Presumably, the Aces could have blocked the departure of Imbeault, a native of Montreal. Hockey Canada has strict provisions about international movement by players under contract and can make such transfers, which require immigration approval, difficult.

On the other hand, the ECHL is a developmental league, and there’s nothing that says development can’t take place abroad.

In any event, Imbeault’s loss is another punishing blow to a team that enters a game at Stockton today at .500 (20-20-4). That’s unfamiliar territory for the franchise, which is six previous ECHL seasons has never been .500 this late in the season.

In those six previous seasons, the Aces have finished an average of 24.3 games above .500. They won the Kelly Cup in 2006, advanced to Game 7 of the Kelly Cup Finals last season and for six straight seasons have advanced at least as far as the second round of the playoffs.

The Aces under Brent Thompson also have been ravaged by injuries. After today’s game at Stockton, 14 different players will have missed a total of 174 games in injuries.

Currently shelved are captain Scott Burt (arthroscopic knee surgery); defenseman Bryan Miller (shoulder), the team’s leading scorer among blueliners; defenseman Tyson Marsh (ankle tendon surgery); and forward Curtis Fraser (shoulder surgery).

Established ECHL players transferring to Europe at this point in the season is rare. Much more commonly at this point, ECHL teams gain North American players from Europe at the league deadline for transfers.

Tuesday at 1 p.m. AST is the ECHL deadline to sign players from overseas leagues.