The Avalanche on Tuesday recalled goalie Spencer Martin from San Antonio of the AHL to dress as Semyon Varlamov's backup for Wednesday's game against Calgary at the Pepsi Center, as Andrew Hammond is going through concussion protocol, same as Jonathan Bernier.

Don't know how Hammond got hurt; have to assume in a practice since he has yet to play for the Avalanche.

Martin, 22, has a 13-12-0 record in 30 games with a 3.06 goals-against average and .894 save percentage for the Rampage, who are 27-21-7.

In other news, defensemen Anton Lindholm and newcomer Mark Alt were among the nine players who took part in an optional practice Tuesday.

Lindholm, who's missed four games with an upper-body injury, said he's ready to resume playing.

"According to me, I'm ready right now," he said.

"My elbow got caught in a weird angle, so it's basically a bad hit or a missed hit," said Lindholm, who was injured Feb. 18 against Edmonton, the same game in which Erik Johnson sustained a shoulder injury.

"With EJ being out, his huge minutes need to be portioned out, so it would have been a great time to get more responsibility and try to step up and do a bit more. Once I earn my way back into the lineup I need to keep going and improve every day."

Coach Jared Bednar said he needed to talk with the medical/training staff before making any decision on Lindholm. He liked how the defense played Monday in the Avalanche's 3-1 win against Vancouver and said he might stick with the same lineup.

Here's Monday's GAME STORY.

"The idea today was to get him in contact and then check up with the docs and the trainers tomorrow and then make a decision," Bednar said. "I really liked the way we played the other night, so there's a good chance we'll keep the lineup the same."

Alt, 26, is essentially on a tryout basis for the rest of the season as he's a pending unrestricted free agent. He was claimed on waivers Monday from Philadelphia, where in five seasons as pro he played in nine NHL games. He's been given jersey No. 7.

"Excited," said Alt, who is a lanky 6-feet-4, 201 pounds. "It's a nice opportunity. I think it's going to be a paper transaction to keep me eligible for the AHL playoffs, but I'm really excited about it. I've been (a pro) for five years, I think for me my game's starting to take the next level. I'm more mature now. I just want to see where it goes."

Alt is the son of former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman John Alt. He was born in Kansas City and grew up in St. Paul, Minn., where he was a two-sport star at Cretin-Derham Hall High School; he played hockey and quarterbacked the football team to a state championship his senior year. He received an offer to play football at Iowa but chose to stick with hockey and played three years at the University of Minnesota.

"l always did it on my own as a kid, got away from football and my family's background," he said. "(Hockey) has always been my love."

Alt was Carolina's second-round pick (No. 53) in 2010, but his rights were traded to the Flyers on Jan. 13, 2013 with Brian Boucher for Luke Pither.

He had no points in eight games with the Flyers this season, with 10 points (five goals, five assists) and eight penalty minutes in 23 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.

"Philly is pretty locked in with their top six (defensemen) and playing really well, so I was kind of locked into that seventh role," he said. "I'm a stay-at-home defensemen, it's kind of what I've been doing the last few years. I can jump up into the play, I can skate pretty well ... a lot of PK minutes."

Bednar is taking a wait-and-see attitude regarding Alt.

"I want to watch him in practice a little bit here, see how he is," he said. "I'm going to meet with him today, brush him up on our system because that'll be new to him, watch him in practice a little bit and see what he can bring. We'll make decisions on a game-to-game basis."



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