Found this interesting post by geofissiffoeg on CHLforums.com:

Andrew Howes is an interesting pick up for the Americans. He's the kind of player everyone wants. He has hands (not the greatest but they can get the job done), he'll hit anything that moves, and he's not afraid to fight. In his first game with the Ice Flyers last season he had a Gordie Howe hattrick. The interesting part comes into play because he returned home to Toronto because "his heart wasn't in it anymore". I don't think he was really that tired of hockey just he wanted to be there for his girlfriend and their new born baby. Now 8 or 9 months later, he's giving hockey another go.