Western Conference Injury Updates
Derek Wills: Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett has been put on the LTIR and won’t play on their road trip at all.
Defensemen T.J. Brodie and Travis Hamonic are not traveling to St. Louis but it is possible that they could join the team later on in the road trip.
Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw didn’t practice yesterday due to a right hip issue.
Sarah McLellan: Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba is day-to-day and will be a game-time decision tonight.
Coach Bruce Boudreau didn’t say what Dumba’s issue is.
Sarah McLellan: Goaltender Devan Dubnyk was allowed to miss practice yesterday because of a family issue. Boudreau said that Dubnyk is fine.
Andy Strickland: The St. Louis Blues announced the forward Sammy Blais will be out for 10 weeks as he needs wrist surgery.
Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province: Vancouver Canucks winger Antoine Roussel continues to practice as he recovers from knee surgery.
Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun: The NHLPA has filed a grievance against the NHL on behalf of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien.
The Jets suspended Byfuglien back on September 21st, and the NHLPA had 60 days to appeal.
The initial thought was that Byfuglien was deciding on whether he wanted to continue playing hockey, but then in early November, he had ankle surgery. At the end of last season, the Jets medical staff had cleared him, and Byfuglien would have had sign off that he has cleared.
Byfuglien is under contract for next season as well and was scheduled to make $8 million this season.
Billeck notes: “The question all along, and one that has yet to be adequately answered to this date, is why wouldn’t Byfuglien just have come to training camp, failed his physical and got the treatment needed all while getting paid?”