The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today that defenseman Matt Grzelcyk of the Boston Bruins has been fined $5,000, the maximum amount permitted under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for spearing forward Max Pacioretty of the Washington Capitals during NHL Game No. 808 in Boston on Saturday, February 10.
The incident happened in the first period at 18:08. Grzelcyk’s spearing incurred a severe penalty and game misconduct.
The Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund receives the funds.
is expected to make his Kings debut this season when they travel to play four games away, beginning on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres.
The forward Arvidsson has missed time due to a back issue that needed surgery. Though he made a comeback to practice this week, he will not be available against the Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET; BSW, NHLN, CITY, SN, TVAS, CBC). He did, however, take part in an optional skate on Saturday.
“He’s getting closer,” Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller stated. “You saw him in a regular jersey yesterday, he actually took some contact in the drills.”
Arvidsson finished the previous season with 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 77 games for the Kings.
After suffering a lower-body injury against the Carolina Hurricanes on January 15, center Blake Lizotte has started skating again on his own. However, according to Hiller, there is still no word on when Lizotte will be able to return to practice.
Lizotte has played in 34 games and has nine points (5 goals, 4 assists). — Dan Greenspan
The Vegas Golden Knights
Shea Theodore made his first practice wearing a non-contact jersey on Saturday after suffering an injury in November.
Due to an upper-body injury suffered during a 2-1 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on November 22, the defenceman has missed 32 games.
Defenseman Brayden McNabb praised Theodore’s practice, saying, “It’s great to see.” “A long time has passed. He must have been rather thrilled to be going outside with the others. For him, the procedure is drawn out. This is only one more phase of it. Whenever you see him at practice, it’s encouraging.
Theodore’s return date is unknown, and he is not anticipated to play in Monday’s (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSWIX, BSN, SN, TVAS) Golden Knights game against the Minnesota Wild.
In 20 games this season, he has 18 points (four goals, fourteen assists). — Santos Paul Delos
Hurricanes from Carolina
Due to a lower-body injury, Antti Raanta will miss at least two weeks of action for the Hurricanes.
In a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, the goalie came in for Pyotr Kochetkov in the second period and made nine saves; Kochetkov was forced to return for the third.
In 24 games (20 starts) this season, Raanta is 12-7-2 with a 2.99 goals-against average and a.872 save percentage. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 on Saturday, with Spencer Martin, who was obtained off waivers from the team on January 19, serving as Kochetkov’s backup.
In his lone game with Carolina on January 24, Martin made 26 saves in a 3-2 victory against the Boston Bruins.
Coach Rod Brind’Amour of the Hurricanes stated, “With all the injuries that have occurred here, it’s good to have guys who know how to play that position.”
Moving forward Saturday marked Andrei Svechnikov’s comeback from a six-game absence due to an upper-body injury.
Following surgery in July for a ruptured ACL in his right knee, which he received in a 4-0 loss to the Golden Knights on March 11, Svechnikov missed the first eight games of the season. Due to an upper-body ailment in December, he missed six more games.
Svechnikov has 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 30 games this season.
“If we want to be the team we want to be, you’ve got to have your best players in there,” Brind’Amour stated. “You’re not going to succeed until you have the best guys going, but you can get by. He made a big impression, and that’s what he can do. He must enter there. — Kurt Dusterberg