The reigning Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks could get some reinforcements back for Wednesday night's game at Dallas -bet on the game at WagerWeb.com -as the team anticipates the return of Todd Bertuzzi.
The right winger hasn't played since suffering a concussion on Oct. 14 against Minnesota but appears fully recovered from the symptoms. Bertuzzi (1G, 1A in seven games) has been cleared for full contact and was expected to practice on Tuesday, General Manager Brian Burke said.
Bertuzzi, who skated Monday without any problem, has missed 14 games since being hit by Minnesota's Derek Boogaard. Bertuzzi has aggressively stepped up his workout regimen in the past week.
"It's not an easy injury to recover from,"Burke said.
"We're very careful with any kind of injury like this.
The last question I always like to ask our doctors is, 'If this player was your son, would you allow him to play?' "
The key will be how Bertuzzi handles contact in Tuesday's practice.
Anaheim also could get defenseman Mathieu Schneider back Wednesday after he missed two games with a sore hip.
"I anticipate that for the first time, we'll have our team all together,"Burke said.
HAVLAT RETURN DATE: The surprising Chicago Blackhawks are in second place in the Central Division despite being without winger Martin Havlat since he injured his shoulder in the season opener.
However, Havlat, the Hawks' leading scorer last season with 25 goals and 32 assists, underwent a strength and evaluation test on his injured right shoulder Monday, and the team has set a Nov. 28 target for his return.
Chicago actually hoped Havlat could play on Thursday night at Calgary but decided to play it safe.
"We're right on schedule,"Hawks general manager Dale Tallon said. "As long as we're not in dire straits, the longer we can keep him healthy, the better. We can keep our heads above water until he's ready."Chicago, however, will be without Rene Bourque for 4-6 weeks after he suffered a broken thumb during Saturday's win over the Red Wings. Bourque had three goals and five assists in 16 games.
JOKINEN STAYING PUT: Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin denied a rumor that he is trying to trade captain Olli Jokinen, according to the Miami Herald.
"That's news to me,"Martin said. "I've never talked to another GM about him and I've never gotten a call."
The Ottawa Sun reported Sunday that Martin hadn't been pleased with Jokinen's play and was quietly shopping the center.
Owner Alan Cohen, however, told the Herald he would never let Jokinen be traded.
"He's our captain, the face of our franchise,"Cohen told the Herald. "He wants to be a Panther. We want him to be a Panther."
Jokinen had two goals in Florida's 4-3 win over the Capitals on Monday night and has found the net 11 times to go with 12 assists this season. Florida is back in action Wednesday at Columbus -bet on the game at WagerWeb.com.
SCHEDULE TO CHANGE: When the NHL's board of governors meets Nov. 28-29 in Pebble Beach, Calif., it's expected to approve a change to the schedule that would allow every team to face each other at least once per season.
After failing twice to get the schedule changed, commissioner Gary Bettman apparently has enough support for the move.
"I think it's clear that there will be a change,'
Bettman said last month.
It's expected clubs will face the other teams in their division six times, other conference foes four times and that the remaining 18 games on the schedule would be played against the opposing conference.
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