Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg received a two-game suspension after a hearing before the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety on Thursday.
Stienburg had to explain the action he made towards Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak.
Stienburg received a major penalty and a game misconduct following a hit he gave to Cernak late in the second period of Wednesday’s game. The Avalanche announced in the evening that they had transferred Stienburg to their school club, the Colorado Eagles.
Elsewhere, the Avalanche expects forward Artturi Lehkonen to play his first game of the season next week against the Seattle Kraken.
Lehkonen had shoulder surgery last May and has been sidelined ever since. The Avalanche will face the Nashville Predators before facing the Kraken on Tuesday.
The former Canadiens star scored 16 goals and collected 18 assists in 45 games last season.
Andersen still injured
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen has a lower body injury and his condition will be re-evaluated weekly, head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced.
Andersen had an excellent start to the season. He is 3-1-0 with a 1.49 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage.
The 35-year-old goaltender was limited to 16 games last season, maintaining a 13-2-0 record with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.
The Dane is completing this season the final year of a 2-year contract worth US$6.8 million signed in July 2023. In the absence of Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin share the work in front of the Hurricanes net.
Watson returns to the American League
The Detroit Red Wings have traded forward Austin Watson to their Grand Rapids farm club in the American Hockey League.
Watson has yet to collect a point in two games since the start of the season.
Watson is in his first campaign in the Red Wings organization. The former first round pick of the Predators played for the Lightning last season.
Ponomarev finally ready to play
The Pittsburgh Penguins removed forward Vasiliy Ponomarev from the injured list before transferring him to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton AHL affiliate.
Ponomarev has been sidelined since the start of the season due to an upper body injury sustained during the preseason schedule. He was obtained from the Hurricanes last season in the trade involving Jake Guentzel.
The former Shawinigan Cataractes has scored a goal and collected an assist in four games in the NHL since the start of his career.
