Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin left Saturday's contest against the Anaheim Ducks after taking a slap shot to the ribs.

Drouin left the ice following the play and was reportedly en route to the hospital as a precaution, with the Canadiens later announcing he would not return to the game after being limited to just 6:08 of ice time.

The Canadiens forward has scored 26 points in 46 games this season.

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Charlie McAvoy is back in action.

The Boston Bruins rookie blue-liner will return to the lineup Saturday versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, less than two weeks after undergoing a procedure to correct an abnormal heart rhythm.

The Bruins posted a 3-1-0 record in McAvoy's absence and currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 68 points. The Maple Leafs trail the Bruins by three points, despite having played four more games.

McAvoy has been one of the NHL's top freshmen this season, as he's tallied 25 points in 45 games. He ranks third in scoring among rookie blue-liners and sits four points behind teammate Torey Krug for second among Boston defensemen.

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Four teams will take part in regular-season games in Europe next season, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Among the matchups, the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets will square off for two games in Finland in November. Tampere native Patrik Laine is sure to be a draw, as is Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov, who hails from the same hometown.

Additionally, the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils will square off twice in Sweden at the beginning of next season. It's a homecoming for a number of players from both squads, including Oilers blue-liners Adam Larsson and Oscar Klefbom, and Devils forwards Marcus Johansson and Jesper Bratt.

The Oilers will also head overseas during the preseason for an exhibition game held in Germany, the home country of forward Leon Draisaitl, while the Devils will do the same in Switzerland, where Nico Hischier will play in front of a home crowd.

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There's now one more way to win big in Sin City, as placing a wager on the expansion Vegas Golden Knights has proven to be an excellent source of extra income.

Except, of course, if you're the one taking the bets.

"We've been getting our butts kicked," South Point oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro told ESPN's Doug Kezirian. "We should rename it 'free date night.' A guy invites a girl out to dinner and stops at the sportsbook on the way to the game. What she doesn't realize is we are paying for everything."

The first-year club is the biggest surprise of the season, and has easily surpassed pundits' and oddsmakers' low expectations. The Golden Knights sit atop the Western Conference after a 32-11-4 showing through 47 games, good for 68 points. That means they're already ahead of their 26.5 over/under mark for wins and knocking on the door of their 68.5-point season projection. There's no better team on home ice, either; Vegas has dropped just two of 23 contests at T-Mobile Arena.

"The betting public found a new ATM," said Westgate Las Vegas Superbook oddsmaker and manager John Murray. "It's called the Golden Knights."

Nowadays, the house is putting a little more faith in the hometown team. Westgate's latest odds tab the Golden Knights as 7-1 favorites - behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning - to win the Stanley Cup.

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The Senators are in the initial stages of a move to downtown Ottawa.

On Thursday, the National Capital Commission announced it has signed an agreement in principle with RendezVous LeBreton for the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats, a downtown Ottawa neighborhood where the hockey team wants to build a new arena.

The Senators currently play out of the Canadian Tire Centre in suburban Kanata. The hope is that a move to a more accessible arena in the downtown core will improve attendance figures.

A joint venture between Trinity Development and the Senators, RendezVous LeBreton now holds exclusive negotiation rights as it works toward a master agreement with the National Capital Commission. That process could take more than one year, reports Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, on hand for Thursday's announcement, said in a statement, "(I am) thrilled to move one step closer to bringing fans a more enjoyable experience."

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Russia has revealed its men's roster for the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Among those named to the roster includes former NHL superstars Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, both of whom are competing in the KHL this season.

The roster also features a number of other recognizable names to North American hockey fans, such as Vadim Shipachyov, Mikhail Grigorenko, and Alexei Marchenko.

Here's a look at the full roster:

Goalies:

• Igor Shestyorkin
• Ilya Sorokin
• Vasily Koshechkin

Defensemen:

• Artyom Zub
• Dinar Khafizullin
• Vladislav Gavrikov
• Vyacheslav Voynov
• Andrei Zubarev
• Alexei Marchenko
• Bogdan Kiselevich
• Nikita Nesterov

Forwards:

• Ivan Telegin
• Sergei Mozyakin
• Sergei Andronov
• Pavel Datsyuk
• Sergei Kalinin
• Mikhail Grigorenko
• Ilya Kablukov
• Kirill Kaprizov
• Sergei Shirokov
• Ilya Kovalchuk
• Nikolai Prokhorkin
• Vadim Shipachyov
• Alexander Barabanov
• Nikita Gusev

After finishing in a disappointing fifth place at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the Russians hope to come home with some hardware in South Korea.

Russia last medalled in 2002, winning a bronze, and has not won Olympic gold since the Unified Team, made up of former Soviet republics, won in 1992 in Albertville, France.

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The Colorado Avalanche beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Monday to extend their league-best winning streak to 10 games.

Jonathan Bernier got the win for the Avalanche, turning aside 29 shots in his first game at Air Canada Centre since being traded away by the Maple Leafs in July 2016.

The victory continued a turnaround season for the Avalanche - who finished with a league-worst 48 points a year ago - as they currently hold the second wild-card spot in the West with 57 points.

Colorado will look to extend its streak Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs could be without Morgan Rielly for at least the next three games, as the defenseman was placed on the injured reserve Monday.

Rielly missed Saturday's contest against the rival Ottawa Senators, and he'll also be sidelined for upcoming contests against Colorado, Chicago, and Dallas. The three games will be followed by a five-day break for the All-Star Game.

Players must remain on the injured reserve for a minimum of seven days, meaning Rielly could return as soon as Jan. 31, versus the New York Islanders.

It's a key loss for the Maple Leafs, as the team relies on Rielly for more than 22 minutes a game. Through 47 games, he has five goals and 26 assists.

In Rielly's place, blue-liner Rinat Valiev has been recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

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After 10 games and stints with three different clubs this season, Antti Niemi has finally found the win column.

The Montreal Canadiens netminder picked up his first victory of the season on Friday as the Habs downed the Washington Capitals by a 3-2 score.

It's been a well-traveled year for Niemi, who began the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, only to be placed on waivers just one month into his start with the defending Stanley Cup champions after some early struggles.

Though the veteran goaltender was claimed off waivers by the Florida Panthers, Niemi was once again released - having played just two games. The Canadiens came calling this time around, in need of a goalie with then backup Al Montoya on the mend.

Three teams, 10 games, and too many goals allowed. And while it's been a hectic season for Niemi, he was a calming presence Friday, as he turned aside 24 shots in the Canadiens' win.

Prior to Friday, his most recent victory came last April as a member of the Dallas Stars.

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho is sidelined indefinitely with a concussion and a lower-body injury following a hit by Calgary Flames blue-liner Mark Giordano, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

The play occurred Sunday when Aho was driving toward the Flames' cage before he was bumped by the Flames captain. Aho left the game favoring his leg while Giordano was assessed a match penalty.

Aho's injury is a key loss for Carolina, as he leads the team with 37 points in 45 games, and with the Hurricanes in the midst of the playoff race.

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