Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has been suspended three games for cross-checking Simon Despres of the Anaheim Ducks.

As the video explains, Landeskog raised his stick into Despres' head, knocking him to the ice.

In the league's eyes, the play was not a battle for the puck or an attempt to establish positioning, and was deemed to be a reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous cross-check.

Despres was not injured on the play, while Landeskog has been suspended in the past. Both factored into the ruling.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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Jason Pominville hasn't missed a Minnesota Wild game in three years. That streak comes to an end Thursday.

Pominville's picked up a lower-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup against the Edmonton Oilers, the club announced, and end his consecutive games streak at 231, which is tied for the longest in club history.

Justin Fontaine will take Pominville's spot on the third line, with Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter.

Pominville has 11 goals and 22 assists in 67 games. Consider him to day to day.

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NHL senior vice president Don Renzulli, the league's outdoor games czar, is quitting his post, according to TSN's Rick Westhead.

Renzulli's been with the league since 2007, and this year's Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens was the 16th outdoor game he's been the lead in organizing.

It's possible that Renzulli is leaving to go and work with former NHL COO John Collins, who left his job in November to head up On Location Experiences, a company "which markets unique fan access to events such as the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and the NFL draft," writes Westhead.

One of Westhead's two sources on the story called Renzulli "Mr. Outdoor Games," and said "his loss is definitely a blow to the NHL."

The league announced another set of outdoor games Wednesday, headlined by the Centennial Classic in Toronto on Jan. 1 and the Winter Classic on Jan. 2.

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The Dallas Stars could be without defenseman Jason Demers well into the postseason, should they indeed advance that far.

Demers has been diagnosed with a shoulder injury that will be further evaluated in six weeks, according to Mark Stepneski of the team's official website.

With only a month remaining in the regular season, that means Demers could return late in the first round, at the earliest.

Demers has recorded seven goals and 16 assists in 61 games for Dallas this season.

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The Ottawa Senators have their eyes on a special outdoor game during the 2017-18 season.

To celebrate both the NHL's 100th anniversary and Canada's 150th birthday, the club wants to host the Montreal Canadiens in an outdoor game on Parliament Hill. And according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the league hasn't ruled out the venue, despite the fact a temporary stadium would need to be erected to accommodate the event.

The easier option would be to have the game played at TD Place Stadium, site of the 2017 Grey Cup. But Senators owner Eugene Melnyk's preference is the Hill because of its unique backdrop, Garrioch adds.

"That would be really cool," Ottawa defenceman Cody Ceci said Thursday. "Being from Ottawa, it would be really cool to play in and see what they do with Parliament Hill putting the stands up. It'd be a pain to put them up and take them down but it'd be awesome to be a part of."

An announcement is not expected until after the regular season as the NHL continues to explore the possibility from all angles.

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