Martin Hanzal's season is over.
Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett confirmed Thursday afternoon that Hanzal will be shut down for the final two games of the season, as he's still recovering from an upper-body injury.
"It's disappointing. He's a key part of our team. Hopefully he can get healthy soon and be ready to go next season," Tippett said.
Hanzal has been out of the Coyotes' lineup since March 31, marking another season cut short by injury for the centerman.
Since 2010-11, the 29-year-old hasn't played more than 65 games in a season.
Hanzal finishes the campaign sitting fifth on the Coyotes in scoring, with 13 goals and 28 assists in 64 games.
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The injury-riddled Chicago Blackhawks are turning to a familiar face to fill their depleted lineup.
With forwards Artem Anisimov, Andrew Shaw, and Marian Hossa on the shelf nursing injuries, Chicago recalled former playoff hero Bryan Bickell in hopes he can return to form.
After accumulating only two points in 23 games with the Blackhawks this season, Bickell was sent to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, where he put up 31 points in 44 contests.
Bickell's grit translated to success for Chicago in the past, something he knows he must find again to stay in the NHL.
Bickell said he needs to "be physical and bring back those playoff days where I'm physical every shift and being a force out there," according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.
For their part, Blackhawks players are happy to have Bickell back in the room as well.
"We all love Bicks as a guy and I think we're all hoping that he can recapture the player he was and the player he can be," winger Patrick Kane said.
Duncan Keith, who is serving the fourth game of his six-game suspension, also knows what Bickell is capable of.
"Baby steps. Work it in slowly and get that confidence back and anything can happen," Keith said.
But Keith was also quick to poke fun at his teammate.
Duncan Keith said it was good to see Bryan Bickell. "He's got a full head of hair now," Keith said. #Blackhawks
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) April 7, 2016
Chicago, which still has a shot at earning home-ice advantage in the playoffs, and even the division title, takes on the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night with first-round seeding at stake.
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Patrik Laine's going to be one excellent consolation prize.
While Auston Matthews is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the coming NHL draft, Laine is expected to be a lottery selection, and he's showing why in the Finnish Elite League.
His second goal of the game was even better:
Laine had 17 goals and 16 assists in 46 regular-season games. Those are his fourth and fifth goals of the postseason.
Laine was a big part of Finland's gold medal-winning World Junior Hockey Championship team this year, scoring seven goals and adding six assists in seven games.
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Las Vegas' new T-Mobile Arena will be the site of NHL hockey this fall.
The Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings will face off in an exhibition on Oct. 7, and the Kings will play the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 8. The Kings play preseason games annually in Las Vegas as part of their "Frozen Fury" marketing plan.
T-Mobile Arena opened Wednesday with a concert by local band The Killers. The site's owners are hoping to house an NHL team full time, with the league mulling over an expansion offer. A decision is expected in June.
"We are excited to be featured in one of the very first sporting events at the new T-Mobile Arena and we look forward to creating new Frozen Fury memories there," Kings president Luc Robitaille said. "The atmosphere at 'Frozen Fury' is always one of the highlights of our exhibition game schedule and we believe we can take this to a 'next level' in this new environment.
"Our fans will be excited that there will be two games this season, our 50th anniversary, and we know they - along with our players - are going to love this new state-of-the-art arena."
The Stars are stoked, too.
"We're thrilled to incorporate this trip to Las Vegas into our preseason schedule," Stars president Jim Lites said. "The new T-Mobile Arena is a beautiful facility and we're proud to take part in one of the first sporting events there."
T-Mobile Arena was privately financed at a cost of $375 million and has a capacity of 20,000.
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