The punch came on Saturday night, when after delivering a hit to Nathan MacKinnon, Rinaldo jumped Girard, resulting in a line brawl.
This marks the fifth time Rinaldo has faced supplemental discipline from the league. He's now been suspended for 25 games, served two fines, and forfeited a total of $173,955 in salary, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.
Rinaldo will be eligible to return to the Coyotes' lineup on Jan. 13 against the San Jose Sharks.
Canadian defenseman Kale Clague is expected to miss his team's game against Slovakia on Wednesday, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.
Clague reportedly blocked a shot with his right foot in the team's 4-2 victory over Finland. Luckily X-rays came back negative.
With Clague sidelined, Cale Makar is expected to move to the left side on a contingent with Dante Fabbro. Victor Mete and Conor Timmins will make up the second pairing, while Jake Bean and Cal Foote will occupy the third, according to McKenzie.
Canada will look to become the first team to two wins early into the tournament.
Kesler underwent surgery in June to remove bone fragments in his hip. He joins a Ducks lineup that's been ravaged by injuries, but has recently started to take shape with key players returning to the ice.
Last season, Kesler suited up in all 82 games, registering 58 points while winning 57.4 percent of his faceoffs, earning him consideration for the Selke Trophy.
The Colorado Avalanche will be without defenseman Tyson Barrie for four-to-six weeks, head coach Jared Bednar revealed Wednesday, per Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.
Barrie suffered a fractured hand after blocking an Oliver Ekman-Larsson shot in the first period of a game on Dec. 23.
His absence will be a big blow to a team flirting with playoff contention. Through 34 games, Barrie recorded four goals and 27 assists, good for third in points among all Avalanche.
Canada got off to a strong start in its quest for world junior supremacy Tuesday afternoon, coming away with a 4-2 win over Finland.
In light of the victory, here are three takeaways from Canada's performance:
A good test
Given the usual cupcake nature of the preliminary opener for Canada, a tournament entrance against Finland - a country many consider to be in the running for a gold medal as well - offered a considerable early test.
A year removed from firing the entire coaching staff, one would believe Finland to be as hungry as ever to return to the gold medal game - a contest they won in 2016 - however, Canada had other plans.
With seven returnees from last year's silver medal outfit, Canada's experience was evident, and there were few indications of nerves playing a factor once the puck dropped.
Slotted in Group A with Finland, as well as the USA, banking points will be especially important for seeding in the medal round, and capturing three off the bat is a solid start.
Sum of its parts
(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
In terms of marquee, can't-miss star power, Canada is lacking, but its depth and speed throughout the lineup proved effective against a stout Finnish defensive corps, which features four first-round draft picks.
Canada got at least one point from seven different forwards, while blue-liner Victor Mete contributed two himself.
Head coach Dominique Ducharme wanted to build a complete roster capable of moving the puck quickly, and one game in, Canada looks like a cohesive unit capable of executing the game plan.
Penalty trouble
When looking for a flaw in Canada's performance, one stands out rather clearly: lack of discipline.
Canada took six penalties, including three in the first period. While five of six power plays were killed successfully, it's a trend that will have to come to an abrupt halt if Canada intends on playing for gold.
Now, needing time to adjust to international rules may have been the cause of the influx of infractions, but Canada will have to adapt quickly. Handing out free opportunities in this tournament is a recipe for disaster.
Zach Parise will make his 2017-18 debut with the AHL's Iowa Wild.
The Minnesota Wild winger underwent back surgery in October and has been cleared for contact. Before jumping back into the lineup, however, he's being sent to the minor-league affiliate for conditioning.
"I’ve got to get into game shape and knock some rust off," Parise admitted Wednesday. "I plan on coming back after (Thursday's) game and practice with this team."
He won't be in Minnesota's lineup Wednesday against Dallas, but could potentially return for Friday's tilt with Nashville.
Parise last played in the AHL in 2005 while in the New Jersey organization.
The St. Louis Blues have signed general manager Doug Armstrong to a four-year contract extension.
This new deal also includes a club option for a fifth year. Armstrong's contract was set to expire at season's end.
"We are really pleased that we have one of the very best GMs in the business with us for a period of time so he can continue his good work of building the team for current and future success," said owner Tom Stillman. "We've been one of the top teams in the League for several years running now. Doug has been able to engineer that without mortgaging the future."
Hired by the Blues in 2008 as vice president of player personnel, Armstrong took over GM duties in 2010 once predecessor Larry Pleau retired.
Armstrong won General Manager of the Year in 2013, while St. Louis has finished first in its division twice and no lower than third under his watch. Overall, Armstrong's Blues have posted a regular-season record of 337-185-56 since 2010-11, the NHL's fourth-best mark.
In the playoffs, however, St. Louis has won only four rounds in seven years, advancing to the Western Conference Finals in 2016.
The Blues sit first in the Central Division as the holiday break comes to an end, and the team has benefited greatly from an offseason trade that saw Brayden Schenn land in St. Louis.
Disaster has struck once again for the Chicago Blackhawks, as netminder Corey Crawford has been placed on injured reserve for the second time in a month, the team announced Wednesday.
In a corresponding move, goalie Jeff Glass was recalled from the AHL.
Crawford was placed on IR on Dec. 1 with an undisclosed injury, but returned in the middle of the month in top form, winning five of his seven starts.
This season, Crawford owns 16-9-2 record, accompanied by the league's second-best save percentage (.929), and the third-ranked goals-against average (2.27).
He's not quite at Dominik Hasek's level just yet, but Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild made us do a double take with this impression of the legendary Czech netminder on the second night of the 2017-18 regular season.
Mercy is for the weak, and Quick had none for the Arizona Coyotes - and Peter Holland in particular - as he kicked his leg up and out for a unique pad save.
