Headshot sidelines key defenseman Jalen Chatfield. Gavin Bayreuther called up as Hurricanes face more defensive injury woes.
The Carolina Hurricanes have placed defenseman Jalen Chatfield on injured reserve today.
That means that the blueliner is out for at least the team's next four games as any player placed on IR must be there for a minimum of seven days.
Chatfield, 29, absorbed a headshot from Minnesota Wild forward Tyler Pitlick in the the first period of Thursday's game and did not return.
"I don't know if they've diagnosed it yet," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour on Saturday when asked if Chatfield was dealing with a concussion. "I don't know really what's going on. Obviously he's out. I'm not really sure yet if they've said, 'Hey, this is what it is.' We know obviously he got hit to the head, so they always take precautions with that."
The loss of another one of the team's top-four defensemen is just a huge blow for a team already struggling to get guys healthy.
Chatfield is the fourth blueline regular to miss time due to injury and it's an integral piece to lose as he's played north of 19 minutes in every game of the season.
In his place, the team has recalled defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Chicago Wolves.
Bayreuther, 31, has three goals and six points in nine games with the Wolves this season.
Recent Articles
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.