The San Jose Sharks recalled Yaroslav Askarov on Wednesday after Vitek Vanecek got hurt.

Vitek Vanecek was struck in the head with a puck on the bench during the San Jose Sharks 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, and the team recalled top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov. 

The Sharks had just tied the game at one, and Jets defenseman Colin Miller tried a cross-ice pass that was deflected toward the Sharks bench and hit Vanecek up high.

"He's going to be out here a little bit," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "[A] couple weeks with an upper-body [injury]." 

Vanecek has played 14 games this season and owns a 3-8-1 record, 3.84 GAA, and a .885 save %. He recently returned from a different upper-body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 16.

Warsofsky wouldn't explain Vanecek's injury and said he was seeing a doctor today. 

"Terrible, awful luck. I feel for him and his family. There's a lot in play here for him," Warsofsky said. "We got to get him going. Hopefully, it's not too long, but you feel for him, and you have to pick him up. That's why we're here for him: teammates, coaches, management, and everyone in this building is going to be here for him to get him back, get him healthy, and get him going again."

For the first time in his San Jose Sharks career, Askarov will play an extended period of NHL games. 

"It's an opportunity," Warsofsky said about Askarov. "Unfortunate circumstances with Vitek going down, but it's an opportunity for him to play some games, probably consistently."

"We'll see how the schedule unfolds and when he and [Alexandar Georgiev] play," Warsofsky said. "It's a good opportunity. Tom Brady had a good opportunity and took advantage of it."

The 22-year-old is 1-0-1 with a .927 save percentage in two NHL games this season.

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