The Calgary Flames have placed defenceman Travis Hamonic on injured reserve with a facial fracture. The injury occurred on opening night after he got into a fight with Vancouver Canucks defenceman Erik Gudbranson. The Flames say he will be out week-to-week.
Flames Travis Hamonic Out with Facial Fracture
Travis Hamonic decided to drop the gloves with Gudbranson as retaliation for a questionable hit Gudbranson laid on Flames rookie Dillon Dube. Gudbranson caught Hamonic with an uppercut right which was the shot that did the damage. He then took one more shot before hitting the ice. He immediately left the ice but did return to finish the game.
Hamonic was acquired by the Flames in the summer of 2017 from the New York Islanders. In 75 total games with the Flames, he has scored one goal and added 10 assists for 11 points.
In 517 career NHL games, Hamonic has scored 27 goals and added 130 assists for 157 points between Calgary and New York.
What This Means for the Future
While it was a courageous act by Hamonic to stick up for his teammate, Hamonic will now have to sit for a few weeks to heal from his injuries. Hamonic gave up a lot of size in this bout as well as Gudbranson is three inches taller and around 15 pounds heavier. Still, Hamonic showed his leadership by sticking up for a young kid in Dube, who was playing his first NHL game.
To fill the roster spot, the Flames have recalled defenceman Rasmus Andersson from the Stockton Heat of the American Hockey League. Andersson looked good in the small sample size he had last season where he played 10 games. He also had a really strong camp and was one of the final cuts. He did, however, earn the praise of general manager Brad Treliving. In a quote from the Calgary Sun, Treliving said “Rasmus had a heck of a camp, and he’s ready to play. In my mind, he’s ready to play. Now, he has to continue to stay ready.” He didn’t have to wait long, as Andersson is already on his way back to the show. While it is under unfortunate circumstances, he will look to try to earn a permanent place in the Flames line up.
The Flames will look bounce back from their 5-2 opening night loss to Vancouver, as they host them on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
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