NHL Short Notes

1.    CLEARY SIDELINED

It hasn’t been a fun season for the Detroit Red Wings who on Wednesday night lost veteran forward Dan Cleary for at least a month with a separated shoulder. Having this former 1997 Chicago Blackhawks first round choice injured is just the latest of a long list of setbacks for a Wings team who currently sit ninth in the Western Conference. After losing last spring in the Stanley Cup finals the Red Wings lost a consistent scorer in Marian Hossa who signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks. Prior or Cleary, the Red Wings disabled list has been full with prominent names such as Jason Williams, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filippula and Niklas Kronwall.

2.    FETISOV COMING OUT OF RETIREMENT

After hanging up the skates and calling it a career 11 years ago two time Stanley Cup winner Slava Fetisov has been talked into coming out of retirement to play one game on Friday with CSKA Moscow in the Continental Hockey League. Being short a defenceman due to injuries Fetisov who won the Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 agreed to play when approached by the coach Sergei Nemchinov. “Fetisov practices constantly and has agreed to help the team,” Nemchinov said. “We just need to settle some legal procedures.” Prior to playing with the New Jersey Devils and Red Wings in the NHL this 51 year-old helped Russia earn a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo and another gold four years later in Calgary.