vancouver......
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Andrew Cassels will return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup Thursday against Anaheim after missing the last 20 games with a sprained right knee.
Cassels, 32, was leading the team with 11 points in 10 games when his skate caught a rut in the ice during a game Oct. 23 causing the injury. He started skating again last Friday and is expected to return as the team's No.1 center between wingers Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi.
``I'm really happy with the way it feels today,'' Cassels said after Wednesday's practice. ``I feel a lot stronger on the ice, a lot more powerful than I did just three of four days ago and I felt confident making plays and passes.''
To make room for Cassels on the roster, the Canucks assigned Latvian winger Herbert Vasiljevs to the Manitoba of the AHL. They also recalled Russian center Artem Chubarov on an emergency basis to fill in for injured center Harold Druken, who sprained his right ankle against Colorado last Friday.
isles.....
The New York Islanders called up forwards Raffi Torres and Dave Roche from Bridgeport on Wednesday and sent down forward Juraj Kolnik.
canes.....
The Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday re-acquired physical defenseman Sean Hill from the St. Louis Blues.
The Hurricanes sent defenseman Steve Halko and a fourth-round pick in the 2002 draft to the Blues for the 31-year-old Hill, who played for Carolina from 1997-2000 before leaving via free agency.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Andrew Cassels will return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup Thursday against Anaheim after missing the last 20 games with a sprained right knee.
Cassels, 32, was leading the team with 11 points in 10 games when his skate caught a rut in the ice during a game Oct. 23 causing the injury. He started skating again last Friday and is expected to return as the team's No.1 center between wingers Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi.
``I'm really happy with the way it feels today,'' Cassels said after Wednesday's practice. ``I feel a lot stronger on the ice, a lot more powerful than I did just three of four days ago and I felt confident making plays and passes.''
To make room for Cassels on the roster, the Canucks assigned Latvian winger Herbert Vasiljevs to the Manitoba of the AHL. They also recalled Russian center Artem Chubarov on an emergency basis to fill in for injured center Harold Druken, who sprained his right ankle against Colorado last Friday.
isles.....
The New York Islanders called up forwards Raffi Torres and Dave Roche from Bridgeport on Wednesday and sent down forward Juraj Kolnik.
canes.....
The Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday re-acquired physical defenseman Sean Hill from the St. Louis Blues.
The Hurricanes sent defenseman Steve Halko and a fourth-round pick in the 2002 draft to the Blues for the 31-year-old Hill, who played for Carolina from 1997-2000 before leaving via free agency.