Carolina Hurricanes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford announced from Raleigh, N.C. on Tuesday that defenseman Justin Faulk had been diagnosed with a second-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL).
Though surgery will not be required for the injury, Faulk is expected to be out for two-to-four weeks to heal after being hit behind the Hurricanes’ net during Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.
The second-year pro currently sits second in scoring among Hurricanes defensemen (3 g, 7a) with a plus-three rating, and has logged the most minutes per game (23:23 TOI/G) on the team, including helping to quarterback the power play.
Faulk, along with forward Chad LaRose, who has missed nine games with a concussion injury, were both placed on injured reserve.
In response to fill his spot, the Hurricanes recalled defenseman Brett Bellemore from the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate club, the Charlotte Checkers.
First-timer
The call-up is the first NHL recall for Bellemore, who is in his fourth full professional season.
In 62 games this season with Charlotte, he has scored two goals and tallied 11 assists (13 points), and leads Checkers defensemen in plus/minus (+12) and penalty minutes (85).
The sizeable Bellemore (6’4”, 210 lbs.), a sixth round (162nd overall) selection of the Hurricanes in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, has scored six goals, earned 34 assists (40 points) and accumulated 310 penalty minutes in 294 career AHL regular-season games with Carolina’s affiliates in Albany and Charlotte.
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