Paul Branecky
(Twitter: @PaulBranecky)
As a result of his collision with Grand Rapids goaltender Joey MacDonald last week, the American Hockey League has suspended Checkers forward Chris Terry for two games.
Terry, who was given a five-minute major penalty for charging and a 10-minute game misconduct following the play, will miss Charlotte’s games in Oklahoma City this Friday and Saturday, ending his league-leading streak of 173 consecutive games played. He will be eligible to return for Sunday’s game in Houston.
The play occurred near the end of the second period in Charlotte’s 2-1 win on Saturday, when Terry came down the right wing at full speed and cut inside Grand Rapids winger Tomas Tatar close to the goal before losing control of the puck and making hard contact with MacDonald. MacDonald left the game following the incident and did not return.
According to the Grand Rapids Press, MacDonald suffered a concussion on the play and is out indefinitely.
The incident can be viewed here.
The news comes as a blow to the Checkers’ offense, as Terry currently ranks third on the team in scoring with 8 points (2g, 6a) in 13 games. He also ranks tied for second on the team in power-play points with 5 (1g, 4a) and is 2-for-2 in the shootout.
Terry is also the team’s leader in penalty minutes with 31, 15 of which came from the incident that resulted in his suspension.
Terry’s suspension will leave the team with just 11 healthy forwards, though coach Jeff Daniels said Tuesday that rookie Justin Shugg could return on Friday after missing the team’s last three games due to injury. Daniels added that center Cedric McNicoll, the only other injured Checker, would not be available for any of the team’s games this weekend.
Both Shugg and McNicoll practiced with the team on Tuesday in non-contact jerseys.
The Checkers are in the midst of a nine-game road swing and will return to Charlotte Friday, Nov. 18 to host the Rockford IceHogs for a two-game set. Friday's game is presented by the Marines and the Checkers will wear special black jerseys, courtesy of Amtrak.
