Knights center out next 2 games, but defenseman could return
Alex Pietrangelo said he had never been hit like that.
The Golden Knights defenseman was struck in the face with a shot by partner Nic Hague with 2:35 left in a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 12. He believes the puck got under the shield on his helmet. Whatever happened, Pietrangelo started bleeding so much he knew he needed to leave the ice as fast as possible.
“It didn’t feel good, that’s for sure,” Pietrangelo said Thursday, still sporting a mark above his left eye.
The good news for the Knights is the 33-year-old started skating a week ago and was a full participant in Thursday’s practice at City National Arena. Coach Bruce Cassidy said he thinks Pietrangelo will be able to return to the lineup for Friday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks at T-Mobile Arena.
“Made a nice little gash there on the forehead,” Pietrangelo said. “What are you going to do?”
The news that the Knights’ No. 1 defenseman could return is offset somewhat by the loss of fourth-line center Nicolas Roy to an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old is “going to miss a little time,” Cassidy said. Roy didn’t play the final 7:09 of a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. He’s out for games Friday and Saturday and considered day to day.
Brett Howden will flip from second-line left wing to fourth-line center to fill Roy’s role. Left wing Paul Cotter will move up to take Howden’s spot, while Pavel Dorofeyev will jump in the lineup at third-line left wing.
Eichel’s donates to charity
Center Jack Eichel’s post-practice attire was a little different Thursday.
He dressed up in a clown costume to hand out candy to more than 50 participants in the Best Buddies program in Nevada, which seeks to helps promote friendship, employment opportunities and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He was joined by teammates Adin Hill (frog), Jonathan Marchessault (taco), Brayden McNabb (skeleton) and Mark Stone (dinosaur).
Eichel invited the group to practice and made a $40,000 donation to the organization. Some of the funds came from his inaugural JE9 Hockey Camp in July at City National Arena.
“You just see their enthusiasm, how much joy something so small can bring,” Eichel said. “They have so much energy. It’s just a lot of fun to be around them.”
Eichel received a special thank you from the group, which sang him happy birthday because he turns 27 on Saturday.
Theodore grows grandmother’s legacy
Knights defenseman Shea Theodore said he was thinking of his late grandmother, Kay Darlington, “all the time” during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup championship.
He kept adding to her legacy Thursday.
Theodore visited patients at Comprehensive Cancer Centers’ Southwest/Southern Hills office — signing pucks and taking pictures — before announcing his latest donation to “Kay’s Power Play,” a fund set up in partnership with Susan G. Komen Nevada in his grandmother’s honor that helps women who would otherwise be unable to get a mammogram afford one. He and Comprehensive Cancer Centers teamed up to contribute $50,000.
Jill Eaton of Susan G. Komen Nevada said the fund has helped almost 2,000 women with screenings since being started four years ago.
“It’s definitely special,” Theodore said. “I was thinking about that earlier, how proud she would be of this legacy. It’s an honor to keep up with the tradition and try to help as many people as we can.”
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.