The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled goaltender Joseph Woll from his conditioning stint with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, the NHL club announced Monday.
Woll stopped 36 of 37 shots in the Marlies’ 4-1 win at Laval on Friday.
It was the 25-year-old’s first game action since he sustained a high ankle sprain in the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 win at Ottawa on Dec. 7.
Woll had an 8-5-1 record with a 2.80 goals-against average and .916 save percentage before the injury.
The Leafs have solidified their once volatile situation in goal. Starter Ilya Samsonov has won six straight starts and nine of 11 since clearing waivers on Jan. 1 and undergoing a conditioning stint with the Marlies.
Jones would have to clear waivers if the Maple Leafs plan to return him to the AHL.
Toronto is set to return to action Tuesday night at home against reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas.
Nichushkin cleared to practice
Valeri Nichushkin has been cleared to resume practising with the Colorado Avalanche after receiving care from the player assistance program.
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced Monday the right-winger has entered the follow-up care phase. He has not yet been cleared to resume playing in games.
The 28-year-old Russian entered the joint league-union program in mid-January. He was the second Colorado player to take part in it this season after teammate Samuel Girard, who resumed playing roughly five weeks after entering it.
“It’s awesome to see him around,” said Colorado defenceman Cale Makar, whose team hosts Central Division-leading Dallas on Tuesday night. “Mental health comes first and hockey comes second, always. We’re all friends in this room, and we’ve got to support guys like that. … At the end of the day, we’re a family and we’ve got to support him.”
Added veteran Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon: “Great teammate, obviously awesome player. Look forward to getting him back in the lineup.”
Nichushkin has 22 goals and 42 points assists in 40 games this season. He is two games away from reaching 500 regular-season contests for his career.
Nichushkin was away from the team in the playoffs last season for what the team explained at the time were personal reasons. He missed the final five post-season games of a first-round loss to Seattle.
Hockey cards fetch millions
A case of old hockey cards possibly containing the game’s Great One has fetched more than $3.7 million US after it was discovered in a home in Canada.
A man in Regina, SK, had kept the case in a packed storage room. The auctioneer says the longtime collector asked to remain anonymous.
WATCH | Unopened case of hockey cards sell for millions at auction:
The Regina family that discovered unopened 1979 O-Pee-Chee hockey card boxes in an attic has sold them for over $5 million, or $3.72 million US, at auction. The boxes contain an unknown number of Wayne Gretzky rookie cards.