Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson underwent surgery Thursday to repair a broken thumb, reports NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeilotis.
Operationen klar!
På lördag bär det av mot Köpenhamn igen för att kolla semifinalen. Hoppas det kommer bli en bra helg🇸🇪— Erik Gustafsson (@ErkanGustafsson) May 17, 2018
Gustafsson suffered broke one of his thumbs while playing for Sweden against Switzerland during the preliminary round at the World Championship in Denmark. The 26-year-old had one assist in six games at Worlds before the injury.
According to Hockey News, a Swedish news outlet, Gustafsson says he’ll be in a cast for three weeks. He also plans to return to the tournament to cheer on his teammates. Sweden, the defending Worlds champion, faces the United States in the semifinal round Saturday.
Gustafsson started the 2017-18 season in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs before earning a spot on the Hawks’ blue line and a two-year contract extension. He scored 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 25 AHL games and added 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 35 NHL contests. Of his 16 points, 11 were scored after he signed his new contract March 6.