Marian Hossa will return to the lineup when the Chicago Blackhawks play against the Dallas Stars on Friday at American Airlines Center, the team announced.
The Blackhawks will also have captain Jonathan Toews in the lineup. Toews took a maintenance day and did not participate in the morning skate after he was checked into the boards as the St. Louis bench door opened by Jaden Schwartz’s during Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout loss in St. Louis.
Richard Panik will also play, while Brandon Mashinter, Dennis Rasmussen and Michal Rozsival are out. Mashinter and Rasmussen are healthy scratches, but Rozsival is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, according to coach Joel Quenneville.
Hossa, 37, suffered a left leg injury Feb. 13 after taking a hip check from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Hossa left the game in the second period and did not return.
Hossa, a two-way threat even in a down offensive year, is four goals shy of No. 500 for his career. He’s a fixture on the Hawks’ top line at right wing, power play and penalty kill, and has been one of the top defensive forwards in the league for years. He would become the 44th in league history to reach the 500 goal mark.
The Slovakian winger has 10 goals and 18 assists in 54 games this season.
#Blackhawks lines:
Ladd-Rasmussen-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Desjardins-Teravainen-Fleischmann
Mahinter-Shaw-Panik/Weise
Toews isn’t here.— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 11, 2016