Maple Leafs forward Daniel Winnik was taken from the ice on a stretcher early in the first period of game against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Winnik was hit while airborne by Avs defenseman Jan Hejda, landed awkwardly on his neck and head and laid motionless on the Pepsi Center ice.
A better look at the play that injured Winnik here from @myregularface http://t.co/FvF8ui9y6Q
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) November 7, 2014Defenseman Jake Gardiner was also injured blocking a Jarome Iginla shot on an Avalanche power play. TSN's Mark Masters reports that the speedy blueliner will not return.
will update
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Toronto forward Carter Ashton has been suspended by the NHL for 20 games without pay for violating the league's Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
The 23-year-old native of Saskatoon was acquired by Toronto from Tampa Bay in exchange for defenseman Keith Aulie in February, 2012. Ashton has three assists in 50 career NHL games with the Leafs and was inactive for the first nine games of the regular season before starting the last three games against Columbus, Chicago and Arizona.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs support the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program and today’s decision to suspend forward Carter Ashton." Team President Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. "At this time, out of respect for Carter and the process involved, the Club will not comment any further."
The suspension will result in the forfeiture of $169,185 of Ashton's $850,500 salary for the 2014-15 season and mandatory referral to the league and NHLPA's Program for Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health for evaluation and possible treatment.
"I suffered an asthmatic spasm in late August while in a training session getting prepared for the 2014-15 NHL season." Ashton released in a statement through the NHL Player's Association. "One of the other athletes I was training with gave me an inhaler in order to help open my airway, which provided me with immediate relief from my asthma attack. I kept this inhaler and used it a second time early in the training camp upon experiencing another asthma episode. Unfortunately, I incorrectly assumed that there were no problems associated with the use of this inhaler and I used it without checking to see whether its contents were permissible under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program."
"I now recognize that I ingested Clenbuterol, a prohibited substance, through the inhaler. However, at no time was I seeking to gain an athletic advantage or to knowingly violate the terms of the program. I used the inhaler in response to exercise-induced asthma, a condition that my doctor with the Toronto Maple Leafs has since diagnosed and he has prescribed me with an inhaler."
"As a professional hockey player, I recognize that I am responsible for what I put into my body, and I will not appeal my suspension. While I am extremely disappointed that I have let my teammates, our fans and the Maple Leafs organization down, I will work very hard during my suspension to stay in game shape so that I can help out the team when I am able to return."
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The Maple Leafs are looking to rebound from an incomplete losing performance in Arizona earlier in the week in the final game of a short Western road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
The two clubs met previously on October 14th in Toronto, with the Leafs registering a 3-2 overtime victory on a goal by Phil Kessel.
The Avs have struggled out of the gate(3-6-5) under sophomore head coach Patrick Roy after making the playoffs in his rookie season. Colorado is under .500(2-3-2) at the Pepsi Center and have lost two straight at home to Anaheim and Vancouver.
Toronto was not expected to make any lineup changes up front, but the suspension of Ashton will necessitate the return of Matt Frattin to the lineup. Rookie blueliner Stuart Percy may also return to action in place of either Jake Gardiner or veteran Stephane Robidas, who were both -2 and struggled against the Coyotes. The 37-year-old Robidas played a season-low 11:48 TOI vs Arizona may still be trying to get back up to speed after missing most of training camp recovering from a broken leg last May.
Spott says Leafs would like to get Stuart Percy back in soon
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 5, 2014Defenseman Roman Polak missed practice in Denver on Wednesday with the flu, but participated in the morning skate and is expected to play.
Semyon Varlamov, who made 37 saves in the loss to the Leafs last month, will get the night off as backup Reto Berra gets the start for Colorado. Jonathan Bernier will be between the pipes for Toronto.
Bernier has not seen action since a 28-save winning effort in Columbus on Halloween, as James Reimer played in the second of back-to-back games against Chicago and started once again in Glendale on Tuesday.
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