The San Jose Sharks will play the Detroit Red Wings on Monday without top-line right wing Brent Burns.
Burns was hit in the mouth during the Sharks' game Saturday against the Calgary Flames. Burns is tied for third on the team with four goals.
"Brent won't play [Monday]," Sharks coach Todd McLellan told CSNCalifornia.com. "He got hit in the teeth -- well, he doesn't have teeth, I guess in the gums -- the other night and they are bothering him right now. He'll be out [Monday] and hopefully he's ready to go when we get to Boston [for a game Thursday]."
In Burns' spot on Joe Thornton's line will be Freddie Hamilton, who will make his NHL debut. The 2010 fifth-round pick (No. 129) was called up Monday from the Sharks' American Hockey League team, the Worcester Sharks.
"It can't get much better than that, one of the best players in the League and has been for a long time, so that's pretty exciting," Hamilton told CSNCalifornia.com of playing with Thornton. "It's just really exciting. … I've dreamt about this for a long time and finally it's come true."
Thornton had a bit of advice for Hamilton, the older brother of Boston Bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton.
"Just enjoy it," Thornton told CSNCalifornia.com. "We've all been through our first game and there's a lot of nerves so just enjoy it, have fun and work hard. I'm excited for him and looking forward to playing with him."
The Sharks also recalled forward John McCarthy and sent forward Matt Pelech to the AHL
Here's how the Sharks' lineup could look Monday:
Tyler Kennedy - Logan Couture - Patrick Marleau
Tomas Hertl - Joe Thornton - Freddie Hamilton
Matthew Nieto - Joe Pavelski - Tommy Wingels
James Sheppard - Andrew Desjardins - John McCarthy
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun
Injured: Raffi Torres (knee), Marty Havlat (pelvis), Adam Burish (back), Dan Boyle (head), Brent Burns (teeth)