Blackhawks' Hossa could return Tuesday

CHICAGO -- Marian Hossa missed another practice Monday at the United Center, but the Chicago Blackhawks hope to get the star forward back for Tuesday night's road game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Hossa, who has an undisclosed upper-body injury, will make this week's two-game road trip to Phoenix on Tuesday and Colorado on Thursday before Chicago returns to face the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

Hossa, 32, has now missed three practices and Saturday night's 3-2 loss in a shootout to the visiting Boston Bruins at the United Center. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said this past weekend it was a minor injury and unrelated to the two shoulder injuries that kept Hossa out for extended time the previous two seasons.

Quenneville had hoped Hossa could practice Monday, but the fact he didn't hasn't made him any less optimistic about Hossa playing Tuesday against the Phoenix Coyotes. Hossa has now missed 43 games since joining the Blackhawks as a free agent in 2010 after missing just 16 games in his first eight NHL seasons.

Could age be a contributing factor now?

"I don't like thinking like that," Quenneville said. "We all know injuries are a part of the game and we've got to deal with it. I don't think you want to think like that in our business. We always look at things optimistically that guys are going to be healthy and when we've got to deal with (an injury) we'll deal with it."

In other news, the Blackhawks sent down Ben Smith to Rockford of the American Hockey League.

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