Hossa on IR, but recovery timetable hasn't changed

CHICAGO -- The Blackhawks placed forward Marian Hossa on the injured-reserve list Wednesday, but coach Joel Quenneville said it didn't mean there was a setback in Hossa's recovery from a lower-body injury.
 
Instead, it was more of a procedural move to call up a pair of forwards from Rockford of the American Hockey League. The move with Hossa is retroactive to Nov. 29, when he was injured during a practice at the United Center when he collided with defenseman Nick Boynton.
 
The Hawks said then Hossa would miss 2-3 weeks with the injury. After the morning skate prior to Wednesday's game against the Dallas Stars, Quenneville said that neither Hossa nor Fernando Pisani (upper-body injury) would make the two-game road trip to San Jose and Colorado that starts Saturday. He said both likely would start skating with the team again when the Hawks return next week and then will need to be cleared to play in games.
 
Pisani already was out with his ailment when Hossa went down, and then forward Patrick Kane was injured just 23 seconds into this past Sunday's 4-2 home win against Calgary. Quenneville said Tuesday that Kane will be out for "upwards of three weeks" with a lower-body injury.
 
Kane's left skate slammed into the base of the boards while he spun away from a hit by Flames defenseman Cory Sarich. Being down three forwards, the Hawks on Wednesday promoted 19-year old forward Jeremy Morin -- whom they had demoted to Rockford on Monday -- along with 24-year old forward Rob Klinkhammer, who will make his NHL debut Wednesday against Dallas.
 
Morin is tied for the Rockford team lead with 6 goals. He and Klinkhammer each have 9 points, tied for fourth on the IceHogs. Morin has 1 assist in five NHL games this season.

His place on the Blackhawks could determine whether he plays for the U.S. at the 2011 World Junior Championship. On Tuesday, USA Hockey announced Morin as one of 29 players invited to training camp, which opens Dec. 17 in upstate New York. Morin, who won a gold medal with last year's team in Saskatoon, has a chance to be on the final roster for the elite under-20 international event, which will be held Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2011, in Buffalo.

Klinkhammer, 24, will make his NHL debut Wednesday.

"As an organization, we've got a lot of guys watching down there and be it the staff, coaches or management, they're pretty in-tune to who's deserving of it and who best fits the need, as well," Quenneville said of picking Klinkhammer to come up with Morin. "Klink is the guy who got the call and it's a great opportunity for him. We like what he can bring us. He had stretches where he was very good in training camp, as well. It's a chance for him to get ice time up here, and how much will be determined on how he plays."