Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi is going right back on Injured Reserve not long after having spent a month on that list earlier this season with a broken hand.
Bertuzzi once again was injured during last night's game at Little Caesars Arena against the Buffalo Sabres after accidentally blocking a shot from teammate Ben Chiarot in the 3rd period; he immediately left the ice and slammed his stick on the boards in frustration. He was on the bench late in the period and in overtime, but didn't hit the ice; head coach Derek Lalonde said that he wasn't able to use him for the remainder of the game.
The team announced that forward Austin Czarnik has been recalled from the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins in Bertuzzi's place.
This is just the latest setback in what is a crucial season for Bertuzzi, who can become an unrestricted free agent this coming summer. After scoring 30 goals last season, Bertuzzi was expected to continue to shoulder a significant portion of Detroit's offensive production load, especially given the fact that Detroit is once again without the services of Jakub Vrana for an extended period of time.
Czarnik has appeared in four games with Detroit this season, scoring one goal along with a +1 plus/minus rating.
