Chicago – The Avalanche got more of an idea how long defenseman Jordan Leopold will be out of the lineup. And the answer is at least a month.
Avalanche communications director Jean Martineau said that would be the minimum Leopold would be out, but said the team hopes it is not much beyond that. The team said Leopold is suffering from a groin pull, unrelated to the sports hernia that kept him sidelined the first two months of the season.
Hello, Cleveland
The Avalanche officially announced a long-term affiliation agreement Sunday to become the parent club of a new American Hockey League team in Cleveland, beginning in 2007-08.
The Avs, currently the co-parent club of the Albany (N.Y.) River Rats, along with Carolina, will exclusively supply prospects to the still-unnamed team.
“We’ll have most of our prospects on the same team, which should help their development,” Avs general manager Francois Giguere said. “It has always been this organization’s goal to have our own independent farm team where we could develop prospects with our philosophy.”
The Cleveland franchise is owned by Dan Gilbert, also the owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
Footnotes
Forward Brad Richardson did not play because of an elbow injury. He is listed as day to day. … Avs winger Antti Laaksonen was a healthy scratch for the third time since Nov. 28. …
The Avs used defenseman Ken Klee as a forward against the Blackhawks. He played on a line with Ian Laperriere and Mark Rycroft. … Avs winger Marek Svatos returned after missing a game with a minor groin injury. …
Former Avs forward Steve Konowalchuk has formally joined the team’s player development staff, headed by Craig Billington.
