Milan Hejduk, who was a late scratch against Edmonton Sunday with a back problem, wasn’t on the ice for the Avalanche practice this morning at Family Sports Center, but coach Joe Sacco said that primarily was precautionary and that he hoped the veteran winger would play at Chicago Wednesday night.
The Avalanche didn’t practice Monday.
“He came in this morning and he was feeling much better than before the game against Edmonton,” Sacco said after practice. “We decided to keep him off today and we’re hopeful he’ll play tomorrow night.”
Also, veteran winger Darcy Tucker, who suffered a concussion after taking a scary hit from Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu on Oct. 23, went through a full practice and said he was ready to return to the lineup.
“If everything remains the same, he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow night,” Sacco said of Tucker.
Veteran defenseman Tom Preissing returned from his two-game conditioning stint with the Lake Erie Monsters and practiced today. He underwent minor knee surgery in September and hasn’t played a game for Colorado. Sacco said he would decide whether to put Preissing in the lineup against Chicago after conferring with him about how he felt and other issues.
More details in Wednesday’s Denver Post.
