Florida Panthers put Steve Bernier and Rostislav Olesz on injury reserve.
The Florida Panthers were forced to place forwards Steve Bernier and Rostislav Olesz on injury reserve on Wednesday 24 November. In their place, the Panthers organization recalled defencemen
Keaton Ellerby and Joe Callahan. Both players are coming from the Panthers American Hockey League affiliate the Rochester Americans.
This is bad news for the Panthers who currently sit at 13th in the East and can’t afford to lose any regulars, especially in an unusually competitive South East division. However, more
time in the NHL could be helpful for young prospect Keaton Ellerby.
Bernier has been out since 12 November, when he was punched in the face near the end of a game by Brett Burns of the Minnesota Wild. The hit broke Bernier's orbital bone and forced the
25-year-old to undergo surgery. Burns was suspended for two games by the NHL. Bernier had four points in 14 games with the Panthers.
Olesz suffered a broken finger when a puck hit him in a game against the Boston Bruins on 18 November. The former first-round draft-pick appeared in 17 games this season. In that time
span he registered two goals and seven assists for nine points.
Keaton Ellerby, a 22-year-old defencemen from Strathmore Alberta, was the Panthers first round pick, going 10th overall. Ellerby played 22 games with the Panthers during the 2009-10 season,
where he did not register a single point. This season, Ellerby fared much better, playing in 8 NHL games while netting three points and a rating of plus-5.
Callahan, a 27-year-old native of Brockton Massachusetts should add some bulk to the Panthers’ blue line. Callahan stands at 6'3'' and weighs in at 221 pounds. In 20 NHL games, Callahan
has three points and four penalty minutes. The big defencemen has also spent time with the San Jose Sharks and the New York Islanders' organizations.
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