FRISCO, Texas -- Ray Whitney didn't skate with the Dallas Stars on Tuesday morning in a practice at the team's headquarters just hours before the team departed for a three-game road trip through western Canada.
And the veteran winger missed practice for good reason, as after the session, Stars first-year head coach Lindy Ruff was asked about Whitney's absence from practice and Ruff's reply was that he had a lower-body issue.
The Stars then sent out a press release saying Whitney, who had been injured in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Chicago, had been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 9. The 41-year-old forward logged 23 shifts for 21:08 of ice time on Saturday, third most on the Stars.
In practice on Monday, the Stars' second line which had featured Whitney, Cody Eakin and Alex Chiasson, the only trio Ruff had yet to split up this season, had indeed been split up. Whitney was skating on Dallas' third line alongside Vernon Fiddler and Rich Peverley while the second line featured Antoine Roussel alongside Eakin and Chiasson.
Whitney's heading to the IR means that Lane MacDermid now likely slots in on the left side of the fourth line, a line he'll most likely be on with Shawn Horcoff and Erik Cole. And to give the club an additional forward, the Stars recalled Travis Morin from the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.
Morin has 24 points (10-14-24) in 13 games for the Cedar Park-based affiliate. This is the second time the Stars have recalled him this season but he did not see any NHL action during his previous short stint with the club.
