Joel Ward was unable to play in the Sharks’ game in Chicago on Sunday due to injury, according to reports.
The 35-year-old appeared to crash headfirst into the boards late in Friday’s game in Ottawa after getting hit from behind by the Senators’ Mark Borowiecki.
Sharks coach Pete DeBoer did not like the hit, which earned Borowiecki a boarding minor at 19:39 of the third period of Ottawa’s 4-1 win.
“Totally unnecessary. No other word for it,” DeBoer told reporters. “Ridiculous.”
Ward is fourth on the Sharks in goals with 10 and points with 23. He had played in all 31 games before Sunday.
Ben Smith returned for the Chicago game, after missing the previous 22 games with a concussion. He was struck in the head with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic shot on Oct. 17 in Brooklyn, returned for two games after a brief absence, but went out again on Nov. 1. In four games, the former Blackhawk is scoreless with a -1 rating.
Barclay Goodrow was reassigned to the AHL on Sunday morning.
