In an otherwise forgettable 9-1 loss to the Penguins, the lone bright spot from Thursday was the return of Travis Hamonic. The Calgary defenseman was activated from Injured Reserve earlier in the day and saw his first game action in over three weeks against Pittsburgh.
Despite the long layoff, Hamonic saw almost 19 minutes of ice time, including 1:49 on the penalty kill. Over the course of the game, he recorded three shots on goal, four hits, one giveaway, one takeaway and five blocked shots. Considering the score, his minus-1 emphasized a solid first night back.
🔨 #PITvsCGY pic.twitter.com/cH00VUnT9u
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 26, 2018
The 28-year-old has been out since opening night after suffering a facial fracture in a fight with Vancouver's Erik Gudbranson in the first period. Hamonic went after the Canucks defenseman after he took a run at rookie Dillon Dube.
According to SportsNet's Eric Francis , Hamonic finished that game with a full shield and eventually had plates screwed into his jaw.
Acquired by the Flames from the New York Islanders at the 2017 NHL Draft, Hamonic had 11 points and 124 blocks in 79 games last season. In 444 games with the Islanders, the rugged defenseman, who isn't afraid to drop his gloves, had 146 points, 880 blocked shots, 857 hits and 452 penalty minutes.
"I'm feeling good."
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 25, 2018
Travis Hamonic could be back in the lineup tonight when the #Flames host the Pens. pic.twitter.com/KonDK3GfzF
On Monday, Flames head coach Bill Peters said Hamonic would return next week. However, his return came a lot sooner.