Canadiens' Ben Chiarot expected to return before regular season ends
It was feared on Monday that Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot would miss the remainder of the regular season due to the fractured hand that left him requiring surgery to repair the issue.
However, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has since provided a positive update on the 29-year-old.
"Ben is not long term," Bergevin said on Tuesday, according to the NHL's official website. "He'll be back. We said 6-8 weeks. It's probably going to be closer to six, hopefully."
Montreal's final regular-season game is currently scheduled for May 8 pending any schedule disruptions that may arise because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chiarot suffered the setback during a fight with Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller last Wednesday. NHL players are prohibited from removing helmets before a fight per a league rule.
Chiarot has one goal and four assists across 25 games this season and is third on the Canadiens with an average of 21:22 ice time per game.
Montreal defeated the Winnipeg Jets on Monday to improve to 33 points on the campaign but remains fourth in the North Division and two points ahead of the Calgary Flames. The top four teams from each division qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Montreal and Winnipeg will meet again Wednesday night.
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