Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Dougie Hamilton will not play in Game 1 of his team’s best-of-five play-in series against the New York Rangers, head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced Friday.
“He’s getting better, for sure,” Brind’Amour said of Hamilton, according to Hurricanes reporter Michael Smith. “He’s unfit, so he won’t be in there tomorrow.”
Forward Martin Necas appears to be a game-time decision, with Brind’Armour noting “we’ll see how that goes tomorrow.”
Hamilton has missed several practices during training camp after leaving the team’s July 22 practice early with “some visible discomfort.” Both Hamilton and Necas were not in the lineup for the Hurricanes’ exhibition game against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Prior to the team’s training camp reunion, Hamilton was sidelined from January through to the league’s pandemic-related hiatus in early March, due to a broken leg. The 27-year-old posted 14 goals and 40 points in 47 games this season.
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