Blackhawks recall defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk from minors

Updated: May 22, 2015, 6:18 PM ET
Associated Press

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks recalled defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk from the minors Friday, and coach Joel Quenneville did not rule him out for the Western Conference finals against Anaheim.

Van Riemsdyk is coming back from surgeries on his left knee in November and his right wrist in April. The rookie had one assist in 18 games with Chicago.

"I don't anticipate him being in tomorrow," Quenneville said. "He'll need a few days out here. We'll get an evaluation and go from there."

The Blackhawks are down 2-1 to the Ducks heading into Game 4 on Saturday night in Chicago. Quenneville has leaned on his top four defensemen since Michal Rozsival broke his left ankle in Game 4 of Chicago's second-round sweep against Minnesota.

Van Riemsdyk skated at the United Center on Friday. His last NHL game was on Nov. 16.

"We'll see. I don't look too far down the road here," he said. "I'm just kind of step by step, and it was good to be back on the premises here and just being around and skating out there. So yeah, it was fun and I'm just going to take it day by day, see how everything responds and go from there."

Quenneville shuffled his lineup for Game 3 on Thursday night, playing Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom instead of Antoine Vermette and Teuvo Teravainen. After Versteeg and Nordstrom were mostly quiet in a 2-1 loss, Quenneville was noncommittal when asked if Vermette and Teravainen would play Saturday night.

Vermette, who was acquired in a February trade with Arizona, said Friday he was surprised and disappointed to be on the inactive list.

"I'm not going to lie. I was not happy with that," he said. "But my job is to be ready whenever I have a chance to be in the lineup, and that's what I'm going to do."


Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press

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