NHL NOTES

updated 10:21 p.m. ET Jan. 27, 2004

Philadelphia Flyers right wing Tony Amonte could be sidelined for up to two weeks because of a partially torn ligament in his right knee.

Amonte injured the medial collateral ligament Sunday night when Washington’s Brendan Witt cross-checked Radovan Somik in the back, sending Somik into Amonte’s right knee.

Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said Tuesday that Amonte, the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 31 points on 13 goals and 18 assists, could return sooner than two weeks.

“Knowing the way he feels, he’ll be back sooner than later,” Hitchcock said.

The Flyers called up Kirby Law from the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL to replace Amonte. Law leads the Phantoms in scoring with 45 points on 17 goals and 28 assists.

Zherdev case appears headed to arbitration
An arbitrator was chosen to decide whether Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Nikolai Zherdev can stay in the United States.

The Russian hockey federation claims that the 19-year-old player from Ukraine has yet to meet military obligations in his homeland. The NHL, Blue Jackets, Zherdev and his agent believe he should be allowed to remain in the United States.

William Daly, the NHL’s chief legal officer, said the league chose Stephan Netzle of Switzerland from a list of three arbitrators submitted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Netzle accepted the offer on Monday.

“All I’ve been told is that if the hearing goes forward it will be some time after Feb. 16,” Columbus assistant general manager Jim Clark said. “Beyond that, we don’t know much.”

Zherdev, a fast right wing, has six goals and seven assists in 26 games since joining the Blue Jackets on Dec. 2. He was selected to play in the YoungStars game during next month’s All-Star weekend.

More news

AP

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