Jets defenceman Mark Stuart out 4 to 6 weeks with broken hand

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This article was published 15/02/2016 (3525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Veteran defenceman Mark Stuart will be out of the lineup for four to six weeks with a broken hand, Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice announced after practice today at PNC Arena

Stuart was hit in the right hand by a slapshot from Edmonton’s Justin Schultz 11:45 into Saturday’s 2-1 shootout win against the Oilers.

Veteran Adam Pardy will go into the lineup in Stuart’s place when the Jets meet the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Tuesday night (6 p.m. CT, TSN3, TSN1290).

“I think you saw that shot he blocked,” Maurice said after today’s practice. “He had a fairly significant break in his hand and that’s four to six weeks he’s out.

“We knew he’d gotten hurt, he didn’t feel it needed X-ray and somehow he played the game he played, as good a game as he’s played in a number of weeks. I don’t know how he did it.

“But after the game he said he should probably get it looked at and it’s broken.”

Stuart played a total of 10 minutes 48 seconds on Saturday night

It’s the first significant injury to any of the Jets defencemen this season.

Maurice, who has been reluctant to mix either of Pardy or Paul Postma into game action, said Stuart’s presence will be missed.

“Just that mentality,” he said. “And that’s really a big part of what Mark brings to the group. It’s such a quiet leadership thing that you just fight through everything. When the game’s not going your way or battles in front of the net and the other team knows he’s bringing that as well. But playing on the injury he played on is quite a feat.”

Pardy, who has played just 11 games this season (Postma has played just two) is likely to just slide into Stuart’s spot with Jacob Trouba for the start of Tuesday’s game.

“The challenge for both guys (Pardy or Postma) is that they haven’t played a lot of hockey here,” the coach said. “Adam goes in on the fact that he’s a left-handed shot so we don’t have to move the other pairings around. We’ve liked what we’ve seen Simplicity in the game is the key.

“We’ll get a good feel for how hard he’s pushed himself in practice and how ready he is and he’s just going to have to keep that game as simple as he can.”

Jets centre Adam Lowry also missed this afternoon’s practice but Maurice said he’s good to go against the Canes.

The 47-minute practice today saw the coach grow crankier the longer it went.

“It’s that kind of day,” Maurice said. “The ice gets a little rough here. I probably should have remembered that but I didn’t. So when I’ve got stuff I want to do at the 40-minute mark and I’m looking down and I get a little frustrated with it.

“You can’t be happy every day. It’s always better to be pissed off after a win anyway.”

The Jets are coming off Saturday’s win in Edmonton and are 5-0-1 in their last six road games.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca