NHL Notes: Players getting blood clot education

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TORONTO -- The doctor told Tomas Fleischmann he might never play hockey again. Blood clots that began in his leg had moved to his lungs and threatened not only his career but his life.

Goaltender Tomas Vokoun's left leg was almost 4 inches bigger than his right because of a clot. Surgery was required to drain the blood and he never played another NHL game.

A week after NBA star Chris Bosh's season ended because of blood clots, the Flyers' Kimmo Timonen is on the verge of returning after his own diagnosis over the summer at home in Finland.

Reasons vary, but with better awareness, more athletes are being diagnosed with and treated for blood clots.

"It's getting more common," said Fleischmann, a Florida Panthers forward who has played almost four years since clots were found in his lungs. "I think it's one thing you've got to be watching and be careful about in the hockey world right now."

Hockey's history with blood clots -- in players' legs (deep vein thrombosis) and lungs (pulmonary embolism) -- goes back 80 years (see full story).

Sharks: Couture fined
NEW YORK -- Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks was fined $5,000 by the NHL on Friday for tripping Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith.

Couture came from behind and used his skate to knock Smith to the ice in the third period of Detroit's 3-2 victory on Thursday night. He was called for tripping on the play, while Smith was assessed a hooking penalty.

The fine is the maximum allowed under the league's collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players' Association.

Flames: Giordano out indefinitely
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano has been sidelined indefinitely with an undisclosed upper-body injury and won't play against the New York Islanders on Friday night.

The NHL's top-scoring defenseman left Wednesday night's 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils in the third period after he was hauled down by Devils forward Steve Bernier.

General manager Brad Treliving says the team wants "to make sure we're being diligent in terms of the protocol on all of the medical side of things. Once we know where Mark's at, definitively, we'll share that."

Giordano has 11 goals and 37 assists in 61 games.

The Flames are trying to stay in the playoff mix during a seven-game road trip. Calgary ranked ninth in the Western Conference, tied in points with eighth-place Los Angeles, before Friday's game.

Kings: Forbort sent down
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings have reassigned defenseman Derek Forbort to their AHL affiliate in Manchester.

The defending Stanley Cup champions announced the move Friday before their game at Anaheim.

Forbort was the Kings' first-round pick in 2010. He didn't appear in a game during his stint with the Kings, who recalled him Feb. 11 after Alec Martinez was hurt.

Martinez is still sidelined with an apparent concussion, but the Kings acquired defenseman Andrej Sekera from Carolina in a trade on Wednesday. Sekera is expected to make his Kings debut against Anaheim.

The Kings are now carrying seven defensemen on their roster.

Los Angeles has won eight of its last nine games.

Ducks: LaBarbera back to minors
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned backup goalie Jason LaBarbera to their AHL affiliate in Norfolk.

The Ducks announced the move Friday before hosting the Los Angeles Kings.

LaBarbera's return to the minors means starting goalie Frederik Andersen is ready to return from a head injury that has kept him out of the lineup since Feb. 8.

John Gibson has played in eight straight games in the absence of Andersen, who ranks fifth in the NHL with 29 victories.

Andersen was hurt when defenseman Hampus Lindholm accidentally tipped the net onto the goalie, striking him in the head and forcing him to leave a game in Tampa Bay.

LaBarbera didn't play for Anaheim in his latest NHL stint.

The Ducks also waived veteran goalie Ilya Bryzgalov during Andersen's absence.

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