Chicago Blackhawks winger Brett Connolly has been suspended four games for his hit on Dallas Stars forward Tanner Kero, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

Connolly hammered Kero into the boards even though the Stars forward never touched the puck. Connolly was handed an interference major and a game misconduct on the play.

Kero had to be stretchered off the ice. He was conscious, alert, and responsive afterward. Kero was hospitalized as a precaution.

This marks the first time Connolly has been suspended or fined in his 11-year NHL career.

Stars veteran Joe Pavelski got emotional postgame speaking about his injured teammate.

Kero has recorded 34 points in 123 career NHL games split between the Stars and Blackhawks.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL postponed a dozen games originally scheduled from Dec. 20-23 "due to the concern about cross-border travel and given the fluid nature of federal travel restrictions."

All matchups featuring a Canada-based club versus an American team during that span will take place at a later date.

Here are the games that the league will reschedule:

The NHL also said Sunday that its regular-season schedule will continue aside from those postponements, and a decision on the league's Olympic participation is expected "in the coming days."

Shortly after the NHL revealed its cross-border decision Sunday, the league also confirmed the Detroit Red Wings are holding off on playing through at least Dec. 26. Detroit had two games scheduled in that span - a home date against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday and a road clash with the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

A rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in both countries has already forced five clubs to shut down temporarily and two more to halt play this weekend. On Friday, the NHL postponed all Calgary Flames, Avalanche, and Florida Panthers games until at least Dec. 27. On Saturday, the league added the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators to that list while putting the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks on pause through Sunday.

The NHL's holiday break will run from Dec. 24-26.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets have placed captain Blake Wheeler on long-term injured reserve, the team announced Sunday.

The 35-year-old forward hasn't played since suffering an apparent leg injury on Dec. 10 versus the Vancouver Canucks.

Then-Jets head coach Paul Maurice said at the time that Wheeler would be out "a while," but he didn't give an exact timeline.

Wheeler has 17 points in 22 games during his 12th season with the Jets.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Tuch will make his Buffalo Sabres debut Monday versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Don Granato announced Sunday, according to team writer Jourdon LaBarber.

Tuch, 25, was a key piece of the November trade that sent former Sabres captain Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights. He hasn't played this season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

The native of Syracuse, New York, grew up a Sabres fan, and his first game with the club will be in Buffalo.

"He's ready to go. He's as excited as anybody I've seen to play a game - because it's here. Because he's putting that jersey on," Granato said.

Originally a first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2014, Tuch joined Vegas in the expansion draft and posted 139 points in 249 games with the franchise.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After his New Jersey Devils dropped a fifth straight game, head coach Lindy Ruff said it's on him to right the ship.

"The same things happen to our club over and over, ill-advised mistakes that turn into goals against," Ruff said after losing 5-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, according to team reporter Amanda Stein. "Careless decisions with the puck that turn into goals against."

He added: "All that's on me. That's my responsibility. The way this team plays is my responsibility."

The Devils have dropped nine of their last 10 contests to fall to 10-14-5 this season. After missing the playoffs for the last three campaigns, many expected New Jersey to be more competitive in 2021-22.

While Ruff did take plenty of the blame for the team's recent performance, he also didn't hesitate to call out some of his players.

"Our top (forwards) are the ones that hurt us," Ruff said. "I thought our bottom forwards gave us a good night - (they were) great on the kill, scored the first goal, shorthanded goal, all the good stuff. Our top guys have to be harder to play against."

He continued: "They have to be harder on the puck. They have to win more battles. They have to create more odd-numbered situations themselves, speed, drive in the middle. All those little things add up by the end of the game."

The Devils were missing a number of players Saturday, including Jesper Bratt, P.K. Subban, Nico Hischier, and Ryan Graves, as well as goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier.

However, New Jersey has been outscored 44-23 over the past 10 games. Bratt leads the team with 24 points in 28 games, while Andreas Johnsson ranks second with 19 in 29 contests.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars forward Tanner Kero was taken off the ice on a stretcher Saturday night after taking a forceful check from Chicago Blackhawks winger Brett Connolly.

Officials handed Connolly a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct after he plowed into Kero near the boards early in the first period. Kero laid on the ice while the Stars' medical staff attended to him, and they eventually took him off.

Dallas later said Kero was conscious, alert, and responsive. He'll be hospitalized as a precaution and for further evaluation.

The 29-year-old is in his second season with the Stars after playing parts of three campaigns with the Blackhawks.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators have been shut down until the Christmas break ends on Dec. 27, the NHL announced Saturday.

Additionally, The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks will not play this weekend due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Here's a look at each team's impacted games:

The Maple Leafs, Canucks, Bruins, and Predators each have at least four players in COVID protocol.

The virus is currently surging across the NHL. The league already shut down the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers on Friday due to outbreaks.

As of Friday, there are no known plans to halt the season.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.