The Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday placed center Jordan Staal on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 5.
Staal suffered a concussion in the Dec. 5 game against San Jose and has missed the past two games.
The Canes on Wednesday recalled forward Janne Kuokkanen from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Kuokkanen, 20, leads the Checkers with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) this season and ranked eighth in the AHL.
Kuoakkanen made his NHL debut with the Canes last season and played four games. He was at the Canes' practice Wednesday at Raleigh Center Ice and placed on a line with center Victor Rask and winger Brock McGinn.
"He's played well in Charlotte and we hope he brings what he has done in the minors," Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Wednesday. "He's got some offensive flair to him."
With Staal out, Brind'Amour has returned Sebastian Aho to center and now has Aho, Rask, Lucas Wallmark and Clark Bishop centering lines.
Forward Micheal Ferland, who left Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Toronto in the first period, was at Wednesday's practice. Ferland had missed four games with a concussion and said he "did not feel right" during the game against the Maple Leafs.
Brind'Amour said Ferland, who leads the Canes with 11 goals, has been medically cleared to play and might be in the lineup Thursday in the road game against the Montreal Canadiens.
"When he feels like he's ready to go then we'll get him back in there," Brind'Amour said.
Goalie Curtis McElhinney, sidelined with a lower-body injury, was at practice and had a lot of work, but Brind'Amour said McElhinney not feel good afterward and remains day to day.
