Senators being bit by injury bug early in the season

As the Belleville Senators get set to begin their first extended road trip of the season, the team is dealing with a rash of injuries early in the campaign.

Including Angus Crookshank, who was hurt during a preseason game with Ottawa and is unlikely to play this season, Belleville has eight players on the injured reserve list.

Head Coach Troy Mann provided an update on those players just prior to the team departing for Rochester on Tuesday morning and says only one of those players is within a few days of hopefully getting back to action.

On the back-end, Mann says defender Jonathan Aspirot hurt his knee last Friday night and is going to be out six-to-eight weeks, while fellow defenceman Colby Williams hurt his groin last Wednesday against Rochester, early in the second period, and will likely miss three-to-four weeks of action. Mann says Lassi Thomson is likely the closest to returning. He’s listed as day-to-day with a high ankle sprain and is traveling with the team, in hopes he can get into the lineup either Friday or Saturday, in Cleveland.

The news is a bit more bleak up front, where forward Rourke Chartier is dealing with an upper body injury and hasn’t played since Belleville’s first home game on October 16. Coach Mann says he’s listed as week-to-week. Tyrell Goulbourne is out indefinitely with an upper body injury and Mann says he’s at last two weeks away from returning. Mann says Philippe Daoust has actually been playing with an injured elbow that he re-aggravated from Rookie Camp and Sens Main Camp, and he’ll likely be out a week or two. Finally, forward Mitch Hoelscher got hit with a puck last Friday and hurt his knee as well. He’s expected to be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks.

If there’s a bit of a ray of sunshine, it’s that goaltender Mads Sogaard is healthy, after sitting out the last five games and forward Roby Jarventie is ready to play, after missing last Saturday’s matchup in Toronto with a minor wrist injury.

The Senators have added four players via recall and pro tryouts to try and fill those holes in the lineup.

Defenceman Matt Murray signed a PTO from the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL), with forward Xavier Bernard being recalled from the Senators ECHL affiliate in Atlanta. Forward Kameron Kielly also signed a fresh PTO, after taking part in B-Sens training camp, as did Alexis D’Aoust, who began the season with the Trois-Rivieres Lions (ECHL).

The Belleville Sens are in action on Wednesday November 3 at Rochester, then on Friday November 5 and Saturday November 6, at Cleveland.

They’ll play one more game on the road on Wednesday November 10, before returning to CAA Arena on Saturday November 13, for Military Appreciation Night against the Bridgeport Islanders.

The Sens round out that weekend on Sunday November 14 on Kids Day, for an afternoon affair with the Utica Comets.

Single-game tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster by stopping by the CAA Arena Box Office. Season Ticket Memberships and Flex Packs are also available, with more information available at bellevillesens.com.

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