Brett Pesce is headed back to join the Checkers as the Hurricanes announced his assignment Sunday morning.
The rookie defenseman earned his first NHL recall last Wednesday, but did not appear in either of the two games the Hurricanes played last week.
Carolina remains in the middle of a long road trip and will head west on Wednesday, facing off against the Colorado Avalanche before visiting California over the weekend. With James Wisniewski sidelined, the Hurricanes are still without any healthy extras on their blue line. With this long stretch of road games ahead, don't be surprised if they decide to bring an extra defenseman from Charlotte back into the fold for Wednesday.
The Checkers have gotten production from their blue line in Pesce's absence, with Jake Chelios entering the lineup and recording four points in his two games, but the team will certainly get a boost should Pesce return to the lineup. The Checkers' month-long road swing continues this week with a trio of tilts against Grand Rapids and Lake Erie.
