San Jose Sharks' forward Raffi Torres will finally get a taste of regular season play, as his 41-game suspension has expired. The Sharks placed him on their active roster Wednesday, according to their official website. He was suspended for an illegal hit on Anaheim's Jakob Silfverberg in a preseason match.
"We know Raffi can be a very effective player for our team, and this assignment will allow him to get back into game shape," stated coach Pete DeBoer said on the Sharks' website.
However, Torres will not be playing with the Sharks immediately. The 34-year-old will play with the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL on a conditioning assignment before being called up. While it is not known how long he will play with the Sharks' affiliate team, NHL rules state that players cannot be on a conditioning loan for longer than two weeks, according to San Jose Mercury News.
While Torres practiced with the team on Friday, he is still recovering from a knee surgery done on Dec. 11. Most of his NHL career has been mired with knee related injuries.
Since joining the Sharks from the Coyotes during the 2012-13 season, the Sharks' forward has only played 16 regular season games and 12 playoff games for the team.
Torres holds the record for the longest banning in the Sharks' 25-year history, according to Mercury News. He was banned for half of the 2015-16 season, losing almost $441,000 in salary. It was the fifth time that he has been suspended while in the NHL, and he has also been warned twice for illegal hits and fined three times.
Zubrus was placed on injury reserve to make room for Torres on the 23-man roster.
