NHL notebook: Hawks G Crawford plans Thursday return

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford said he plans to start Thursday's game against the Arizona Coyotes, which would mark his first contest in nearly 10 months. Crawford hasn't been in the net since suffering a concussion on Dec. 23. The 33-year-old said his starting status will become official once he makes it through Thursday's morning skate. "It feels good to be back to myself," Crawford told reporters after Wednesday's practice. "I'm feeling clear." Crawford played in just 28 games last season when he went 16-9-2 with a 2.27 goals-against average. He was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 27, four days after the concussion. --Ottawa Senators rookie forward Brady Tkachuk will miss about a month after tearing a ligament in his leg, the team announced. Tkachuk, whom Ottawa took fourth overall in this year's draft, finished Monday's game against the Dallas Stars and scored the game-winner in the third period of a 4-1 victory, despite the injury. Tkachuk, 19, has three goals and three assists this season, all coming in his last three games. --The Carolina Hurricanes demoted 2017 first-rounder Martin Necas to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. The move comes a day after the No. 12 overall pick scored the first goal of his career in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Necas, a forward, has averaged just over 10 minutes of ice time a game through the Hurricanes' first seven contests. The Hurricanes also sent defenseman Haydn Fleury to Charlotte and recalled forward Clark Bishop from the affiliate. --Field Level Media