By now, many have seen Alex Ovechkin's hit on Brian Campbell in Sunday's Washington-Chicago game. Many have different opinions on how the NHL should handle the hit.

Ovechkin was ejected for the third time this season, although the Caps did rally to win. Word out of Chicago is Campbell has a broken clavicle and broken ribs and is done for the season.

The Canes' Brian Pothier played with Ovechkin before being traded to Carolina on March 3. Here's what the defenseman had to say today about the Caps star:

The Carolina Hurricanes announced this morning that winger Erik Cole will miss tonight's road game against the Washington Capitals because of illness.

With Cole sidelined, the Hurricanes have recalled left wing Oskar Osala from Albany (AHL). The promotion marks a speedy return to Washington, D.C. for the former Capital, who was acquired by the Hurricanes just last Wednesday in a trade that sent Joe Corvo to the Caps in exchange for Osala, Brian Pothier and a second-round pick.

The Canes have four players in Vancouver and none will return until at least Sunday. And those who play for the gold on Sunday may not rejoin the team until the morning skate Tuesday in Toronto, coach Paul Maurice said.

How will playing in the Olympics affect their games when the regular season resumes? There's so much emotion, so much tension, so much pride in country, that those competing in the Games surely must experience
some kind of letdown.

But those who have done it say it's not that hard to get back to "normal."

"I think you can hop right back in," said Sergei Samsonov, who played for Russia in the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. "It's such a quick tournament. There's a lot of emotion, but it's a fun tournament and a short tournament."

Forward Sergei Samsonov sat out another practice today and will not play Thursday against the Predators, coach Paul Maurice said.

With forwards Erik Cole and Chad LaRose still being evaluated for their injuries and still off the ice, the Canes will recall forwards Zach Boychuk and Jiri Tlusty from Albany (AHL). Both played Saturday in New York against the Rangers.

Maurice said the callups would be at practice tomorrow, adding, "I'm certainly comfortable with the two we had."

For Erik Cole, it was a start, nothing more or less.

For the first time since suffering his leg fracture, the Canes' forward was back on the ice with his teammates, going through today's morning skate at the RBC Center. Cole wore a gold, non-contact jersey, but he was skating and cutting and getting in some work.

"It was just a pregame skate so we knew it wouldn't be anything too strenuous," Cole said. "I was on the ice beforehand, so it was to see if I could do some regular drills, the skating drills."

Canes forward Erik Cole will be out four to six weeks after breaking a bone in his left leg, general manager Jim Rutherford said today.

Cole was bringing the puck down the left boards and was injured with less than three minutes to play in the Hurricanes' 7-2 loss Saturday at Boston in a collision with the Bruins' Dennis Wideman. Cole's leg hit Wideman's right leg as Wideman attempted a hip check.

Cole was traded by the Canes to the Edmonton Oliers after the 2007-08 season but returned to Carolina in March in a three-team trade. An unrestricted free agent after the season, he signed a two-year, $5.8-million contract with the Canes in July.

Tim Conboy will go into the lineup for Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay. In Sunday practice, Conboy was working with Stephane Yelle and Tom Kostopoulos. Scott Walker was on Rod Brind'Amour's line with Jussi Jokinen.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Erik Cole and Chad LaRose and former Hurricanes defenseman Glen Wesley will take questions from fans Friday night at the NHL team's "Summer Fun Fest" Friday night.

The second annual fan event is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on the South lawn of the RBC Center, with live music, games, sledding on artificial snow and other activities.

Wesley, who is now the Hurricanes' Director of Defenseman Development, will join Cole and LaRose in taking questions during a "State of the Hurricanes" forum scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

Afterward, there will be a re-broadcast of the Hurricanes' last-minute comeback win in Game 7 of its quarterfinal series against the New Jersey Devils.

Parking and admission to the event are free.

From Talking Points: 

As far as the Hurricanes are concerned, it's funny how much can change overnight. When we went to bed Tuesday, general manager Jim Rutherford's last public statement indicated that Erik Cole was ticketed elsewhere and there was a chance Chad LaRose might return to the nest quickly after testing the market.

By the time the biscuits came out of the oven Wednesday, the door was open for Cole to return and LaRose had been bid farewell. So far, that's what has happened -- Cole signed for two years at an average of $2.9 million a year and LaRose remains a free agent, with Rutherford now dangling an impending signing in front of the fan base.

Read more here.

Free agency in the NHL is a funny thing. Very little ends up being as it seems, reason goes out the window and even mild-mannered men like Montreal's Bob Gainey end up flinging money around like a Sex and the City character in a shoe store.

As far as the Hurricanes are concerned, it's funny how much can change overnight. When we went to bed Tuesday, general manager Jim Rutherford's last public statement indicated that Erik Cole was ticketed elsewhere and there was a chance Chad LaRose might return to the nest quickly after testing the market.

By the time the biscuits came out of the oven Wednesday, the door was open for Cole to return and LaRose had been bid farewell. So far, that's what has happened -- Cole signed for two years at an average of $2.9 million a year and LaRose remains a free agent, with Rutherford now dangling an impending signing in front of the fan base.

Canes forwards Erik Cole and Chad LaRose, as unrestricted free agents, go on the open market at noon today when the NHL signing period begins.

But for how long?

Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said today that although there are no guarantees, Cole may wind up returning. He said Cole has said he will not drag out the free-agent process.

"Erik is working hard to work with us," Rutherford said. "He'll still go into free agency but has said he will not stay out there long if he does not see a big deal he can get."