ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Carolina Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu has been suspended for three games by the NHL for his hit on Darcy Tucker of the Colorado Avalanche in Friday's game in Denver, coach Paul Maurice said today.

Ruutu hit Tucker from behind early in the second period of the Avs' 5-4 win, causing Tucker to bang his head into the glass. He received a five-minute boarding major penalty and game misconduct.

DENVER — Canes defenseman Tim Gleason was on the ice today at the Pepsi Center for the morning skate but will not play tonight against the Avalanche.

"That's a real good sign for us, that hopefully it won't be a matter of weeks," coach Paul Maurice said of Gleason's upper-body injury. "It's day to day."

Jay Harrison replaces Gleason in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the last two games. Harrison, by the way, has the only goal by a Canes defenseman this season.

Tuomo Ruutu is one happy man.

The Canes' forward has a new contract that will pay him $11.4 million over the next three years. He's healthy. He's coming off a regular season in which he had career highs with 26 goals, 28 assists and 54 points, then added a goal and three assists during the run to the Eastern Conference finals.

"I wasn't too worried about it," Ruutu, who was a restricted free agent, said of the contract. "I don't worry about that stuff too much. I know everything is going to get solved and everything will work out well in the end."

The Carolina Hurricanes have bought out the remaining year on the contract of defenseman Frantisek Kaberle.

Kaberle, 35, was due to make $2.2 million this coming season. With the buyout, he will collect two-thirds, or about $1.5 million, of that amount over the next two seasons.

"We wanted to change the makeup of our defense, make our defense bigger," said Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford, who notably brought back defenseman Aaron Ward in a trade with the Boston Bruins and picked up Andrew Alberts in free agency.

Rutherford said Kaberle became expendable after the Hurricanes traded for Joe Corvo in February 2008, which "covered up the strengths of [Frank's] game."

Carolina Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu, who just signed a three-year, $11.4 million deal and avoided arbitration, is just glad to be back in the Carolina fold.

“I definitely like the deal,” said Ruutu, reached by mobile phone at his family cottage in Finland. “I’m glad it’s not going to arbitration. I really wanted to stay in Carolina.”

Last season, Ruutu had a career year, establishing personal highs in goals (26), assists (28), and points (54). He led the team with 228 hits.

“I hope those numbers will go up,” said Ruutu. “I don’t think I’ve reached my peak yet. That’s why I try to work out every day. I’m 26 [years old] and I still think I can get better.”

With an arbitration hearing pending, the Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Tuomo Ruutu to a three-year deal.

The Canes announced this morning that Ruutu, who had career-highs in goals, assists and points last season, has agreed to a contract that will pay him $3 million next season, $4 million in 2010-11 and $4.4 million in 2011-12.

(UPDATED at 11:55 A.M.)

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said today he hopes to lock up restricted free agent Tuomo Ruutu with a two- or three-year deal.

In a phone interview this morning, Rutherford also said the team was pursuing a couple of free agents to add depth to the team.

Leftover bits and pieces from Friday's exit-interview media availabilities, including Ray Whitney's thoughts on the season and Tuomo Ruuto on his popularity among Hurricanes fans…

Staff photo by Chris Seward

PITTSBURGH — Erik Cole joined his teammates on the Mellon Arena ice for the Carolina Hurricanes' morning skate today, suggesting the injured forward may be healthy enough to play in tonight's Game 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But fellow Carolina forward Tuomo Ruutu, who also was listed by the team as "day-to-day" after his Game 1 was cut short by a lower-body injury, did not skate with the team this morning.

UPDATE, 12:31 p.m.: Cole and Dwyer will be in the lineup tonight, the N&O has learned. Ruutu is out but could return Saturday. Check back for more updates.

PITTSBURGH — The Hurricanes are being diplomatic in what they say publicly about Erik Cole's injury in Game 1 and the knee-to-knee hit he took from the Penguins' Matt Cooke.

Here's what center Eric Staal had to say today about the hit:

"I think when a guy doesn't see you coming and you're in a vulnerable position, it's one of those plays where you should maybe just get out of the way instead of coming across. But things happen quick. You're coming across the ice, I understand that. But I think when a player doesn't see someone coming and you finish him, it's a difficult play."