Red Wings’ Jeff Petry to return following 31-game injury absence

Detroit Red Wings veteran defenseman Jeff Petry will make his return to the lineup Monday against the Utah Hockey Club after missing the past 31 games due to an undisclosed injury, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

Sidelined since early January, Petry has been limited to 34 appearances with the Red Wings this season in which he has scored once and added five assists for six points coupled with 12 penalty minutes and a minus-seven rating. On the season, Petry ranks fourth among Detroit defensemen in averaging 19:11 in time on ice per game.

Skating in his second season with the Red Wings, the 37-year-old native of Ann Arbor, Mich., was originally acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 offseason in exchange for fellow defenseman Gustav Lindstrom plus a conditional fourth-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft. Per PuckPedia, Petry is in the final year of a four-year pact that carries a $6.25-million annual average value and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason.

A veteran of 971 career contests counting stops with the Edmonton Oilers, Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Red Wings, Petry has tallied 96 goals and 287 assists for 383 points. Petry has also added five goals and eight assists for 13 points through 48 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For the Red Wings, the club enters Monday action with a 32-31-6 record and five points back of the Canadiens for the second wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference. Monday’s contest also marks the second showdown between Utah and Detroit in March. In the midst of a two-game losing streak, the Red Wings will look to return to the win column and continue a playoff push to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016.