National Hockey League roundup

There has been a mumps outbreak throughout the NHL during the past few weeks. Crosby missed practice on Thursday with an unspecified illness, and the right side of his face looked swollen during the Friday morning skate. After he underwent tests, doctors thought it best that he sit out.

"There is no indication at this time that this is the mumps, but we are going to hold him out as a precaution," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "We'll have additional test results in a few days."

The Penguins played host to the Calgary Flames on Friday night and travel to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

The two-time league most valuable player leads the Penguins with nine goals and 26 assists in 27 games this season.

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A potential ownership group headed by billionaire businessman William Foley and the Maloof family is hoping to generate local interest in a Las Vegas NHL franchise.

That process begins Tuesday, when Foley and his people sit down in a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's people to hammer out the details of a Board-of-Governors-approved request to conduct a season-ticket drive -- tentatively scheduled to begin in early February.

"I came up with the idea in conjunction with the commissioner to let us do a ticket drive to demonstrate the viability of the market," Foley said in a phone interview with The Sports Xchange. "I think Vegas is a sports town. That's our job to prove it, and we need to prove it with this ticket drive."

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The Columbus Blue Jackets placed left winger Scott Hartnell on injured reserve with a broken finger and recalled left winger Kerby Rychel from Springfield of the American Hockey League.

The 32-year-old Hartnell was injured during the Blue Jackets' 3-2 overtime win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday in Washington. He is expected to be out two weeks.

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The Winnipeg Jets assigned forward Patrice Cormier to the St. John's IceCaps of the AHL.

Cormier, 24, was recalled from St. John's on Dec. 8, joining the Jets on their recent two-game road trip in Dallas and Colorado. He has yet to appear in a game for the Jets this season.

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The Arizona Coyotes recalled forward Alex Bolduc and assigned forward Jordan Martinook to Portland of the AHL.

Bolduc, 29, has registered nine goals, 11 assists and 38 penalty minutes in 24 games with Portland this season.

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The Edmonton Oilers transferred left winger Jesse Joensuu to SC Bern of the Swiss Elite League.

Joensuu, 27, posted two goals, two assists and 14 penalty minutes in 20 games with the Oilers this season.