O’Donnell is sidelined by foot injury

Ducks defenseman Sean O’Donnell has had to deal with injuries in his career, but not many have come in the final minute of a game.

O’Donnell was hobbling on a crutch Friday at the team’s practice facility, the result of a lacerated right foot suffered at the end of Wednesday night’s 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars.

The veteran will be out for at least tonight’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes, and his status for Tuesday, when the Ducks play in San Jose, could be in question if the foot doesn’t heal quickly.

With only six defensemen on the roster, the Ducks recalled Kent Huskins from their American Hockey League affiliate in Portland, Maine.

O’Donnell said he felt the injury occur when he was checked into the boards by Dallas rookie Loui Eriksson. The blade from Eriksson’s skate cut through his own, slicing the top layer of flesh.

“The guy was just finishing his check, and it was just a weird play that happens 10 times a game,” O’Donnell said. “His skate must have come up and just kind of sliced me right on the top of the foot. It’s kind of a deep cut.”

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said the tongue of the skate is there to protect such cuts from occurring.

“In this case, it didn’t for whatever reason,” Carlyle said. “I think we’re fortunate that it wasn’t something more severe.”

O’Donnell said he doesn’t plan to rush back before the cut is fully healed. The important thing, he said, is to keep the area clean so that he isn’t susceptible to an infection.

“There’s no need to hurry and do something silly,” he said. “So we’re just going give it the time it needs and let the stitches heal up and close up. We’ll see after that.”

O’Donnell’s absence means that Huskins will make his NHL debut at age 27.

The Ottawa native has played the last five-plus seasons in the AHL, including the last two in the Ducks’ organization.

Huskins was practicing Thursday in Portland when he got the news from Pirates Coach Kevin Dineen. The rest of the afternoon was spent on the telephone with family and friends.

In 27 games with Portland, Huskins has two goals, nine assists and a plus-five rating.

“You spend six years playing in the American League and you start to wonder if it’s ever really going to happen,” he said. “I’m totally thrilled to be here and to be playing for such a great team. I’m looking to help out in any way possible.”

TONIGHT

at Phoenix, 6 PST, Ch. 56

Site -- Jobing.com Arena.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 27-4-6, Coyotes 12-20-1.

Records vs. Coyotes -- 3-0-0.

Update -- The Ducks have won 10 of the 11 meetings since Wayne Gretzky became Phoenix’s coach in 2005. Mikael Tellqvist has been getting more of the starts in goal for Phoenix instead of Curtis Joseph after being acquired from Toronto on Nov. 29. Winger Ladislav Nagy, whose name has come up in trade rumors, is the only Coyotes player with more than 20 points.

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