San Jose, CA – The San Jose Sharks activated goaltender Antero Niittymaki from injured reserve Monday and assigned him to Worcester of the American Hockey League for conditioning.
Niittymaki was slated to miss 12 weeks after having surgery on a lower-body issue in late September.
The backup to Antti Niemi last season, Niittymaki went 12-7-3 with a 2.72 goals-against average in 24 games.
Over seven seasons in the NHL, the 31-year-old native of Finland has played in 234 games and is 95-86-31 with five shutouts and a 2.95 GAA with Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and San Jose.
In a related roster move, San Jose placed defenseman Jim Vandermeer on injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment. The 31-year-old Canadian posted three assists in 10 appearances this season.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.