Jets' Little to focus on health, won't play in resumption

Winnipeg Jets forward Bryan Little won't participate in the league's return-to-play plan as he continues to recover from a perforated eardrum he suffered in November, head coach Paul Maurice told team reporter Mitchell Clinton on Monday.

Little, 32, underwent extensive testing in June and needs more time to continue to heal.

The 6-foot pivot suffered the injury when he was hit in the side of the head by a slap shot from a teammate. Winnipeg ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign in February.

Little was limited to just seven games this season, contributing two goals and five points. He missed the first nine contests of the year due to a concussion from a separate incident.

The Alberta native has four years remaining on his current deal beyond this season with an annual cap hit of $5.29 million.