Oates Is Cleared to Return

Unless center Adam Oates wakes up this morning with a sore left hand, he’ll be in the lineup tonight when the Mighty Ducks play host to Phoenix.

Oates, who sat out 15 games after breaking two bones in his left hand Oct. 24 at Vancouver, has been cleared by team doctors to return to the ice. He participated in contact drills at practice Tuesday.

Coach Mike Babcock said he would leave it up to Oates to decide whether he’s fit to play.

“He knows better than anyone if he’s ready to play,” Babcock said of the 40-year-old Oates, who signed a one-year, $3.5-million free-agent contract with Anaheim in July. “He practiced but was not really getting whacked.... We’ll have conversations [before a decision is made].”

Oates, who had three assists in seven games, still feels discomfort when he uses his backhand, but that’s not enough to keep him sidelined, based on how he felt Tuesday.

“The team has been playing very well and I really don’t want to disrupt that,” he said. “My goal is to come in and play at their level and not subtract from what they’ve been doing.”

The Ducks are 6-4-2-3 in games without Oates.

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Look for Duck enforcer Kevin Sawyer to be challenged by the Coyotes’ Darcy Hordichuk, who will return after a 10-game suspension for bumping a referee Oct. 31. During his suspension, Hordichuk spent time watching videotapes of Sawyer’s fights and told the Arizona Republic, “I think it’s safe to say we’ll go.”

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TONIGHT

vs Phoenix, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Arrowhead Pond.

Radio -- KPLS (830).

Records -- Ducks 8-7-4-3, Coyotes 7-11-3-1.

Record vs. Coyotes -- (2001-02) 4-1-0-0.

Update -- Backup goaltender Martin Gerber, who has a 2.36 goals-against average, will start for the Ducks.

-- Lonnie White