a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct; he was later suspended an additional two games by the NHL. Alberts recovered in time to make his NHL playoff debut in April 2008, as the Bruins were eliminated in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens. After being a healthy scratch for the Bruins' first two games in the 2008–09 season, Alberts was traded to Philadelphia for Ned Lukacevic and a conditional 2009 draft pick on October 13, 2008. The emergence of younger defenseman Matt Hunwick was partly responsible for his expandability. Alberts became an integral part of the Flyers' defensive corps, leading the team in hits (157) and ranking third in blocked shots (133). His 12 assists and 13 points were career-highs. Becoming an unrestricted free agent in the off-season, Alberts signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 16, 2009. The contract paid him $800,000 the first year and $1.3 million the second. After appearing in 62 games for Carolina, he was traded at the 2009–10 trade deadline on March 3, 2010, to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (used to select Austin Levi). Between Carolina and Vancouver, Alberts finished the regular season with 3 goals and 12 points over 76 games. His defensive play struggled in his initial stint with Vancouver, often being made a healthy scratch. He continued to earn criticism from Vancouver fans and media in the playoffs, particularly for his lack of speed and for taking costly penalties. Alberts came back to the Canucks with improved play during the 2010 pre-season and beat out Shane O'Brien for the team's final spot on defense (O'Brien was subsequently traded prior to the start of the season). Nearly one month into the season, Alberts suffered a minor knee injury during a game against the Colorado Avalanche, but did not miss any games. Later in the season, he was sucker-punched in the face by enforcer Jody Shelley during a game against the Flyers in December 2010. The two were being restrained by referees during a scrum when Shelley struck him. As a result, he received a two-game suspension from the league and forfeited $26,829.27 in salary. Though Alberts left the game, he was not injured on the play. The following month, Alberts suffered a right shoulder injury during a game against the Minnesota Wild on January 16, 2011.