The Islanders have been looking forward to Saturday’s first home game at USB arena for, arguably, decades. But now that the big day is almost here, they’re limping to the finish line.
Anders Lee and Ross Johnston joined Josh Bailey in COVID-19 protocol on Friday, making it three Islanders who have tested positive this week. The team has ramped up protocols and masking, but when general manager Lou Lamoriello spoke to media after practice on Friday, they were still waiting for the results of tests they took on Friday.
“Well we’re certainly taking every precaution we can,” Lamoriello said. “We’ve tightened everything up. We’re back to the original protocol that we had when we were in the bubble. We sent out a message late last night to the entire team and office. We’re full masks everywhere and so forth as well as everything else that goes along with it.”
Lamoriello said the Islanders plan on bringing up one or two players from Bridgeport, the exact number being dependent on Friday’s test results. There has been no discussion of postponing games, with the Isles still scheduled to open UBS Arena on Saturday against Calgary and play Sunday against Toronto.
“I do not foresee that unless there’s an epidemic that we’re not aware of,” Lamoriello said. “We practiced today, as you know, and everyone else is healthy. … There is no intention to postpone at this point and we’re not looking to do that.”
League protocols require a PCR test every 72 hours for vaccinated players. But if a close contact tests positive, that ramps up to every day. (Unvaccinated players must test daily.)
The NHL’s vaccination rate is nearly 100 percent, but hockey has had perhaps more problems with COVID-19 in its 2021 season than any other league.
The Ottawa Senators had games postponed through Saturday this week after 10 players and one coach tested positive. The San Jose Sharks avoided postponements, but saw seven players and three staff members including coach Bob Boughner in protocol earlier this month. Sidney Crosby and coach Mike Sullivan, among a number of other Pittsburgh Penguins personnel, also tested positive this month.
Now, the Islanders are suffering their own outbreak. That it comes on the heels of a four-game losing streak and on the same day as a ribbon-cutting for the new arena was held, makes it more painful for the Islanders.
Bailey, whose five assists is tied for the team lead, will watch UBS Arena open while quarantining in Florida. Lee, the team captain, will at least get to be at home, but won’t be playing. Even Johnston, who would have likely watched from the press box, won’t get to be in the building.
It’s a bummer for Islanders fans, and it hurts their chances of snapping their losing streak in a tough Metropolitan division where every team but them is .500 or better, righting the ship now that they’re finally at home is a must.
“They are healthy,” Lamoriello said. “The symptoms are sort of negative as far as, that it’s like a cold. That’s the unfortunate thing about this as far as, we don’t really know. But all we do know is the tests that came back and the way the tests have to be dealt with we have to put the players in protocol and just wait until negative tests come back. That’s what we’re doing. All players feel well and honestly surprised.”