Nine Penguins players who were withheld from the first week of training camp as a precaution for potential secondary exposure to coronavirus were cleared to resume practicing Monday.

The team did not identify the players, per the NHL’s new rules on withholding all medical information during the pandemic. But forwards Anthony Angello, Patric Hornqvist, Adam Johnson, Sam Miletic, Sam Poulin and Phil Varone; defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Juuso Riikola; and goaltender Alex D’Orio participated in their first practice session Monday.

While the bulk of the roster participated in a scrimmage on the main rink at the team’s facility in Cranberry, the nine previously withheld players, as well as reserve goaltenders Casey DeSmith and Emil Larmi, worked out on the auxiliary rink.

“We chose to give them an opportunity to get a couple of days of skating amongst themselves, first and foremost, before they rejoined the (main) group,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Part of the reason was, today was a scheduled (scrimmage). We didn’t want to put those guys right into a (scrimmage) with the layoff that they’ve had. We thought it made the most sense to give them a couple of days of an opportunity to skate and get their legs underneath them before we assimilate them into the big group.”

Forward Sidney Crosby, who left the ice during a scrimmage Saturday, did not participate for the second consecutive day. Sullivan declined to comment on Crosby’s status, citing the NHL’s new rule forbidding teams from disclosing players’ medical information due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gameday feel

Tuesday’s scrimmage ended as a 3-3 tie.

Forward Patrick Marleau scored twice, and forward Teddy Blueger added a goal for “Team Black.” Defensemen Jack Johnson, Chad Ruhwedel and forward Evan Rodrigues had goals for “Team Gold.”

Including Saturday’s scrimmage, the players have worn their regular game uniforms and have participated in warmups — complete with music — to introduce a sense of normalcy under circumstances which are anything but normal.

“We’re trying to create as close to a game environment as we possibly can under these circumstances,” Sullivan said. “They get a 15-minute warmup, just like they would during the regular season. They get a 17-minute intermission just like they do during the regular season and the playoffs. We’re trying to do a lot of the details associated with simulating as close to a game environment as we possibly can.”

“Our (scrimmage) on Thursday is going to be at seven o’clock at night. So they’re going to go through a regular game-day routine. Our game on Saturday is going to be at noon-time. We could possibly have a noon-time game (during the tournament). We’re trying to think all of the ways that we possibly can to put these guys through as close to a game scenario as we possibly can so we could be most prepared for what’s in front of us.”

Said Forward Conor Sheary: “That was a surprise to a lot of guys when we showed up (Saturday) morning to see our jerseys in our stalls. We didn’t really know that was going to happen. That made it a little more game-like. To have the warmup like we did, you get into your game-day routine. That’s kind of the idea behind us doing this, these scrimmages. To have that game-day (routine) engraved in our mind so we’re ready to go once playoffs come around.”

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