Penguins anticipate NHL will issue stricter covid-19 protocols
The NHL has forged through a difficult week in which dozens of players, coaches and team staffers from Florida to British Columbia have been placed into the league’s protocols for covid-19.
With the exception of skating and skill development coach Ty Hennes being placed in protocol recently, the Penguins have largely been unscathed by the league-wide outbreak this week. That is a welcomed change in contrast to the difficulties they endured throughout September, October and November when eight players and even head coach Mike Sullivan were placed into protocols for the virus.
With the NHL expected to institute stricter regulations in the near future in the wake of this week’s developments, the Penguins have already taken some limited actions as they await official guidance from the NHL.
“We’ve done a lot of stuff internally,” Sullivan said. “When we got hit with the covid cases earlier (this season), we tried to reinstitute some of the protocols that were in place last (season) with respect to mitigation measures. … We were doing our meetings with our players differently. We were trying to spread people out and just exercise common sense, I guess. As far as those enhanced protocols from the league at this point, we were informed that they have intentions on doing that. We haven’t received the specifics yet. So we haven’t done anything specifically inside our room.”
The Penguins’ players seemed resigned to having to live under stricter measures similar to those that were in place for the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season.
“You never want to see things get shut down,” defenseman John Marino said. “They’re kind of heading in that direction right now. It was normal for a little and now we have to go back to restrictions. It’s going to be a tough adjustment, I think, for some guys on the road and not being able to go out to dinner and see family and friends and everything. But we’re all in the same boat, and we’re all in the same situation. We went through it last year. Just going to have to do it again.”
Looming over all of this is the deadline for the NHL’s potential participation in the upcoming Olympics this February in Beijing. The league has until Jan. 10 to pull out of the tournament without incurring a financial penalty. Some individual players — namely Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson — have already said they will not play for their native Sweden due in part to concerns over quarantine rules in China.
Penguins forward Teddy Blueger, one of Latvia’s top players, indicated he would like to play in the Olympics but expressed solicitousness over the uncertainty with regards to potential regulations in China.
“Not really about covid,” Blueger said. “I think that’s just part of life right now. It seems like it will be for a while, or forever. Just the main concern is kind of getting clarity as far as what the rules and procedures are if we do end up going over there. What that will look like … the day-to-day, possible procedures if you do test positive? There’s obviously a whole bunch of rumors going around. I know the rules can change and stuff. I just think it’s important to us before we go, what the procedure is and guys can kind of make their decision from there. That’s probably the main concern for me.
“Yeah, I’d love to go. Obviously, we’re all hoping to go. It depends on what the circumstances are for the quarantining. And if you do test positive, there’s some weird rumors going around about the possible consequences that I think could influence the decision. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer right now so it makes it kind of tough.”
Brian Boyle withheld from practice
Penguins forward Brian Boyle was absent from practice in Cranberry on Thursday. Sullivan indicated Boyle is dealing with an undisclosed injury and was withheld for precautionary reasons.
“I’d like to say he’s a maintenance day right now, but that status may change moving forward,” Sullivan said. “It could turn into a day-to-day thing. It’s nothing significant, but we chose to hold him off the ice today.”
In 19 games this season, Boyle has three goals while averaging 10:41 of ice time per game.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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