COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/14/21

Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. With a full report in on time from all 31 teams, here is the list for today:

Edmonton – Kyle Turris
Los Angeles – Olli Maatta
New Jersey – Will Butcher
NY Islanders – Noah Dobson*, Jean-Gabriel Pageau*
NY Rangers – Phil Di Giuseppe*

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jake DeBrusk, Boston Bruins; Marcus Sorensen, San Jose Sharks

It wasn’t quite an even day for the NHL in their battle against the Coronavirus. Boston’s DeBrusk is off the CPRA list after just 24 hours, while Sorenson is removed after a longer stint. However, there are three new additions out of New York in the Islanders’ Pageau and Dobson plus the Rangers’ Di Giuseppe. Pageau in particular was curiously absent from the Isles’ lineup for their Sunday afternoon contest without any explanation from the club, but as assumed he has been sidelined by the league’s COVID Protocol. The team surely hopes it is a case of a false positive or some other minor occurrence, as Pageau is even more important to New York right now given the long-term injury absence of Anders Lee. 

*denotes new addition