Dec 30: The Canucks have put Justin Dowling into the protocol today. Of note, Dowling played last night against the Ducks, though it was fewer than eight minutes of actual ice time.
Dec 29: The Vancouver Canucks have announced that Brock Boeser, Phillip Di Giuseppe, and a member of the team’s support staff have been placed in the COVID protocol. Patrick Johnston of The Province reports that both players tested positive this morning in Anaheim, after traveling to face the Ducks tonight.
Losing Boeser ahead of tonight’s match will make it a lot tougher on the Canucks, who are actually working on a six-game win streak despite having not hit the ice since December 16. The team hasn’t lost a game under new head coach Bruce Boudreau, and a big part of that success has been the rejuvenated Boeser, who has five goals and seven points during that stretch.
While the two players would normally be subject to the league’s recently-reduced isolation period given they’re in the U.S., it certainly won’t help them in this case. The team’s road trip ends on Saturday and with the Canucks heading back to Canada, it is unclear when they will be ready to return to action (or even travel back to Vancouver). For now, the team will have to make do without their sniper or Giuseppe, who could have been the direct replacement for Boeser if he was eligible to enter the lineup.