The Tampa Bay Lightning, which the Montreal Canadiens are due to visit on Tuesday, announced five new positive COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
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Forward Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, defender Mikhail Sergachev, goalkeepers Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott, as well as assistant coach Rob Zettler have all been placed under league protocol, while all skaters in the National Hockey League (NHL) were back to work after a forced four-day break from Dec. 22-25.
The athletes had to report to the establishments of their respective teams, after celebrating Christmas, to be tested for COVID-19 and to train, in the event that their diagnosis was correct. The day before, the NHL had even announced that all its games scheduled for December 27 had been postponed, thus delaying the resumption of its activities until the next day.
To return to the Lightning, the Florida formation had paid the price for the very last game held before this forced break, she who was in action in Vegas, in a victory of 4 to 3 against the Golden Knights. Head coach Jon Cooper had also missed this clash, he who had received a positive result a few hours before the initial face-off.
In the wave of postponements leading up to the holiday break, the Lightning had also seen two of its games postponed, those against the Colorado Avalanche (December 18) and the Arizona Coyotes (December 23).
If the Bettman Home does not make further announcements between now and the initial face-off of their duel, it will be a second game between the Lightning and the Canadiens. The first time, in an attempt to avenge his failure in the Stanley Cup final, Dominique Ducharme’s troops escaped a 2-1 lead with three minutes left in regulation time, to lose 3-2.
Without their two goalies, the double reigning champions could therefore have to recall some of their goaltenders from the Syracuse Crunch, their school club in the American League, including the Quebecer Maxime Lagacé, who has 18 games of experience in the NHL, the most with the Golden Knights.
The Lightning sits atop the Atlantic Division with 44 points in 30 games.
More positive cases for COVID-19 in Toronto
In Toronto, the Maple Leafs continue to rack up positive COVID-19 cases, as they have added defenseman Jake Muzzin’s name to the list of athletes unavailable due to the virus.
The Ontario team has 14 players and several staff members struggling with the virus, which forced the cancellation of several games before the holiday break in the National Hockey League (NHL), including three involving them.
So, in addition to Muzzin, forwards John Tavares, William Nylander, Alexander Kerfoot, Ilya Mikeyev, Jason Spezza, Wayne Simmonds and David Kampf, defenders Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin, as well as goalkeepers Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek are all absent for this reason.
The Maple Leafs are the second most affected team on the Bettman Tour, behind the Calgary Flames. Sheldon Keefe’s men haven’t played since Dec. 14 and are scheduled to play their next Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Several positive cases elsewhere
In Dallas, the Stars, who had been spared with only one case, that of Jani Hakanpaa, had to add the names of five players and two staff members to their list of absent due to COVID, that of Jason Robertson. , Miro Heiskanen, Michael Raffl, Joel Kiviranta and Radek Faksa.
On the Buffalo side, head coach Don Granato and forwards Dylan Cozens and Mark Jankowski have incorporated the protocol. The Sabers said the three individuals were asymptomatic so far.
For the New Jersey Devils, we lose forward Tomas Tatar and goaltender Jon Gillies, but five players, including captain Nico Hischier and defenseman PK Subban, have been removed from the absentee list.
The Detroit Red Wings will have to go the next few days without Lucas Raymond and Nick Leddy, both affected by the virus, but they have regained the services of Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen.
Later that afternoon, other teams updated their roster and the names of several impact players appeared on them, including Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis (Philadelphia Flyers), as well as Jonathan Huberdeau (Panthers of the Florida).