Monday wasn’t the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first brush with coronavirus protocols this season, and it probably won’t be the last. But the latest reality of playing a pro sports season through a pandemic reared its head when, two days after playing against the Penguins in Boston, Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak tested positive for covid-19.
The Penguins and Bruins practiced as scheduled — the Bruins, of course, without Halak. Boston coach Bruce Cassidy gave an indication the team believed the result could be a false positive.
“We’ve got to follow up for more testing with him,” Cassidy told reporters in a video conference call. “He wasn’t able to go on the ice, per protocol.”
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said the NHL has not told his team it will be affected by the news involving Halak. There were no noninjury absences from Monday’s practice, and, afterward, the Penguins traveled to New York and are scheduled to play the Rangers on Tuesday and Thursday.
Some U.S. pro teams and/or athletes have made it known they have been vaccinated for covid. While the Penguins have not made any formal announcements — “Nothing to this point” is how Sullivan put — it is expected they are waiting until state guidance opens up vaccine eligibility to everyone April 19.
The situation was a topic of discussion among the Penguins on Monday not only because of Halak’s positive test but because the biggest team outbreak of the NHL season is affecting the Vancouver Canucks. Sixteen Vancouver players were on the covid list released by the NHL on Sunday, and ESPN reported some are having more serious symptoms. The Canucks are at the two-week mark between games — and counting.
“It’s a tough situation,” Penguins forward Teddy Blueger said, “but I think going into the year we probably had a good idea that a situation like that was going to arise somewhere. It’s, obviously, unfortunate, but I wouldn’t think it was that unexpected.”
About four dozen NHL games have been postponed this season because of coronavirus issues. Some have involved the Penguins, but none because of covid issues regarding the Penguins themselves.
“All you can do is wear a mask,” goalie Tristan Jarry, “wash your hands as much as possible and be as vigilant as possible.”
The Penguins have had players — most notably Sidney Crosby — spend time on the covid list through the 12 weeks of this season, but none of their stays on the list were long enough to indicate a positive test. The league formally bans teams from giving precise explanations for why players are on the covid list. Contract tracing related to high-risk exposure or false positives also can land a player or staffer on the list.
”We’ve talked at length repeatedly with our team about being vigilant and following the safety protocols that have been put in place by the league and the importance of it in order to mitigate the risk the best we can,” Sullivan said. “I think our players have done a terrific job in that regard.”
Because of the closure of the U.S./Canadian border, the NHL modified this season’s schedule to feature intra-divisional gamess only. That means it is no possible for the Penguins to have physical connections to the Canucks.
Still, the situation can be used as a reminder of the potential fragility of the season.
“We haven’t specifically addressed (the Canucks’ situation) with our players to this point,” Sullivan said. “But it is something that we talk about on a continual basis with our guys, just to keep it fresh in their mind that we continue to stay vigilant.”
Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris by email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .