Road trips looking a lot different in 2021
Brendan Gallagher misses the restaurants, the laughs, the camaraderie and the bonding. He isn’t alone.
NHL road trips, especially early in the season, are usually chances to get to know new teammates and reconnect with familiar faces.
After a summer that saw 24 clubs sequestered in tightly controlled bubbles to keep COVID-19 at bay following months of uncertainty, players are grateful to travel and compete in a 56-game campaign set against the pandemic’s backdrop.
They feel fortunate when so many people are stuck at home, or have lost jobs, businesses and loved ones.
There are many differences, however, when comparing 2020-21 to a normal NHL season.
Travelling players and coaches are allowed in the airport, hotel and arena — that’s it.
“Little things,” Gallagher, a Montreal Canadiens winger, said of what he missed during his team’s 13 days away from home to open the season. “Dinner on the road is something that you really look forward to. It’s just good times with the guys, one of the best parts of the year.”
Many team staples on charter flights have been nixed to minimize physical contact.
“I’m really missing the cards on the plane,” Gallagher added with a grin. “I’m used to beating Tuna (linemate Tomas Tatar) and seeing the anger in his eyes, so I miss that.”
But Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said some teammates might actually prefer quieter flights with mandatory assigned seating. “Just some more time on your own,” he said. “People actually have a chance to read a book.”
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who grew up in Newmarket, Ont., said an early-season trip to Toronto felt strange.
“It’s always a bit of a homecoming to see some friends and family,” he said. “We obviously can’t do that right now.
“It’s definitely a different vibe. Masks on the plane, following all the protocols. We want to be safe first and foremost.”
Teams stay at the same hotel in each NHL city. Players and coaches are not allowed to enter each other’s rooms.
There’s assigned seating at meals with tables spread out to ensure proper distancing.
“It’s just quiet,” Rielly said. “There’s not a whole lot going on. We try to bond over meals and make time for that aspect of things. You have to build that time in.
“It’s just a little bit different.”
Winnipeg Jets defenceman Nathan Beaulieu said sequestering on the road — for the public’s safety as well as their own — is an adjustment after years of taking in sights and sounds of other NHL cities.
“That’s one of the treats being in this league,” he said. “It’s a little more taxing on the brain not being able to move around the city and get out and get some air, but we all signed up for this.
“We knew what it was going to be like.” Staying in one spot does have some teambuilding benefits, Beaulieu added.
“It’s kind of old-school, just hanging out and telling stories in the lounge,” he said. “It’s actually a great opportunity for the team to bond. You can’t all be at the same table, but I think it helps get a team a little bit closer.
“You’ve got everyone together, not five guys going somewhere and 10 guys going somewhere else.”
Less travel wear and tear is another silver lining, said Gallagher. “Playing three games in the same city is something really nice.
“The travel is something we can’t really complain about.”
Breaches in health and safety rules are dealt with harshly by the NHL.
The Washington Capitals found out what that meant when captain Alex Ovechkin and three Russian teammates were “unavailable” to play after breaking COVID-19 protocols by mingling in a hotel room unmasked.
Ovechkin missed four games and the club was also fined US$100,000.
“It’s a zero ask,” Anaheim Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said of the NHL’s rules. “There are people sacrificing far more than us.
“We have to stay in a really nice hotel and have a whole bunch of space given to us by the hotel, and our sacrifice is we have to put a mask on and not go into restaurants . . . . I’m not sure that’s any ask at all.”
Ottawa Senators forward Chris Tierney said despite the restrictions, it’s still good to get out of town with new teammates — of which he has many following a roster overhaul in the nation’s capital. “You still see them a lot more when you’re on the road than when you’re at home. It’s still nice to chat more, spend a little more time at the rink. It’s tough you can’t go outside the hotel to do teambonding stuff, but we’ve made it work.”