GAME CHANGER?
Gaudette tests positive
One of Adam Gaudette's biggest battles this NHL season was overcoming an eating disorder to maintain playing weight to help drive his game.
The Vancouver Canucks forward now faces a bigger battle after testing positive Monday for the coronavirus. Gaudette participated in practice Tuesday on a line with J.T. Miller and Jimmy Vesey — Jake Virtanen was missing with an illness — and then left the ice once notified of the COVID-19 test result.
Depending on followup contact tracing and additional testing of players and staff, today's clash with the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena could be postponed. A Canucks representative told Postmedia News there is no immediate information on the status of the game.
“Adam had a positive test come in this morning and left the ice, and we're following NHL protocol,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “Our players get tested every day; they were tested this morning and we'll see what they say when they come back.”
How Gaudette was allowed to participate in practice is of great concern. He would have had interaction with teammates in the arena gym, locker-room, players' bench and the ice. Gaudette was to be retested Tuesday; if it's negative, he'll be tested again this morning, and then it's considered a false negative. If he tests positive today, then it's a presumed positive. Either way, there will be contact tracing.
As for Virtanen not feeling well, the Canucks have the ability to take the test to the players if they're not tested at the arena.
In January, Miller coped with a coronavirus quarantine as a highrisk contact of teammate Jordie Benn. The defenceman didn't practise Jan. 11 at Rogers Arena, a day after the Canucks cancelled on- and off-ice training camp sessions, out of an abundance of caution due to potential COVID-19 exposure.
Benn had tested positive after a false positive and was then declared a presumed positive. Highrisk close contacts are expected to quarantine, but the length of isolation for NHL players can be different than the general populace. They're tested daily with the highly effective PCR test — polymerase chain reaction and antibody testing — and in Miller's case, returning from the scare drove home the message.
“Obviously, this thing (COVID-19) spreads like wildfire, so it's important that people do the things they can control,” said Miller. “I followed the protocols given to me by the NHL and the (provincial) government.
“This has to be another part of your job, and being smart and sticking with your family. It has been a roller-coaster of emotions a little bit from a frustration standpoint. It sucks. I train for this and I've done three quarantines in the last six months (two league-mandated), and it's not ideal at all.”
The Montreal Canadiens returned to the ice Tuesday and hosted the Edmonton Oilers after an eight-day COVID-19 protocol pause.
Forwards Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia were on the watch list after one tested positive for a virus variant.
Adam had a positive test come in this morning and left the ice, and we're following NHL protocol.