Blueshirts ban roommates to battle mumps

The Rangers will stop assigning their players roommates on the road beginning with this weekend’s trip to Carolina in a commonsense effort to prevent further spread of the mumps virus, The Post has learned.

According to a provision in the collective bargaining agreement, players who are not on Entry Level contracts are guaranteed single hotel rooms on the road. Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast are the only three Rangers who are on their first pro contracts.

Miller and Hayes roomed together on the Blueshirts’ threegame sweep of western Canada that concluded with Tuesday’s 52 victory over the Flames. The Rangers flew home Wednesday for a couple of days of practice before they travel to Raleigh, N.C., on Friday in advance of Saturday’s match against the Hurricanes.

Derick Brassard, who was sent home from the trip on Sunday after contracting the virus, and Tanner Glass, who had been infected in late November, are two of the 15 NHL players to have thus been identified with mumps.

The Rangers, Devils (Travis Zajac and Adam Larsson), Penguins, Ducks and Wild have been impacted by the virus that is contagious and spread through saliva and mucus, usually through coughing and sneezing.

The NHL, in coordination with the NHLPA through the infection control sub committee, has sent information to its clubs after consultation with the Center for Disease Control, but has issued no leaguewide policy.

Indeed, when asked by The Post whether the league had considered issuing a directive under which all teams would be compelled to give all players single rooms on the road, deputy commissioner Bill Daly’s email reply was succinct.

“No,” he wrote late Tuesday.

The Islanders, though they have not yet had a player contract the virus, are among several teams to cancel or postpone scheduled holiday visits to children’s wings of local hospitals.

The Rangers have assigned players their own individual water bottles and are sanitizing their locker rooms and equipment as best possible. Players across the league have been offered immunization shots and boosters.

“The only thing you can do is to use common sense,” said Glass, who rejoined the team after being sidelined for a week. “You wash your hands a lot, you make sure to cover your mouth if you sneeze or cough.

“It’s not airborne, you can’t get it just by being in close proximity to someone who might have it. My doctor didn’t need to wear a mask when he examined me, unless he was afraid I was going to spit in his face.

“So this time, I didn’t spit in his face,” Glass said, breaking out in laughter.