VANCOUVER – Home for the holidays.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs’ planned four-game western road trip dissolving into just one game and four positive COVID tests, the team’s sole objective is to get back to Toronto as healthy and quickly as possible.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to get everybody with their family during the holidays,” general manager Kyle Dubas said Saturday in Vancouver as he awaited results from the morning’s PCR tests.
“Despite independently what our guys have done to stay healthy, stay in the lineup, stay avoiding coming into contact with the virus to spread to each other and to people in the community and their families… I mean, it’s disappointing.”
Forwards John Tavares, Alexander Kerfoot, Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds all tested negative in Edmonton, where the Leafs defeated the Oilers Tuesday, but tested positive in Vancouver and were placed in protocol.
Two of them are entirely asymptomatic. One had mild symptoms that have since dissipated. The other has some fever, chills, and body aches. Dubas has spoken with all four multiple times and says the affected players are “in good spirits and doing well.” He did not specify which players had which conditions.
The Maple Leafs cancelled Friday’s practice upon getting word of the first positive test and have not gathered as a group since. With the Canucks dealing with six players and one coach in COVID protocol as well, both clubs’ games were postponed throughout the weekend.
Everyone in the Leafs travelling party has undergone two more rounds of rapid antigen and PCR tests.
Saturday morning’s rapid antigen test revealed no additional positives, but the Maple Leafs placed T.J. Brodie, Jack Campbell, Travis Dermott, head coach Sheldon Keefe and assistant coach Spencer Carbery into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol Saturday afternoon following results of their PCR tests.
“Since we came out west to Edmonton, I’ve haven’t left my hotel except for going for walks,” Keefe said Thursday. “Frankly, my priority right now is to get back to Toronto in time for Christmas healthy and safe. Get back to my family. I think everybody is like that.
“It’s even extra challenging being on the road right now, because I don’t want to be stuck here through Christmas.”
The negative group plans to charter back to Toronto Saturday evening.
Dubas is working on arrangements to safely get those in protocol home “in the next day or so” without endangering the public.
Dubas did speak with a few Leafs during Saturday’s highly optional morning skate at Rogers Arena.
“I think everyone’s a little bit on edge and unsure what’s happening,” the GM said.
These are the first positive tests to hit the Maple Leafs since the 2020 playoff bubble.
“Our players have been outstanding,” Dubas said.
“Especially as different variants have come up and you see how quickly this specific one [omicron]spreads, I think you’re naive if you think it’s going to avoid a team of 20 to 25 players who are traveling at any one time, plus all the staff, especially as you go to different parts of the country and the continent where regulations are very different.”
Meanwhile, Toronto’s AHL club, the Marlies, are now up to 10 positive cases, which constitutes an outbreak. All Marlies players and staff are isolating for 10 days, per Toronto Public Health guidelines.
Despite the postponed games, neither the Canucks nor Leafs have shut down. COVID-free players and staff may resume workouts and practices.
Toronto’s next scheduled game is Thursday at home versus St. Louis. Vancouver’s is Tuesday at San Jose.
In Dubas’s conversations with the league, he says there was no discussion of pausing the entire NHL schedule.
“I’m hopeful that that’s not necessary,” Dubas said. “But as we’ve all learned as we’ve gone through this for the last almost two years, every day’s a new day. And it’s impossible to say what tomorrow is going to bring in terms of the evolution of this virus and what we can do to get out from all the various encumbrances and restrictions that it places on our lives.
“My desire is that we’re all working toward a place, optimistically, where we can get back to life as it was two years ago at this time. So, I’m generally optimistic.
“I sure hope we don’t have to pause or delay, but if it’s in the best interest of health and safety of the players and the fans and the public in general, I’m sure that the league will make the right decision.”
There is no word yet when Toronto’s postponed dates in Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle will be rescheduled.
“The one thing the league has shown over the last two years is that they can adapt and make different things happen and find a way to get as much as we can in and get the playoffs and Stanley Cup awarded,” Dubas said.
Fast approaching are the Beijing Winter Games, and the NHLers’ participation in the February tournament feels tenuous.
Toronto’s star sniper, Auston Matthews, has already been named to the American squad, and several other Leafs are in contention to represent their countries.
So, how does Dubas feel about sending Maple Leafs overseas in February?
“Those athletes have worked their entire life to be in consideration to go to the Olympics. Especially this era of player, basically their whole life that they’ve grown up, the best players — save for 2018 — have been at the Olympics. And it’s always been a great event and something that they all aspire to when you talk to them,” Dubas said.
“So, that’s going to be their individual choice. I don’t think it’s our place to really step into the aspirations of an athlete that’s worked a long time towards that.
“I think for us to have a strong opinion either way would be a disservice to the aspirations of our players.”
