Edmonton’s travel plans had yet to be finalized Tuesday evening, with club scheduled to play in Toronto on Saturday and Monday.
Canadiens’ Shea Weber fights off check by Oilers’ Darnell Nurse during first period at the Bell Centre in February.Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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They got in a team meal at their hotel Monday night, a skate that morning and a practice Tuesday. But otherwise, there was little the Edmonton Oilers produced from their trip this week to Montreal not even frequent flyer miles.
Montreals a great city, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said Tuesday afternoon during a video conference, after the team practised at the Bell Centre and before learning its three-game series against the Canadiens this week was postponed by the NHL. Wed love to be able to go out for dinner. Its just not possible this year.
The Oilers had expected to play three games against the Canadiens this week Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The first game was postponed Monday evening, shortly before the teams warm-up, after Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia were placed on the NHLs COVID-19 protocol list.
Almost 24 hours later, the league announced the Canadiens games through March 28 were being postponed. All three games against Edmonton must be rescheduled.
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An Oilers spokesman, upon learning the news, said the organization wasnt planning on releasing a statement Tuesday night. Indeed, he wasnt certain what the teams immediate travel plans were. Edmonton is scheduled to play in Toronto for games Saturday and Monday.
Earlier Tuesday, Darnell Nurse said he was taping his sticks Monday, preparing for a game that was fast approaching, when he learned it wouldnt be played.
Thats the world today, the world during this pandemic, the Oilers defenceman said. You have to be flexible, roll with the punches. We cant let that derail what we have going on here.
Oilers coach Dave Tippett saw the two names released by the NHL at 5 p.m. Monday, but thought little of the potential ramifications until receiving a call from GM Ken Holland, 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up, informing him.
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It was a little bit shocking, Tippett admitted. Ive been around the league a long time. There were times games were cancelled because of a lockout. Getting postponed 15 minutes before warm-up that ones never happened before.
Its not a normal season, he added. Theres going to be challenges.
Despite having not played since Saturday, Tippett was surprised by the tempo of Tuesdays practice, adding the players were in good spirits. But now he can only hope the extra rest doesnt derail a team that has won three straight, and seven of nine, moving into a first-place tie in the North Division with Toronto.
The Oilers organization is hardly in a position to throw stones. Last month, during a trip to Montreal, their game was delayed one hour after Jesse Puljujarvi was pulled from the morning skate and placed on the protocol list with what turned out being a false-positive test. Goaltender Mikko Koskinen also was declared ineligible because he had gone for a walk with the forward.
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The Oilers return to Montreal April 5 before moving to Ottawa for games April 7 and 9, making it virtually certain the three postponed contests will have to be made up after the regular-season ends, May 8. If so, that would delay the start of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, if nothing else, the turn of events has reinforced to the Oilers how judicious they must remain to keep the coronavirus out of their dressing room.
You absolutely cannot bring it in, Nugent-Hopkins said. Guys are being smart. Nobodys risking anything. Theyve made it easier to stay in the hotel for multiple days. Obviously theres a lot of trust that goes on from person to person on the team management and the coaching staff. Everyone that travels with us. As a person, youre trusting the person beside you taking care to keep the virus out of the room. Everyone has been extremely responsible.
Tippett said hes confident his players have the maturity as a group not to let this incident deter them.
The players are trying to be as careful as possible, more so than the public, he said. Weve been watching ourselves a long time. It has become the norm. Its unfortunate situations like this happen. We all knew there was a possibility.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1
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