Montreal Canadiens: Jesperi Kotkaniemi Removed From Covid Protocol List
Montreal Canadiens centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been removed from the NHL’s Covid Protocol list today.
The league announces a list of players each day that are prohibited from taking part in any team activities due to a positive Covid-19 test or as a result of a close contact to the virus.
The Canadiens were fortunate to avoid having anyone on the list until last Monday.
The team’s schedule was halted when Joel Armia was added to the list a week ago and Kotkaniemi joined him shortly thereafter. It wasn’t formally announced as such, but it became clear that Armia received a positive test for Covid-19 and then contact tracing confirmed Kotkaniemi was a close contact to Armia. This put both players on the no-go list.
However, Kotkaniemi saw his name removed from the list this evening, which means he can be a full participant in the team’s practice tonight.
This is fantastic news for the team, as they are going to need Kotkaniemi’s presence in the lineup when they face the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night. That game is a rescheduled one from last week when the Oilers were supposed to play against the Habs three times, but all of them were wiped out.
Eric Staal technically joins Armia on the Covid Protocol list right now but it is only because he has to go through a mandatory quarantine period after his trade from the Buffalo Sabres.
With Staal not yet eligible to play, the lineup would have been thin down the middle if Kotkaniemi wasn’t eligible to play tomorrow night. The Habs have used Kotkaniemi, Nick Suzuki and Phillip Danault as their top three centres in all 31 games so far this season. Jake Evans has been their fourth line centre for 29 games while veteran left winger Paul Byron had to play in the middle fo the ice when Evans sat as a healthy scratch for two games.
dark. Next. Staal trade gives Habs much needed centre depth
With the team not very deep down the middle, a trade for Staal was necessary. Missing another centre like Kotkaniemi before Staal can play would be a tough hole for the Habs to fill. Luckily, Kotkaniemi has been cleared to play and we won’t have to worry about that for tomorrow night’s game.