Canucks’ Brock Boeser questions COVID quarantine quagmire, but he’s ready for a big test

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Brock Boeser is used to scrutiny.

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The Vancouver Canucks right wing understands that questions about his production, health, contract and business rumors come with the territory of being a well-paid professional athlete.

What Boeser cannot understand is the “miscommunication” in his COVID-19 quarantine protocol adventure. It took him from Anaheim to Vancouver, to Minnesota and finally to Florida, where he practiced Monday alongside Elias Pettersson and Jason Dickinson, who are also off-protocol.

It’s been 15 days since Boeser last played (he tested positive on Dec. 28) and his five-goal streak in a six-game span last month seems to have been a long time. That’s why his body language and tone were noticeably different as the normally optimistic winger tackled his quarantine quagmire.

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“It wasn’t great,” he said. “Obviously, to quarantine for five days (Anaheim) and come back (Vancouver), there was a lot of miscommunication about what was agreed and what really happened. Then I quarantined another five days and they still wanted us to quarantine ourselves more.

“I know the other guys (Justin Dowling, Phil Di Giuseppe) are still stuck (in quarantine) as of Wednesday and I feel really bad for them. It’s just a really horrible scenario.

“It is just frustrating. We quarantined ourselves like we were supposed to. I’m not sure exactly who spoke to the (federal) government and they told us we got the go-ahead to quarantine for another five days, so that’s 10 days. Now, the government made them (Dowling, Di Giuseppe) quarantine another 10 (in addition to the original five), so that’s 15 days.

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“That is too long, especially when quarantines have been reduced to five days for almost everyone. I don’t think that’s really good for them.

“We would not have returned if we had known that the situation was going to happen, we would have all stayed (in the US). I feel terrible for the guys who are still locked up. I know that in other years, they (NHL) worked with the government and solved everything, and now it’s confusing. “

NEXT GAME

Tuesday

Vancouver Canucks in Florida Panthers

4 pm Pacific Time. FLA Live Arena. TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650.

Boeser, Dowling and Di Giuseppe flew to Vancouver on a medical services charter flight on January 3. And despite having no symptoms, the Public Health Agency of Canada required Boeser to continue his quarantine. As a US citizen, he was allowed to cross the border and fly home to Minnesota to complete the 10-day protocol period required by the NHL.

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As for his initial quarantine in Anaheim, Boeser didn’t have much to do to maintain his sanity and a certain level of fitness.

“After being in so many different quarantine situations in recent years, you just have to find a routine that you like,” he said. “You eat breakfast, exercise, watch a show, take a nap and wait for the boys’ game (Canucks) in the evening.

“Fortunately, I was there for five days and they played three of the nights, so that really helped. I watched a lot of shows, asked for an Xbox to be brought to the hotel, and played some golf. The WIFI wasn’t very good, so I couldn’t play Fortnite. “

The return of Boeser, Pettersson and Dickinson will give head coach Bruce Boudreau some linear symmetry Tuesday against the Panthers to open a five-game road trip against the elite. However, Boudreau juggled the practice lines on Monday.

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“We will be mindful of the fact that these (returning) guys haven’t been on the ice in a while,” he said. “We have not had symmetry, so the lines have been changed a bit. But everyone will adapt because they also have to ”.

Boudreau could go back to what has worked well in the past. That’s JT Miller between Tanner Pearson and Boeser, Bo Horvat centering Dickinson and Nils Hoglander while Pettersson works between Vasily Podkolzin and Conor Garland.

“I have to go back and I’m very grateful for that and happy to be with the guys and to be able to play (Tuesday),” Boeser said. “It is a great positive.”

Boeser is not concerned with working to remove rust. The anticipation of playing easily outweighs the agony of quarantine protocol uncertainty, especially with his club on an 8-0-1 streak.

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“I still have that feeling that I can score in any game and it’s a great feeling,” said the winger, who has 17 points (9-8) in 28 games this season. “I feel like I have that confidence and that arrogance again.

“I’m probably a little out of shape, but it all comes down to simplifying my game and having short shifts and really concentrating on throwing the puck and working as hard as I can.”

Still, the litmus test doesn’t get any easier with Tampa Bay, Carolina, Washington, and Nashville also on the menu.

“This (trip) will show us a lot as a team and it will show a lot,” Boeser said. “We are up against some of the best teams and it is a test that we need. We have been playing hockey very well and you want to play and beat the best ”.

OVERTIME – Alex Chiasson also remains on the COVID protocol and could join the trip at the end of the week. Travis Hamonic is not on the trip and Boudreau had no updates on his condition.

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