Canucks Notebook: I Play or I Don’t Play, List Questions Abound

When will they be able to practice with fellow players like Brock Boeser again?

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Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau was honest Friday when asked when Brock Boeser, Phil Di Giuseppe and Justin Dowling will be allowed to return to the ice.

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He had said Thursday that he hoped that at least Boeser and Di Giuseppe, marginalized under COVID protocols on December 29, would be able to skate Friday. He acknowledged Friday that they did not.

“It’s a bit difficult, frankly,” Boudreau said about being able to fully answer about his condition. “I don’t want to sound like I’m unaware. The rules on guys who have been out are a bit vague at the moment. Nobody seems to know if they will be able to skate (on Saturday) ”.

All three players returned from California earlier this week after coming out of their five-day isolation period, but as of Thursday afternoon they had not yet received clearance to enter Rogers Arena.

“I’m in a wait-and-see mode, just like you are,” Boudreau said. “I would love for a guy like Brock, for example, to have two practices after being away for so long.”

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Under new protocols that the National Hockey League put into effect last week, players can come out of isolation five days after the first positive test for COVID-19 if they can return a negative test, or a test that at least shows their Viral load, known as CT Value: is above a certain threshold, which means that, in the worst case, they are minimally infectious.

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If they can test outside of isolation, they should still wear a mask when around other people for another five days.

Chiasson on the protocol

Alex Chiasson tested positive for COVID-19 on Lucira’s rapid test on Thursday. The Canucks confirmed Friday that he had also tested positive on a full PCR test, which means he is now officially on the league’s COVID-19 protocol.

With the current uncertainty about the status of his roster, Boudreau said he expected at least a couple of players to be removed from AHL Abbotsford and assigned to the taxi squad ahead of their US tour that begins in Florida on Tuesday.

Hamonic’s status is still unclear

Travis Hamonic was injured Dec. 8 against Boston, Boudreau’s second game in charge.

He eventually landed on long-term injured reserve, meaning he couldn’t be activated until 24 days and 10 games had passed. Obviously, more than 24 days have passed, while the list-tracking website PuckPedia reported last month that the NHL was counting postponed games toward the 10-game low.

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The Canucks would have played 13 games already, so it’s off both thresholds. You just need to be healthy now.

“With Hammer I’m not sure if he will make the trip. He’s had a little setback here, ”Boudreau said. The veteran defender was scheduled to train at Rogers Arena on Friday, he said.

“We would certainly love to have him on the trip.”

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