
The NHL won’t, quite, pull the plug.
Nobody told me there’d be days like these.
Just like that, it’s impossible for the Maple Leafs to operate as a hockey team. Look, I get it, winter is coming, and we want something clean and icy-bright to get invested in instead of the real world. It looks like we can’t have that.
It looks like the NHL needs to shut it down, at least for a short period of time.
In my drafts folder is a story about Timothy Liljegren following the Travis Dermott recipe for success. That all seems moot when Dermott is testing positive for Covid and wondering how he get’s home for Christmas.
Right now, I’m imagining the Leafs positive guys road-tripping to Toronto from Vancouver. Those guys are*:
- John Tavares
- Alexander Kerfoot
- Wayne Simmonds
- Jason Spezza
- Sheldon Keefe
- Spencer Carbery
- Jack Campbell
- Travis Dermott
- TJ Brodie
*Subject to change
Looking on the bright side, Brodie can tell Dermott all his secrets, while all those good Toronto boys show Saskatchewan what a Toronto driver is all about. Or maybe they’ll figure out how to get home on a plane. I hope they do. At this point, this is all I care about.
In the meantime, the Leafs have about 24 hrs to decide if they want to sign or trade for a player in case the NHL makes them play on Thursday.
Meanwhile in other news:
Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen will be Finland’s captain at the world juniors, according to head coach Antti Pennanen.
Fellow Leafs prospect Topi Niemelä will be an assistant captain.
— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) December 19, 2021
Some pre-tournament games at the World Junior Championship are being cancelled as a precaution because of the growing Covid situation. https://t.co/Hnd51eYS6L
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 18, 2021
The @NHL and @NHLPA announced today the immediate adoption of enhanced COVID-19 measures.
These enhanced measures will remain in effect through the Holiday season and the New Year, and will be re-evaluated no later than Jan. 7, 2022.
Full text: https://t.co/kcjziKo2nJ pic.twitter.com/ZOebBUm1zL
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 18, 2021