After a 142-day break, NHL players hit the ice for the start of training camp.
On Monday, 24 players and four goaltenders took part in the first day of Montreal Canadiens training camp at the Brossard practice facility.
“It was a lot of fun to get on the ice, skate again, see the teammates and play hockey,” said forward Paul Byron.
The Habs are set to start their five-game qualifying round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Toronto — one of two hub cities, along with Edmonton — on Aug. 1 for a chance to win a berth in the 16-club playoff bracket.
Players and management say they feel fortunate to have the chance to compete for a playoff spot, considering they were 24th in the standings when the season was paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is a chance to show we are a good team, and it’ll be up to us to show it when we get to the hub city,” said Habs general manager Marc Bergevin.
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Though there were many familiar faces on the ice, some were noticeably missing.
On Saturday, Habs defenceman and veteran Karl Alzner opted out of returning to play.
The team also announced that forward Max Domi will take another seven to 10 days to decide if he’ll join the team for the remainder of the season.
Domi, who has Type 1 diabetes, is considered high-risk for the virus.
Those announcements come on the heels of a report from Arpon Basu of The Athletic that says at least three Canadiens players have tested positive for COVID-19.
In an email, the Habs said as per NHL protocol, they cannot comment on active or possible cases.
On Monday, players say the team has reassured them that strict protocols are in place to protect their health, but that each individual player must help prevent outbreaks.
“It’s a little bit of a sacrifice, but it’s a sacrifice for everybody,” said Canadiens captain Shea Weber. “Guys have families, guys have health conditions — you gotta look after one another, cause if you’re not, it’s just selfish.”
Though many aspects of the remainder of the NHL season seem unfamiliar, Weber is trying to keep some playoff tradition alive by growing a beard.
“It started as a quarantine beard and then it just — quarantine went for a long time — then it turned into a play-in series beard, I guess — hopefully, a playoff beard,” he laughed.