Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche off-day notebook: No more locker-room access because of coronavirus
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Well, this tweet from Elliotte Friedman just came down:
Starting today, @NHL will close dressing rooms to media, on recommendation of Centers for Disease Control (@CDCgov) in effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. NBA, MLB + MLS are expected to follow. Media availabilities will be conducted in formal press conference area.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 7, 2020
What are my thoughts on this, as a media member? Hey, whatever the disease specialists think, I guess. I mean, hockey teams and reporters travel all the time. We’re probably in a subgroup of people who are higher risk of getting an infectious disease like the coronavirus. I’m not aware of anyone in the NHL having it yet – nor of any reporter having it yet – but better to be preventative I guess.
Where tomorrow’s Avs game is – San Jose, in Santa Clara County – is where a larger number of cases than most areas have been found. A top health official in Santa Clara County wanted the Sharks-Wild game to be canceled the other night, but the Sharks went on with the game anyway.
It would not shock me if we don’t have a game tomorrow between the Avs and Sharks. Stay tuned. If so, obviously I’ll have come out here for nothing. Them’s the breaks.
About the Avs: they won’t practice today. The top injured guys are still skating back home. None of them, however, will join the Avs for either game left on this trip, which started out with that dismal 6-3 loss last night in Vancouver.
The injuries started to catch up with him for one night, at least. The defense and goaltending and, well, pretty much everything, wasn’t good last night.
Too bad, too, because a win would have put the Avs in first place in the Western Conference, as St. Louis lost to New Jersey.
This coronavirus may play havoc with the schedule from here on out, and you wonder what will happen with the playoffs if this thing really spreads.
Interesting times we’re living in…
Avalanche Free Agency: Ryan Graves
Book Excerpt: How Harrison Ford helped save the Avs
Avalanche Free Agency: Andre Burakovsky
Avalanche Mailbag: Is Matt Murray the best option in goal?
Nathan MacKinnon thoughts on winning the Lady Byng, maybe the Hart
Dater column: Who stays and who goes from Avs free agent list?
Avalanche Free Agency Watch: Tyson Jost
Agent: Good news on Conor Timmins
Elliotte Friedman: Avs will look for goalie, make play for Taylor Hall
It is a good precaution. Worst case, all sporting events and others cancel until the C Virus is contained. I think it is just about to blow up.
Hate to tell you this, HockeyHead…that coronavirus ain’t gonna be contained. We’re all gonna get this virus at some point.
and when 98% of us survive it, it will be over with.
AD – what do the players typically do on the road when they get a day off from the rink? What is Dater doing on his day off? Enjoy!
Most teams don’t have a full day off anymore in other cities, but if they do: they’ll maybe see a movie and/or go to dinners in groups
Looking at the positives–it might be good to cancel or reschedule a game while we heal.
AD they forgot to mention this has nothing to do with the virus…
they were just getting tired of seeing you :p…. lol kidding of course, hopefully this passes