Golden Knights settle into virus hot spot on first pandemic road trip

By Justin Emerson

Friday, Jan. 22, 2021 | 2 a.m.

The Golden Knights arrived in Arizona Thursday night for two games against the Coyotes — at 6 p.m. today and 1 p.m. Sunday.

In normal circumstances, a hockey team arriving for a road game is hardly news. But traveling during a pandemic presents its own difficulties, and after four home games to start the season it’s the first time the Golden Knights will play away from Las Vegas since the postseason bubble last summer.

It’s going to be different, with strict rules in place about what players can and cannot do. That’s true for any road trip this year, but in Arizona, one of three venues hosting fans for games and also a location where new COVID-19 cases continue to spike, the Golden Knights know they need to be on guard.

“It’s very different times and very trying times, but it’s a little bit of sacrifice for hockey honestly, and I know everyone in this locker room is giving up a little bit of freedom,” Vegas forward Alex Tuch said. “It’s a little stricter than obviously we’re used to. We’re going to be locked down pretty tight.”

Tuch and others credited the team, and specifically head athletic trainer Jay Mellette, with making sure everyone knows the situation. The team likened it to the bubble, where players were allowed at the hotel, the rink and almost nowhere else. They’re planning on bringing books, iPads, video games — all the things they’ll need to be shut in for a few days.

Players are basically not allowed outside the hotel unless they are at the rink. They cannot see the general public, they must stay in their single-occupied guest room, they don’t get housekeeping if there fewer than three days and players are encouraged (but not required) to take the stairs instead of elevators to reduce close contact with others.

“The team’s done a good job of explaining to us the protocols and measures that keep us safe and keep everyone in the organization safe,” defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. “We’re excited to go on the road and play in someone else’s building and go to Arizona and get the job done.”

The NHL showed this week it does not plan to be lenient with visiting teams. The Washington Capitals were fined $100,000 for violating protocols, which the Washington Post reported involved four players, including star Alex Ovechkin and goalie Ilya Samsonov, spending time in each other’s hotel rooms on a road trip in Pittsburgh.

Those players were placed on the “COVID Protocol Related Absences” list after the Capitals became aware of a positive test from Samsonov.

The Golden Knights say they are aware of the league’s stance and had a meeting Thursday morning to go over the rules. Vegas coach Pete DeBoer joked that the protocols meeting was longer than any other during training camp, stressing the importance of following the guidelines.

“The fact that we’re going to a hot spot in Phoenix, it’s not going to be a typical road trip,” DeBoer said. “I think our group’s got to be diligent, but hope that we can get lucky and avoid this.”

While few areas have the pandemic under control, Arizona is especially bad, being called the “hot spot of the world” just two weeks ago.

So while it may seem odd that the Coyotes are allowing fans into games, they are making the most of their state guidelines: permitting them to have up to 3,500 fans at Gila River Arena. DeBoer said that while he agrees with Nevada’s stance on not allowing fans, it will be nice to have a “sense of normalcy” playing in front of a crowd for the first time since last March.

That crowd will be interesting to watch. In non-pandemic times, the relatively quick drive and comparatively inexpensive tickets make it a popular choice for Vegas fans wanting to catch a road game.

We’ll see tonight whether that remains the case. Considering T-Mobile Arena is closed, it might be the only chance Vegas fans get to see their team in person for quite some time.

“I think it will be a lot of fun. It’s been a while,” Tuch said. “Even though we’ll be on the road, I’ve heard that there’s going to be a good amount of Vegas Golden Knights fans, so we’re excited to see them. Hopefully a lot are rocking maybe the (Reverse) Retro or the gold jersey and I think it will be a lot fun for them to be able to come watch a game.”