*Photo from Yard Barker*
UPDATE: Armia has been cleared by the NHL and will join the team in Tampa Bay
A day before puck drop on game one of the Stanley cup finals, the Montreal Canadiens got some tough news. Winger Joel Armia has entered the NHL's Covid-19 protocol and will not travel with the Canadiens to Tampa Bay, according to Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and Arpon Basu of The Athletic.
Armia not traveling to Tampa Bay with the Canadiens means he will miss the first two games at the very least, with his status for the rest of the series unclear. Whether or not Armia actually tested positive for Covid-19 will determine how long he stays in the Covid-19 protocols and how long he has to be away from the team for.
Montreal defensemen Ben Chiarot said of losing Armia that "It's not ideal. It's something we've kind of been dealing with all year, with guys going out to the COVID protocol. Army's obviously an important player for us. It's just another piece of adversity we'll have to deal with."
With Armia out, Jake Evans slotted in to his spot in the lineup at Montreal's practice Sunday morning, playing left wing on the 4th line alongside center Eric Staal and right wing Corey Perry. Other than that change, Montreal's line rushes remain unchanged, and figure to be the same for game one against the Lightning.
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