Chara held out of practice amidst COVID-19 concerns

This just in, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara has been held out of his team’s practice today for precautionary reasons. While the Bruins haven’t officially deemed Chara “unfit to play” the reason he’s not allowed to participate is reportedly because the team has not yet received his COVID-19 test results from yesterday.

Check it out:

From the Bruins, on Chara:  

“The team did not receive Zdeno’s test results from yesterday and as such are keeping him out at direction of medical advisors until they receive the result.”

Bruins announce they’re keeping captain Zdeno Chara out of practice today because they haven’t received his COVID-19 test results from yesterday.

It sounds like the Bruins are simply taking an overabundance of caution in this case and that’s absolutely the right strategy to take. In fact, one would hope that ALL NHL teams follow the Bruins’ lead in cases like this. Chances are that Chara is absolutely fine, but this is the correct way to handle a situation like this, especially with everything with seen in Major League Baseball this past weekend. 

Frankly, the ONLY way the NHL will be able to conduct the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs including exhibition and "play in" rounds is if they adopt policies like this. You test negative today then you're allowed on the ice. You test positive then obviously you can't play. Inconclusive or unavailable test results? Sorry, you can't play. Them's the rules, buddy.

If indeed Chara is forced to sit out or quarantine then the Bruins will lose yet another big part of their core. Sniper David Pastrnak, of course, is already living in quarantine after him and teammate Odrej Kase (also in quarantine) came into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 cases while socializing in Boston prior to the opening of Bruins' training camp when the NHL transitioned into Phase 3 of their Return to Play format. Pastrnak is expected to be ready to re-join the team once the playoffs begin in earned for the Bruins next month. It's expected that Chara will re-join his team once his negative test is confirmed, but in the meantime... sit tight, Bruins fans.