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Weight returns after bout of swine flu

Originally published: October 28, 2009 8:36 PM
Updated: October 28, 2009 8:53 PM
By KATIE STRANG  caitlin.strang@newsday.com

Photo credit: Getty Images | Doug Weight of the New York Islanders skates in a preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers. (Sept. 16, 2009)

Islanders captain Doug Weight was back in the lineup last night against the Rangers after missing three games with the swine flu.

Weight, who received confirmation he had the H1N1 virus Tuesday, is not considered contagious.

"Certainly it's serious, but it's a flu bug," Weight said before the game. "You just have to stay on top of it and make sure to prevent giving it to other people."

Suspecting that he might have swine flu, Weight isolated himself from his family and teammates.

"I'm at the age where it is generally not considered dangerous, but initially, my concern was for my children, my wife and my teammates," he said. "I handled it by getting out of everyone's hair. I was secluded and wanted to be sure it wouldn't be linked to the whole team being affected."

Weight said he was a bit of an atypical case. Though he was bothered by head and sinus problems, he had no fever. He was bedridden for about three days but never believed he was in serious danger.

"I didn't feel like I was on my deathbed," Weight said.

Weight joined Washington's Quintin Laing, Edmonton's Ladislav Smid and Colorado's Peter Budaj as NHL players diagnosed with the potentially lethal virus in the past week.

Noncontagious for four days, Weight was cleared to play last night and relieved to get back into a game.

"The blood is off my hands," Weight joked. "Now I'm just excited to get back on the ice."