Islanders' Josh Bailey placed on NHL's COVID-19 list
Josh Bailey of the Islanders skates against the Bruins at Nassau Coliseum on Monday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Josh Bailey was on Wednesday’s NHL list of players unavailable to practice or play because of the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The right wing becomes the first Islander to show up on the league’s daily list.
Bailey was absent from the team’s practice earlier in the day at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.
The Islanders face the Devils on Thursday night at Nassau Coliseum.
Appearing on the NHL list does not necessarily mean Bailey has tested positive. But, at the least, he is being kept away from his teammates for cautionary reasons.
NHL protocols require players to undergo daily temperature checks and all team personnel are being tested daily during the first four weeks of the season.
If any NHL player tests positive this season, he must self-isolate. Asymptomatic players can leave isolation if they subsequently test negative or wait 10 days. Symptomatic players must test negative twice or have a 10-day span pass since the symptoms appeared.
Teammates considered close contacts to a player who tests positive must also quarantine.
There is currently no timetable for Bailey’s return, though coach Barry Trotz did not rule him out of Thursday’s game. Bailey has played in 156 consecutive games.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
