Rangers' Patrik Nemeth didn't miss anything during stint in COVID-19 protocol

Patrik Nemeth was able to joke about the timing of his bout with COVID-19 after his first practice back with the Rangers on Monday.

The 6-3, 228-pound defenseman, who was placed into COVID protocol Dec. 18, ended up spending his required days on the list without missing a game thanks to two postponements and the NHL’s extended Christmas Break.

"We didn't even play a game, so, that was good timing,’’ he said. "I didn't miss anything.’’

Nemeth was asked, playfully, if he got COVID-19 when he did deliberately, for that reason.

"Exactly, yes,’’ he said. "I walked up to strangers and said, ‘Breathe on me.’’’

Kidding aside, the timing of Nemeth’s absence worked out for the Rangers, too.

Their Dec. 22 game against the Montreal Canadiens, which was to have been their last before the break, got postponed when the NHL halted all games involving Canadian teams playing south of the border. Then, their Dec. 27 game against the Detroit Red Wings, which was supposed to be their first after the break, was postponed because the league pushed back its restart by a day in order to make sure every player got tested and the league could to see where each team stood as far as their ability to field competitive teams.

As it turned out, Nemeth exited COVID protocol the same day defenseman Jarred Tinordi went into it, and one day after defenseman Ryan Lindgren went into it. Getting Nemeth back when they did meant the Rangers would have six healthy defensemen available for Wednesday night’s game in Sunrise, Fla., against the Panthers.

Nemeth, who has played every game this season (30 games, no goals, two assists, 12 penalty minutes and an average time on ice of 17:06) said his bout with COVID-19 was relatively mild, not any worse than the cold he had a few weeks earlier.

But he wasn’t allowed to do much while he was in protocol, he said.

"You basically stay at home and… the days when you feel pretty good, you try to get a small workout in,’’ he said. "As we got closer to the [end of] the 10 days, you start training a bit more and see where you’re at, basically.’’

He did get to skate at the Rangers’ practice rink a couple times, but he had to do so by himself, which he said was not much fun.

Nemeth echoed what teammate Ryan Strome had said on Sunday, that it is his belief that players who don’t exhibit symptoms should not be tested for COVID-19. The current NHL protocol calls for every player to be tested every day, symptoms or no.

"Everyone [except for Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi] has gotten their shots,’’ Nemeth said. "I think if guys don’t have symptoms, we should be able to play… I don’t think we should put much emphasis on testing guys that don’t have much symptoms.’’

Notes & quotes: Forward Kevin Rooney was added to the COVID-19 protocol list, joining Lindgren, Tinordi and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev… The Rangers announced they have called up six players from AHL Hartford and assigned them to their taxi squad: Forwards Morgan Barron, Jonny Brodzinski and Tim Gettinger; defensemen Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson, and goaltender Adam Huska.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.