Week 7: Planes, pains and protocol strains
Zack Greer (Photo: Twitter.com/Sealslax)
As it was last week, the National Lacrosse League’s COVID protocol list is filling up fast heading into another weekend of action.
Injuries have also stung a few sides. Some teams have thankfully been getting players out of protocol.
On Thursday evening, the San Diego Seals added six players to protocol, bringing their grand total up to eight. Those new six sidelined players include: Brodie Merrill, Chris Origlieri, Brandon Clelland, Matt Sykes, Graydon Bradley and Tyler Garrison. Casey Jackson and Frank Scigliano are still in protocol since last week. Drew Belgrave was placed on the team’s injured reserve list several days ago too.
While there is no maximum number of players that can be placed in protocol to trigger the postponement of a game, teams are asked to make every possible effort to field a roster through their player practice pool and free agent signings.
The Seals did just that, adding Matt Boissonneault, Devyn Mayea, Justin Geddie, Tyson Bomberry, Reed Rezanka and Rob Stovel on Thursday. Bomberry, who played eleven games as a rookie for the New York Riptide in 2020, is the only one of the six with any NLL experience.
Austin Staats, Tre Leclaire and Wes Berg (Photo: Twitter.com/Sealslax)
Last week, the NLL postponed a game between the Calgary Roughnecks and Rochester Knighthawks. While no players were placed in protocol due to the game not happening, it’s believed a significant number of players & coaches between the two teams, well over a dozen, had tested positive for the virus.
In addition to frantically filling up their roster heading into their Week 7 game, the Seals flew players from San Diego to Saskatoon via a private plane, likely to avoid any additional positive pops at the airport. The team tweeted, “If we have to go to Sask, might as well go in style.”
The Seals have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the last number of weeks, currently sitting tied for first in the West at 3-1.
Also this week, the Toronto Rock’s roster has been roughed up by protocol placements and injuries too.
Although the team got both Tom Schreiber (protocol and then hold out due to personal reasons) and Dan Dawson (protocol) back, the Rock confirmed that Reid Reinholdt suffered a lower-body injury in their game last weekend in Buffalo, and Brandon Slade suffered a lower-body injured during the team’s practice earlier this week. The Rock announcement added, “Presently, there is no timetable in place for either player’s return, but it’s not expected that Slade or Reinholdt will be out long term.”
Two days later the Rock moved rookie Justin Scott and practice roster player Jordan McKenna to COVID protocol.
The Rock host the Halifax Thunderbirds this Saturday, a game that will not have any fans present due to provincial pandemic-related restrictions. The Thunderbirds, who have not played in over a month now due to various byes, breaks and postponements, have yet to place a player in protocol. The team did tease the return of Cody Jamieson, who missed the club’s first two games with what was described as “a little tweak”. A team update indicated, “All signs point to team captain, Cody Jamieson, making is season debut, though, he will be a game-time decision.”
While more will almost surely be added throughout Friday & Saturday, as of 2:30pm ET today, there are 27 players in protocol. Meanwhile, 14 players have been released from protocol this week, 21 since the start of the season.
Click here for a complete list of NLL players presently in protocol. The link will be updated regularly as the league & teams confirm roster moves.