Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Taylor Hall got on the ice by himself on Friday, confirming that he was ready to come off the NHL's COVID-19 Protocols list and practice with the team on Saturday.
Hall confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19, but said he was asymptomatic the whole time. He just needed to wait out the 10 days in quarantine before he could come off the list.
As this was going down, many of the players and staff were worried that they may test positive too. Hall said since he didn’t have symptoms, he wasn’t worried.
“I wasn’t too afraid. I don’t have people at risk living with me, and I wasn’t around people that are at risk during the time I was exposed," Hall said following Saturday's practice.
“There were some frustrations for sure, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to look forward and do the best we can with the situation that we were given.”
With nine players and head coach Ralph Krueger in COVID-19 protocols, they wanted to support each other.
“There were lots of guys checking in on me to see how I was doing," Hall said. "A few of us that were on the COVID list had a group chat going, just exchanging how we were feeling.”
It seems like a lot of blame for this is being placed on the National Hockey League and the New Jersey Devils. Hall doesn’t see it that way.
“This is everybody’s first time going through this, and there are going to be mistakes that are not on purpose," Hall said. "We’re all trying our best here, and I don’t think anyone deserves more blame than anyone else.”
Hall intends on being in the Sabres lineup Monday against the New York Islanders. In the NHL, when you test positive, you aren’t allowed to do any workouts, so Hall had to sit for a week. He said he still feels good about coming back.
“The first game back, you’re always going to feel a little bit rusty after time off," Hall said. "But there’s no better way to get back into it than to throw yourself in and just play.”
Hall couldn’t exercise or leave his home, so he played a lot of Xbox and watched a lot of Netflix.
Hall also thought about the team’s 10 games this season. He said for him, it’s been up and down.
“I thought my first six games were very good, but the last four not so great," Hall said. "I still believe in myself and how I can help the team, so we’re going to get it together as a team.”
Before Saturday’s practice, the Sabres added Jacob Bryson, C.J. Smith and Steven Fogarty to the taxi squad. Dustin Tokarski was sent to Rochester.
Saturday’s lines:
Forwards:
Skinner – Eichel – Olofsson
Hall – Staal - Reinhart
Smith – Eakin – Okposo
Thompson – Sheahan – Fogarty
Defense:
Davidson – Miller
Irwin – Jokiharju
Bryson – Borgen
Steve Smith, once again, ran practice on Saturday, with Don Granato observing from the stands.
