Neely wishes Kase, Pastrnak had made different decisions

With teams set to leave their practice facilities and arrive in Toronto and Edmonton at the end of this week, Boston Bruins President Cam Neely has offered a bit of an update on the status of David Pastrnak and Ondrej Kase. Pastrnak had been placed back in quarantine after one practice with the Bruins after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Kase's absence remains a mystery. Neely told NBC Sports it's doubtful either will hit the ice again before the team head to Toronto.

“It's hard to say right now,” said Neely. “My best guess would be [they will practice] in Toronto. There are hopes that it will be before we leave [Boston], but my best guess is Toronto.”

There was some controversy surrounding the absence of both forwards as they had been spotted skating together at a local facility in Boston just prior to the opening of training camps. Asked if the team was disappointed with that decision, Neely was quick to answer.

"Of course. When we had the day that camp was starting and we knew that some players were going to have to quarantine when they got here, you'd kind of hoped they would have gotten here [to Boston] a little earlier. But we really didn't have any say in that. That was really left up to the players,” said Neely. “Obviously with what has played out and transpired, you would have hoped that some different decisions were made. But in the long run, I don't know if it's going to affect us once we get into Toronto. I think we'll be fine."

Kase and Pastrnak were the only two Bruins players held up from practicing while serving out their mandatory quarantine period after travelling internationally to Boston. Everyone else was in Boston early enough to meet their quarantine protocols in time for the opening if camp.

The Bruins have been dealing with several "unfit to participate" players since the opening of camp, with at least nine regulars missing on one day. Neely said the team is doing everything it can to follow the proper guidelines.

"Some other teams are dealing with this obviously, but the state regulations [in Massachusetts] are a little different than they are in other places across the country,” said Neely. “We're following all of the state guidelines and the expectations of the city. We're doing everything we should be doing and following all the protocols, not just league-wide but also state protocols.

"Everybody needs to adjust, as we know. I don't want to say it's the new normal. I hope it's not the new normal and we can get out of it at some point. But right now, it's just the way we have to live and it's frustrating for everybody. But this is what we're in.”

Source: NBC Sports

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