Sharks prank player who tested positive for COVID-19 first

The San Jose Sharks have been barraged by COVID-19 over the past two weeks as many key players have missed multiple games for the team. Four of the team's top-six defensemen were stuck in COVID-19 protocol including Erik Karlsson and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic. Also, top forwards Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc were placed in the protocol causing a plethora of lineup changes.

According to Kevin Kurz, the team did have some fun with the player who tested positive for the virus first. Defenseman Jacob Middleton was apparently the first player to test positive for the virus, so the team decided to prank him at practice on Friday.

The team placed a «0» on his back made out of hockey tape, and the 25-year-old completed the entire practice unaware of the number on his back.

«Putting two and two togetherI think I was the first one to test positive, so there's a 'Patient Zero' joke going around right now,» Middleton said.

It seems that the team's culture has changed mightily from last year to this year, which seems to be a major factor in San Jose's success thus far. The Sharks are back in action on Saturday night versus the Colorado Avalanche.

Jacob Middleton had no idea that there was a «0» fashioned out of hockey tape on his back throughout practice today.

«Putting two and two togetherI think I was the first one to test positive, so there's a 'Patient Zero' joke going around right now,» he said.— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) November 12, 2021

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