Trying not to let more bad news take the polish off of Saturday’s long-awaited and franchise-altering arena opening.
But on the ice, things are getting more difficult. On the day of formal ribbon-cutting ceremonies at UBS Arena, the New York Islanders announced captain Anders Lee and Ross Johnston are in COVID-19 protocol.
We don’t yet know if this will be short-term, like a positive test with no symptoms followed by negative tests (unlikely, but possible), or long-term like Josh Bailey’s situation, where the longtime Islander is stuck quarantined in Florida while the Islanders open their new home.