On his way to Verizon Center on Tuesday night, defenseman Taylor Chorney called the Washington Capitals and warned them he was feeling ill. With Brooks Orpik on long-term injured reserve, the Capitals don’t have an extra defenseman, so Chorney had to do his best to play.
“We didn’t have any choice; he had to go in,” Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said. “We don’t have any extra players right now, so I give him a lot of credit for trying to step in there and do it.”
He ultimately couldn’t finish the game against the Panthers, taking his last shift about 34 minutes into it and then being ruled out with flu symptoms.