Joel Armia has been cleared from NHL COVID-19 protocol and is a game-time decision for the Montreal Canadiens when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
The forward did not practice Sunday after being placed in protocol.
"Joel is on his way down here right now on a private jet," Canadiens assistant Luke Richardson said after the morning skate Monday. "He got clearance so excited to have him join us, but we'll have to make all those decisions on game-time because we don't know when he's getting here."
It's the second time this season Armia was in COVID-19 protocol. He and teammate Jesperi Kotkaniemi were placed on the NHL COVID-19 protocol list March 22, and the Canadiens had four games postponed.
Armia missed eight games in protocol, returned April 14 against the Calgary Flames, and finished the regular season with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 41 games. He has scored eight points (five goals, three assists) in 17 postseason games for Montreal, which defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the Stanley Cup First Round, swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second round and defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the semifinals.
Armia leads the playoffs with two shorthanded goals, helping Montreal to the best penalty kill in the postseason (93.5 percent). The Canadiens have not allowed a power-play goal in 13 games since Game 4 of the first round, successfully killing each of their opponents' past 30 opportunities.
"He's been great, as all of our forwards have been in our penalty kill, getting up-ice pressure and disrupting the breakouts," Montreal captain Shea Weber said at Stanley Cup Final media day Sunday. "And 'Armie' is obviously a big body with a long reach, and he's able to kill time off the clock as well when he holds on to possession of the puck and makes the other team get it off him. So we'll see what's going on moving forward, but he's definitely a big part of our PK."
The Canadiens are without coach Dominique Ducharme, who is required to quarantine for 14 days after testing positive for COVID-19 on June 18. Ducharme said Saturday he expects to return for Game 3 of the Cup Final on July 2 in Montreal. Richardson has filled in for Ducharme, and the Canadiens have gone 3-1 in those games.
Forward Jake Evans skated in Armia's spot on a line with Eric Staal and Corey Perry at the morning skate Monday and practice Sunday. Evans has not played since June 2, when he sustained a concussion on a hit by Jets center Mark Scheifele just as he scored into an empty net for his first point in four playoff games in Game 1 of the second round. Richardson said Evans is also a game-time decision.
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