Joel Armia is in NHL COVID-19 protocol and the Montreal Canadiens forward will not travel with the team Sunday to Tampa for the start of the Stanley Cup Final against the Lightning. Game 1 is Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said he will provide more details Monday.
"Yeah, it's not ideal," defenseman Ben Chiarot said during Stanley Cup Final media day Sunday. "It's something we've kind of been dealing with all year is guys going out through the COVID protocol. 'Armie's' obviously an important player for us. It's just another little piece of adversity we'll have to deal with."
It is the second time this season Armia is 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 while 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.
"Yeah, he's been great, as all of our forwards have been in our penalty kill, getting up-ice pressure and disrupting the breakouts." Canadiens captain Shea Weber said. "And Armie's obviously a big body with a long reach, and he's able to kill time off the clock as well when he holds onto 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."
Montreal is also 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 Final on July 2 in Montreal. Assistant Luke Richardson has filled in for Ducharme and has a 3-1 record.
Forward Jake Evans skated in Armia's spot on a line with Eric Staal and Corey Perry at practice Sunday. Evans has not played since June 2, when he sustained a concussion on a hit by Jets forward 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.
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