Defenceman Zdeno Chara 7th Islanders player in COVID-19 protocol
Teammate Brock Nelson sidelined up to 4 weeks with lower-body injury
New York Islanders defenceman Zdeno Chara entered the NHL's COVID-19 protocol on Tuesday.
Chara became the seventh player on the team to do so, joining captain Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Kieffer Bellows and Ross Johnston along with defencemen Adam Pelech and Andy Greene.
The Islanders also announced forward Brock Nelson will be sidelined two to four weeks with a lower-body injury. He sustained the injury in the first period of Sunday's 3-0 loss to the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello addressed Chara's situation prior to Tuesday's practice.
"We'll continue to do what we have control of," Lamoriello said. "You can't deal with things that are out of your hands. Certainly, these are difficult times, but we will stay focused on the players we have, what our abilities are to replace players if necessary and just stay as positive as we possibly can.
"I don't think there's any way you could approach this or handle this any differently."
2011 Stanley Cup champ
Chara, 44, has two assists in 15 games this season, his 24th in the NHL.
A six-time NHL all-star, Chara won the 2008-09 Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman and the 2011 Stanley Cup during his 14-year run as a captain of the Boston Bruins from 2006-20.
Chara has 207 goals, 668 points and 2,027 penalty minutes in 1,623 NHL regular-season games with the Islanders (1997-2001, 2021-present), Ottawa Senators (2001-06), Bruins and Washington Capitals (2020-21).
Nelson, 30, tops the Islanders with nine goals and 11 points this season.
He has 177 goals and 339 points in 619 regular season contests since the Islanders drafted him 30th overall in 2010.
