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Montreal Canadiens Josh Brook, Xavier Ouellet, and Brett Kulak Deemed “Unable to Practice”

Who’s not practicing with the Canadiens as they begin training camp?

by
Old Prof
July 14, 2020

As training camps have started, a number of NHL players have been deemed as “unfit to play.” As the NHL league rules mandate, the teams are not allowed to divulge the reason why players are unable to skate as training camp opened. But, we can guess.

The Canadiens are scheduled to play in a best-of-five series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 1, in the hub city of Toronto. The Canadiens training camp started on Monday at the Bell Sports Complex.

Three Canadiens Reported Positive for COVID-19, Then False Positives?

Just as the training camp began, three Canadiens players were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report from The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. However, on Monday, there was a chance to that report that re-reported that two of the three positive tests were, in fact, “false positives.” (from “Multiple Montreal Canadiens players test positive for COVID-19, Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 13/07/20)

I’m not sure what the NHL expected; however, there have been a number of positive tests in the light of the 24 NHL teams that have begun training camp so they could prepare for the return-to-play tournament scheduled to begin August 1 in both of the hub cities – Toronto and Edmonton.

Karl Alzner Not Playing, Max Domi Still Waiting to See

Although not related to illness or injury, the Canadiens reported over the weekend that defenceman Karl Alzner had opted out of the postseason tournament. Alzner had been in the minors most of the season and would not have had much of a chance to play anyway. As a result, his choice is not much of a surprise.

In addition to Alzner, Max Domi – who has Type 1 diabetes – has noted he’ll wait another week before making a decision about his return. Knowing him a bit, there’s a better than average chance he will decide to play. However, I’m hoping he chooses not to. Should he become infected with the COVID-19 virus, from what we know about how the virus impacts those with diabetes, there’s a chance he’d be in deep trouble health-wise.

Three Canadiens Players Reported “Unable to Practice”

The three players who were deemed as “unable to practice” were Josh Brook, Xavier Ouellet, and Brett Kulak.

#Habs official word on the status of Kulak, Ouellet and Brook is “unable to practice”, as per league guidelines.
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 13, 2020

Josh Brook: Right-Shot Defenseman

Brook was in his first full season in professional hockey and played 60 games with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. He still needs more time developing his game in the minors and would probably not have played during the postseason. His absence shouldn’t affect the team.

The 21-year-old defenseman notched 13 points in 60 games with AHL Laval this year. However, during five seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors, he grew into an offensive player. During the 2018-19 season, he played 59 games, scoring 16 goals and 59 assists for 75 points.

Xavier Ouellet: Left-Shot Defenseman

The 26-year-old Ouellet has NHL experience; however, he only played in 12 games for the Canadiens during the 2019-20 season. During those games, he had two assists. Even if healthy, it would have been likely that Ouellet would have spent the postseason in the press box.

Brett Kulak: Left-Shot Defenseman

Kulak played a full season with the Canadiens; and, although he’s not much of an offensive force, he is an experienced defenseman. If he’s deemed ready to play, there’s likely a place for him in the lineup. He averaged over 17 minutes of ice time per game.

What’s Next for the Canadiens?

Given the confusion over the false positive tests, we’ll have to wait to see what the lineup looks like for the Canadiens. We simply cannot be certain now.