News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The mumps have spread from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild. Mike Russo of the StarTribune reports that Zach Parise and Jason Pominville are out with the infectious disease. Players weren’t the only victim, however. Wild assistant coach Scott Stevens is also out with the mumps. TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted that the NHL sent memos to all teams and medical directors last Friday outlining how to handle any outbreaks.
- The New Jersey Devils announced that they’ve signed prospect Kevin Rooney to a one-year, two-way NHL contract. Rooney was previously on an AHL contract with the Albany Devils this season after graduating from Providence College. So far he has 10G and 7A in 57 games. Signing Rooney to an NHL contract allows the Devils to call him up between now and the end of the season, implying that the Devils may need bodies after selling at the NHL trade deadline.
- The need for bodies in New Jersey may have intensified after Jacob Josefson suffered an upper body injury tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. The Devils announced that he is questionable to return. The 25 year-old center has 1G and 7A in 34 games this season. Josefson is in the final year of a $1.1MM a year contract—he’ll become an RFA at season’s end.
Aren’t American born players vaccinated against mumps? If so, then how did Parise get the disease?
Yeah, that’s what has me a bit puzzled. Everyone gets the mumps vaccine. Or, should I say, unless their yuppie parents buy into garbage internet pseudoscience, everyone gets the mumps vaccine.
It’s less than 80 percent effective and wears off after time.
Parise and Pominville got the shot after the last outbreak in 2014.