CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Ross Johnston is preparing for a return to the NHL after a three-month layoff caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic.
The league and players’ association announced recently that formal training camps will be Friday, July 10, provided all the necessary medical and safety conditions are met.
“I’ll probably go down a week or two before and kind of get used to what the new normal is for our routine down there,” Johnston said.
The 26-year-old Suffolk native was in his second full-time season with the New York Islanders when the coronavirus halted play.
The Islanders were in Calgary at the time. They flew back to New York, and Johnston waited a week before heading north, arriving back on P.E.I. before the Confederation Bridge was closed. He did his 14 days of self-isolation and has helped out on the family farm and with his own house that is being built.
He has tried to stay in shape the best he can by doing a boxing workout consisting of cardio, skipping and pad work.
“It’s certainly not the traditional workout from what I’m used to, (but) the cardio has been great,” he said.
Johnston has been skating this month with other pros, including Vancouver Canucks’ forward Zack MacEwen, Colorado Avalanche defenceman Ryan Graves and Josh Currie, a forward in the Edmonton Oilers’ farm system.
“I think the best thing to do is just get on (the ice) and kind of go through your basics,” Johnston said, noting they have been working on things like edge work and puck handling with Brad MacKenzie.
Summerside’s Noah Dobson, a rookie with the Islanders, remained in New York during the pandemic. He is staying with Dennis Seidenberg and his family this season, and it has provided him with a good workout partner during the pandemic. Seidenberg, a German defenceman who won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011, works in player development with the Islanders.
The downtime has also given Dobson his first real stretch to rest after back-to-back junior seasons that culminated with Memorial Cup victories.
“It’s kind of been one positive thing from the break,” said the 20-year-old defenceman, who had a goal and six assists in 34 games this season. “I’ve been able to work out really hard and add some muscle and strength, kind of use the time I have now that I kind of missed out on having the last two years playing into June. …
“I feel probably (in) the best shape and strength-wise I’ve felt all my life, so that’s been a positive, and hopefully that will help me once we get back to playing.”
Johnston, who had three goals, an assist and 78 penalty minutes in 32 games this season, said he is looking forward to returning to play with a chance to compete for a spot in the post-season dance.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “When we’re healthy, and we have the depth we do, I think we feel pretty confident that we can beat anyone.”
The Islanders will play the Florida Panthers in a best-of-five play-in series. When games will begin has not been determined.
Johnston and his peers are also wondering what the games will look like as players jump back into playoff games after a long layoff.
“I’d like to give you an answer that I know, but to be honest I don’t know how it’s going to go,” he said.
“I think we’ll be able to shake the rust off. Now, will the first game be as pretty as Game 82 (of a normal season)? Probably not, but we’re going to have to make it work.”
