According to team officials, New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo has been diagnosed with the H1N1 flu.
The 21-year-old Okposo did not travel accompany the team on its flight on Tuesday afternoon to Washington, where they face the Capitals on Wednesday. The team did not release any further details on Okposo's illness or a timetable for his recovery.
Okposo will likely miss at least the first three games this week on a road trip that also takes them to Carolina on Friday, Florida on Saturday and Boston on Monday. In 17 games this season the 6-0, 200-pound right wing has three goals and seven assists for ten points. He is also widely considered a solid candidate for a spot on the United States Olympic team.
The Islanders also announced that captain Doug Weight has an upper-body injury that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks. The 39-year-old Weight missed action two weeks ago with the swine flu.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-11-2009 @ 12:33AM
Mike Zachaczewski said...
Hockey players travel all the time and are exposed to hundreds of people on a daily basis during the regular season. The NHL should make H1N1 vaccinations mandatory.
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11-11-2009 @ 9:53AM
TheMetalChick said...
Mike Zachaczewski... do you realize how many different jobs expose you to hundreds of people on a daily basis? It is very, very common. If the NHL should make H1N1 vaccinations mandatory, then why shouldnt schoolteachers? Airport staff? Supermarket workers? Restaurant workers? People in sales? If ALL of these professions "made vaccinations mandatory" then what do you imagine that ultimately accomplish?
Sorry but the idea that healthy people who take care of their bodies for a living should get priority for flu shots just because they are in the national hockey league fails the logic test. Move over kids and grandmas, its "mandatory" for us!
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