Caps' Eller will leave bubble for birth of child

Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller says he will leave the Toronto bubble after the season restarts to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

Eller's wife, Julie, is due Aug. 8, the date of the Capitals' third round-robin game against the Boston Bruins at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Eller plans to travel with his team to the hub on July 26 to begin prep for their first game, Aug. 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then he'll travel back to Washington, D.C. for the birth of his son.

"We're going to have a new addition to our family here in a couple weeks," Eller said. "I don't know when it's going to happen, but it's going to happen. But at the same time, I want to be with my team and also committed to that and want to win another Cup. We're working on making the necessary arrangements so I can be there for the birth and come back to (Toronto) after that."

Players are allowed to leave the bubble under Phase 4 protocols in the NHL Return Play Plan for extenuating circumstances, like the birth of a child. Re-entering the bubble is also covered in the protocol, which calls for quarantining for a four-day period in a player's hotel room and getting four consecutive negative tests for COVID-19.

Exposure to someone with COVID-19 while outside the bubble requires a quarantine period of up to 14 days.

"You're going to have to take a lot of precautions for when you leave," Eller said.

Eller had 16 goals and 23 assists (39 points) in 69 games before the NHL paused the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

--Field Level Media