Lee: 'We're all in it Together'

As a captain, Anders Lee is used to speaking on behalf of the New York Islanders.
On Thursday, he may as well have been speaking for all of Long Island when he expressed his support for the doctors, nurses and volunteers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I've been extremely impressed with all of the people, the nurses, the doctors, the volunteers in the communities, everyone coming together," Lee said via an NHL conference call. "Here in New York we are all buying in, taking this extremely seriously and doing whatever they can… It's extremely prevalent around here. We are giving as much support as we can to everyone. With this quarantine, we're all in it together."
Lee spoke to the media via a video conference on Thursday, along with Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno.

Like everyone else, the NHLers are staying inside and adjusting to these extraordinary times. For Lee, that's passing the time on Long Island with his wife Grace, newborn daughter Ruby and his two Aussie Shepherds, binging TV shows and checking in with friends and family on video chats. That's the relatively straightforward part, but the more complicated aspect for a pro hockey player is staying in shape, especially with team facilities closed.
"I ordered a Peloton," Lee said, noting the gym in his apartment was closed in the quarantine. "Just trying to figure it out, do the little things we can. Our team gave us some stuff that we could do, bodyweight [exercises] and stuff in your apartment, or confined space, but it's a lot different."
Lee recalled getting the news about the NHL pause while the team was on the road in Calgary. He said once the NBA took measures to suspend their season, he figured the NHL wasn't far behind, which he said was the correct thing to do, given how fast the coronavirus has spread. The team cut their road trip short, and flew home to Long Island that night.
"A little bit of limbo for half a day there, but it was obviously the right decision to do for the health and safety of everyone involved," Lee said. "Not just us players, but everyone working at the rinks and all the fans and how serious the situation really is."

Lee said it's too tough to project any timeline or scheduling format for the NHL's return. The Islanders (80 points) are one point back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card, but have two games in hand. Questions remain as to whether the league would opt to play regular season games or not, or how they would determine the playoff cutoff.
The league announced a postponement
of the Scouting Combine, NHL Awards and NHL Draft on Wednesday.
Lee said that when the Islanders do return, the team will be revved up and ready to go.
According to Lou Lamoriello's Q&A session
over the weekend, they can expect to be healthier too, as Casey Cizikas and Johnny Boychuk would likely return to action.
"When we do come back we're all just geared up, ready to go and ready to figure this out," Lee said. "The format will be what it is, whatever is best for the league and for the players and the fans."
The Islanders captain reiterated his support for the community as the call concluded, adding that his heart goes out to all who have been affected. His advice, take care of each other during these trying times.
"Stay healthy and do what you can in your own neighborhood for the people around you and your family," Lee added. "We'll all stick together and come out of it."