It seems like Christmas, the holiday of sharing your affection with loved ones and giving to those in need, has taken on a whole new meaning for the NHL.
The league's mumps virus outbreak continues to spread throughout the NHL land thanks to the unintentional sharing and/or giving of a number of players, perhaps a little too invested (infected) in/with the holiday spirit.
The latest victims of the outbreak are New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Steve Downie and goaltender Thomas Greiss.
Elias' diagnosis will sting a little worse for Devils fans still reeling from the news announced early Friday by the team that head coach Peter DeBoer had been relieved of his duties.
Elias, the longtime Devil and fan favorite, will miss an undisclosed amount of time, but won't be available for Saturday's game against the New York Rangers, per Tom Gulitti of The Record.
Right wing Martin Havlat will not be available either, though he does not have the mumps, simply a "virus" of some kind.
Elias is not the first Devils player to have contracted the mumps.
According to the Devils website, center Travis Zajac and defenseman Adam Larsson were each diagnosed with the mumps earlier this month. Zajac missed eight games with the mumps and a lower-body injury. Larsson missed 10 games.
As for the pair of Penguins players infected with the mumps, Downie and Greiss tested positive, while Brandon Sutter tested negative, according to Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford.
The two infected players are, and will remain, in isolation, while Sutter has been cleared to return to the ice.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was diagnosed with the mumps a little less than two weeks ago, but has since returned to action.
The Penguins will have a game-day skate at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday ahead of their game that night against the Washington Capitals.
