Lars Eller has inadvertently become an expert at killing time in hotel rooms this season. He’s been confined to one for a total of 16 days due to local quarantine requirements associated with COVID-19.
Eller was most recently holed up in a Vancouver hotel room for six solitary days after testing positive for COVID-19 on the Capitals most recent western Canada road trip. He shed some light on his most recent stint in quarantine with 106.7 the fan on Thursday morning.
”We were at the last game of the road trip. We only have to test to go back into the States, and so we test the morning of the game around lunchtime, play the game, and I got pulled aside after the game and I was told I was positive. While all the guys flew home the next morning, I had to stay over for another six days.”
Eller said he couldn’t leave the hotel at all. “British Columbia is pretty strict with their rules.”
Luckily for Eller, he found ways to pass the time. He even received a little assistance from the Vancouver Canucks.
“I had to really spend all the time in my room. I got some workout gear in there, the Canucks trainer was nice enough to come drop off some workout stuff.”
As for meals, Eller said he ate well, but to little surprise, there wasn’t much in the way of variation.
“Room service three times a day…It’s a nice prison cell with really good food, that’s what it is.”
Eller said his days were long, but the key was getting into a productive routine. Something he learned during his first quarantine stint in California earlier this season.
“They were long. This was the second time. I did 10 days in Anaheim earlier in November. ..It’s brutal. So I knew right away, I tried to get into a routine of, get into some habits so you don’t go crazy and just look at the wall all day, or get too anxious.”
Eller said he binged some shows, would workout in the morning and then study in the afternoon.
“Usually the day would go, workout in the morning, I did some studying, some online courses in the afternoon,” Said Eller. “Right now, doing some real estate online courses.”
Let’s hope Eller’s quarantine time is done for the season.
He and the Capitals depart for Buffalo this afternoon in advance of their game against the Sabres on Friday night. Puck drop on Friday is 7:00 PM.
By Jon Sorensen
Eller’s quarantine experience sounds like how Chekov might have described it, “A wary nice gilded cage.”
16 days paid vacation, no meetings, just chilling catching up on shows, school work, etc. sign me up.
Don’t think prison comment fit in unless thier was chance of “unwanted” attenion in Shower???? Vancouver is one of most scenic city’s in Western Canada,shouldn’t really slam it just because you are “stuck” in hotel with room & meals paid for!!!