The thought was the only ways Ivan Provorov’s ironman streak was going to end would be by either injury or suspension.
But lurking in the weeds was the possibility of a COVID-19 infection.
Sadly, the pandemic virus reared its ugly head on Tuesday afternoon when the Flyers announced the Russian defenseman as well as captain Claude Giroux had tested positive for the coronavirus and would be unavailable for a game at the Anaheim Ducks.
It will be the first game, both regular-season and playoffs, that Provorov has missed in his career.
Thus, Provorov’s streak of 403 straight games will come to an end.
It’s the eighth-longest streak from the start of a career in NHL history and easily the longest in Flyers’ history.
For Giroux, it’s the second time he’s been afflicted by the virus. The 33-year-old player also came down with COVID back in February after the Flyers played a game at Washington.
Before Tuesday’s development, Provorov had a good chance to break the Flyers’ alltime streak record of 484 straight games held by Rod Brind’Amour.
A former first-round (seventh) pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the 24-year-old native of Yaroslavl, Russia has registered 54 goals/172 points since joining the team for the 2016-17 season. He is a plus-19 for his career.
Provorov kept his streak alive by playing through an assortment of injuries. Although the 2017-18 playoffs didn’t count toward the streak, Provorov played through a serious shoulder injury in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Later he revealed he could barely raise his arm to eye-level.
