Halle (Saale)/MZ – The triad of pastimes is: home training, German lessons and video games with friends from home in Finland via the Internet. This is how Joonas Niemelä spends his days right now.
The 25-year-old from Espoo is not only the top scorer with 73 goals in 35 games, but also the unlucky one for the Saale Bulls. After a nasty knee check in the ice hockey league game near Diez-Limburg on January 23, the attacker had to pause for several weeks with bone marrow edema.
Corona disease: Joonas Niemelä is also missing Saale Bulls against Krefeld
Last Friday, the doctors finally gave the green light again. “So I’m really looking forward to going to the hall,” says Niemelä. On the bus to Erfurt, the Bulls ultimately won the game 4-1, but he wasn’t seated after all. “My corona test was positive. Now I’m in quarantine and have to wait again.”
A more frustrating sequence of events is hard to imagine. But Niemelae remains positive. “I hardly had any symptoms, so I’m confident that I’ll be able to play again soon,” he says.
On Friday, when the Bulls play against Krefeld at 8 p.m. in the local Eisdom, a PCR test is due, if it is negative, the isolation period is over. After that, however, the “Return-to-Play” program of the Oberliga is still mandatory. The heart and lungs are expertly examined to minimize the risk of secondary damage from the disease. “So the game against Krefeld could come too early,” says Niemelä.
Saale Bulls threatens next game failure in ice high key league
So the comeback could take place on March 1st against Herford. Because the game in Rostock on Sunday, like the game in Herne, which was scheduled for Tuesday, could be cancelled. There are several corona cases with the piranhas from the Baltic Sea, the team is in quarantine.
Incidentally, Krefeld also reports cases, but still wants to compete in Halle on Friday.
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