Olli Maatta is the latest Pittsburgh Penguins player to test positive for the mumps, the team announced Friday.
The defenceman, who is currently on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, will remain in isolation, according to Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford.
Maatta, who has nine points in 20 games this season, has had a rough start to the season with setback after setback. Following off-season shoulder surgery, the 20-year-old entered the 2014-15 campaign with high hopes and looked to build off a strong rookie campaign. However, in early November he missed a couple weeks after having a cancerous tumour removed from his thyroid gland. He returned to the lineup for 10 games before injuring his shoulder again and was placed on the IR. Now, to add insult (and a swollen face) to injury, he has the mumps.
On a positive note, backup netminder Thomas Greiss and defenceman Robert Bortuzzo tested negative for the virus.
The Penguins, who host the Florida Panthers Saturday at the CONSOL Energy Center, have been one of the teams hit hardest by the mumps. Captain Sidney Crosby missed three games because of it — he returned to the lineup Thursday — and forward Beau Bennett is currently recovering from the illness.
