Tuukka Rask’s Return Postponed As Providence Bruins Push Back Games

Well, Thursday afternoon’s news dump was a nice tease for Boston fans who were looking forward to seeing Tuukka Rask return to the Bruins organization.

Rask inked a professional tryout contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, and the expectation was that the 34-year-old would get the start in goal Friday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, marking his first professional action since June. It would follow an offseason filled with hip surgery and some speculation about whether or not he would even return to Boston as a free agent.

But several hours after Rask’s press conference — with enough time for the hype to build up across the region — the P-Bruins announced the weekend’s games have been postponed due to COVID-19 issues at Lehigh Valley.

It’s unclear what this means for Rask at this point. The Providence Bruins next play Jan. 14, at home against the Hartford Wolfpack. As for the big league club, Thursday’s home game against the Minnesota Wild is their last in Boston before a two-game road trip takes them to Tampa Bay and Washington, D.C. They return home Wednesday to host the Montreal Canadiens.

For what it’s worth, the Providence game scheduled for Jan. 7 now will be played April 11, while Sunday’s game will be played April 19.