Former Cent Galloway trying to fill time during quarantine after positive COVID-19 case in Calgary

KAMLOOPS — A week into a mandatory 14-day quarantine, Tyson Galloway is running out of ideas to keep him busy.

He has an exercise bike to help stay in shape leading up to the Calgary Hitmen’s return next week.

“We actually just finished up a team Zoom workout. I’ve got my bike here. We do that for about 20-25 minutes, then we do another half hour of just body work, body weight stuff. It’s actually pretty tiring,” said the 18-year-old defenseman.

The only “outside” exposure he gets is opening his hotel room door three times a day to fetch his meals, which are left by the staff.

Galloway has also been utilizing the down time to catch up on his English 12 homework. The Kamloops native and his Calgary Hitmen teammates are about halfway through the quarantine after one of the players tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

“We kind of came into this knowing that something like this could happen, and evidently it did. We were ready for it,” Galloway said. “It obviously sucks, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. We’re halfway there, I believe, so just stick it out the last half and be ready to go.”

As he sits in his hotel room, waiting to get back on the ice, he’s also wondering whether he’s going to catch the virus.

“All of us are around him every day, and we all know there’s a chance that we could have it,” Galloway said. “So far, no of us have tested positive, so that’s a good sign. We actually just got tested again this morning and we’ll find out tomorrow more results. Hopefully we’re all negative again.”

Galloway has been in touch with his family and friends back in Kamloops, who’ve been concerned for him. It’s helped him with some of the “cabin fever” and anxiety he’s feeling, not even a week in.

“I talk to my parents every day,” he said. “My buddies from school. I’ve been talking to Logan [Stankoven] quite a bit actually. I wished him good luck the other day. I know he’s going into his quarantine. I’ve just been talking with all my friends. With this happening, you kind of want to go see them again.”

Before the COVID-19 exposure, Galloway was having a good season with three goals and four assists in 10 games with the Hitmen. He’s looking forward to finishing season and getting back home.

“Enjoy the last seven games here and hopefully get back to [friends] and my family.”