The Flyers Are Worried They Could Get the Mumps

Though they beat the Devils last night, the Flyers have struggled to a 10-13-5 record this year. How could things get worse? How about if the team were infected by the mumps!

There’s currently an outbreak of mumps in the NHL. (“The recent outbreak of mumps has emerged as one of the most bizarre yet compelling storylines of the 2014-15 NHL season,” ESPN reports, which makes hockey sound pretty boring if the mumps outbreak is among the most compelling stories.) The mumps outbreak started with the Anaheim Ducks, then spread to the Minnesota Wild — where five players caught it — as well as the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. Eleven NHL players have caught the mumps this year.

The Devils were actually missing two players who have the mumps last night in their 4-1 loss to the Flyers.

The Flyers are taking precautions to avoid a mumps outbreak.

“It’s been rampant around the league,” Flyers general manager Ron Hextall told reporters. “And it’s not a one-day thing. I’ve talked to other managers, too, that it had gone through their team and their docs have told them that everybody on their team has been exposed to it, but only certain people are susceptible for whatever reason. We’ve talked long and hard about it.”

The Flyers are offering vaccinations to their players.

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