Oct 25: Letang’s positive test has now been confirmed, meaning he will be in the protocol indefinitely.
Oct 23: Is the Coronavirus and the COVID Protocol Absences List truly behind us? It hasn’t seemed that way early on this season with a vast number of players missing practice and games due to positive test results, including some of the league’s biggest stars. That list is now expanding with two major announcements already this morning.
The Pittsburgh Penguins began their game day by announcing that defenseman Kris Letang has tested positive for COVID and entered the league protocol. Head coach Mike Sullivan qualified his status by noting that Letang is not a confirmed positive, but while those additional tests proceed Letang will miss the team’s game tonight. While the Penguins will have Tristan Jarry back in action tonight, activated out of the COVID Protocol, Letang joins Jeff Carter on the list with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin also still sidelined by injury. Amazingly, the injury-prone Letang has the longest active games streak for the Penguins, but that will now come to an end.
In Chicago, a tough start to the situation could get more dire. The team has announced that Patrick Kane, Ryan Carpenter, and Erik Gustafsson have all entered the COVID Protocol. For now, the team has only ruled the trio out of today’s practice and have not revealed the cause for their initial placement. However, the threat remains that they could miss games if they have tested positive.
With more and more positive tests continuing to pop up, there is growing frustration from players and team officials alike, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. With over 99% of the league vaccinated and the players testing positive being asymptomatic, these missed games feel meaningless to the players and teams involved. Seravalli’s report mentions Carter, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mark Scheifele, but now fellow stars Letang and Kane have entered the fray as well. The NHL is reportedly already reconsidering testing asymptomatic players and now more fuel has been added to the fire. Changes could be coming soon.
if you’re going to let asymptomatic players play then why even have a testing protocol? you have 4 total players unvaccinated, soon to be three. why go half way? (or better yet, 99%)
The inventor of the PCR test, who sadly passed away last year, was very vocal about how using this test to detect covid was foolish, as it was never intended for that purpose. Maybe the league is finally realizing this.
@Gbear – We are five of many who have long believed the testing protocols have been suspect. They might as well have been using pH strips to test for acidity/alkalinity. Either that, or George Parros’ infamous dartboard for suspensions (odds/evens).
Testing has NEVER worked. If you’re sick, you’re sick. If you’re not, you’re not. It’s long past t8me this superstitious nonsense ended. The ghouls in charge are criminals.
Are you ok lol
Wait… Kris Letang had a consecutive games played streak??
But at least he’s not a liar like you are.
Thats rich coming from the guy who was excited to see players getting sick.
No consecutive game streak for Letang, only for Penguins , as they have been dealt at least 3 years of injury bugidous.