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COVID Protocol Related Absence

Brandon Saad Ruled Out With COVID

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Another COVID Protocol case has popped up in the NHL, this time in St. Louis. The Blues have announced that forward Brandon Saad will be unavailable on Saturday due to COVID Protocol. Saad, as well as the entire Blues roster, is vaccinated. With Saad sidelined and Pavel Buchnevich suspended, the Blues will be without their two major off-season additions for their home opener against the L.A. Kings.

The Blues have not revealed the cause of Saad’s entry into the COVID Protocol. However, the fact that he has already been ruled out of a game that is 48 hours away would imply that he has tested positive.  This is the third positive test among a prominent player today alone, as Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele and Pittsburgh’s Jeff Carter have also been sidelined by COVID. It’s a sobering reminder that the pandemic is still a factor in the NHL this season.

As for Saad, the Blue’s newest addition is off to a hot start with a goal and an assist in his first three games. The talented forward has averaged 24 goals per 82 games over his career and was expected to help make up for the loss of Jaden Schwartz this summer. For the time being though, St. Louis will have to make do without him.

Jack Johnson Placed In COVID Protocol

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While Colorado will have head coach Jared Bednar back behind the bench tonight, they will be down a defenseman as Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now reports that Jack Johnson has been placed in COVID protocol.  He’s presently asymptomatic but will be out indefinitely.  The team has confirmed (Twitter link) that Johnson is in the protocol.

It has been a tough few days for the Avalanche on this front with star center Nathan MacKinnon also missing time due to a positive test; he won’t be back for tonight’s game either.  With the team also without Gabriel Landeskog (suspension) plus Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews (injuries), Colorado’s depth is getting tested early on.

The positive test for Johnson derails what was a good first few weeks in Colorado for him.  He was able to land a one-year, one-way contract off a PTO and scored in his Avalanche debut while logging nearly 19 minutes.  Unfortunately for him, he’ll be out of the lineup likely for the next few games at a minimum.

Predators Place David Rittich In COVID Protocol

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The Predators will be without goaltender David Rittich for tonight’s game against Carolina as the team announced that they have placed him in COVID protocol.  Connor Ingram has been recalled from AHL Milwaukee in his place.

Rittich is in his first season with Nashville and hasn’t yet made his regular season debut with the team, serving as the backup to Juuse Saros in their season-opening loss to Seattle.  He had a 2.86 GAA along with a .901 SV% in 19 games last season between Calgary and Toronto which led the Preds to sign him to a one-year, $1.25MM contract this summer.

That meant that Ingram, who has been viewed at times as a possible backup of the future, would have to start in the minors again this season and he cleared waivers earlier this month.  He was limited to just five AHL games last season after being in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program but before that, he was one of the top netminders in that league in 2017-18 and 2018-19 before being even better in AHL Milwaukee after being acquired, posting a 1.92 GAA with a .933 SV% in 33 games in 2019-20.

NHL Down To Four Unvaccinated Players

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The NHL expected that 98% or perhaps even 99% of their players would be vaccinated against the Coronavirus before the start of the 2021-22 season. It seems that they have somehow bettered that mark. Commissioner Gary Bettman has revealed that there are currently only four unvaccinated players in the league. This is understood to mean that all but four of the roughly 736 players on NHL rosters as of yesterday’s deadline are vaccinated – 99.5% of all players. Bettman spoke to his appreciation and respect for how the players have handled the pandemic in many ways over the past two years:

Throughout all of this, we had great collaboration and cooperation with the players and Players’ Association. This doesn’t happen to get to this point without that collaboration and cooperation. Yes, the players have stepped up to get vaccinated, but even thinking about how the players had to function the last two years, to go into the bubble… Having to adhere to the protocols last season so we could administer 330,000 tests to keep everybody healthy. The fact that we were in the bubble and I think we did 35,000 tests and didn’t have one positive. Everybody banded together to do the right thing. Maybe that’s why hockey is the ultimate team sport.

Of those four players, two have previously been confirmed as New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who has at least considered receiving the vaccine, and Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi. While Montreal Canadiens forward Jesse Ylonen is also unvaccinated and veteran Vancouver Canucks defenseman Travis Hamonic has been speculated as such as well, neither are considered to be part of this group of four as they are both currently in the AHL.

Bettman also noted that all team personnel and all officials are vaccinated. As a whole, the NHL is about as close to full protection against COVID-19 as could reasonably be expected, not to mention lightyears ahead of the other top North American pro sports leagues.

And yet, Coronavirus will continue to play a part in this NHL season. The Seattle Kraken have already dealt with numerous players entering the COVID Protocol before they can even play their first game in the league, while individual players like Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Vegas’ Mattias Janmark are also sidelined by positive tests. The league and its players have done their best to this point, but will have to continue to adhere to COVID Protocol policies and procedures as all involved hope to play a full and uninterrupted schedule this season.

Five Kraken Players In COVID Protocol

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Oct 12: Johansson has been cleared and can play tonight, but Hakstol told reporters including Clark that Jarnkrok, McCann, Oleksiak and Donskoi are all still unavailable. The lineup is a “work in progress” for the Kraken.

Oct 11: Just after the Vegas Golden Knights announced that Mattias Janmark is in the COVID protocol, their opponent for tomorrow night had some even worse news. Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters including Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic that Calle Jarnkrok, Marcus Johansson, Jared McCann, Jamie Oleksiak and Joonas Donskoi are all in the COVID protocol.

Just like with Janmark, it is important to remember that inclusion in the protocol does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list–which actually won’t be released for the first time until tomorrow–are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.

Still, this is troubling news for a Kraken team that is expected to play the first game in franchise history tomorrow. Clark notes that the team is trying to get Alex Barre-Boulet, claimed off waivers today from the Tampa Bay Lightning to Vegas in time to play tomorrow night for the Kraken. Losing Jarnkrok, Johansson, McCann and Donskoi from the forward group is taking a huge chunk of the team’s offensive potential off the ice, though it is not confirmed yet if all of them will miss tomorrow’s game.

The team will have to make some adjustments to the roster before today’s deadline, not exactly the start that GM Ron Francis was likely hoping for as the Kraken get ready to take the ice for the first time.

Mattias Janmark Unavailable Due To COVID Protocol

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The Vegas Golden Knights kick things off tomorrow against the Seattle Kraken, the second game of the 2021-22 regular season. Unfortunately, it looks like they may be missing one of their forward options. Mattias Janmark was unavailable to the team today because he has been put in the league’s COVID-19 protocol.

As a reminder, inclusion in the protocol does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list–which actually won’t be released for the first time until tomorrow–are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.

Janmark has not had a good camp with the Golden Knights, who signed him to a one-year, $2MM contract this offseason after a trade brought him to Vegas last season. The 28-year-old was playing on the fourth line recently, not exactly what was expected of a player that made such a strong impression in the playoffs and was supposed to add some valuable depth scoring to the lineup.

His addition to the protocol so close to the regular season is a reminder that there will still be lineup disruptions throughout the year, even for those players and teams that are fully vaccinated. It is not clear yet how long Janmark will be unavailable.

Mike Hardman, Kevin Lankinen Absent Due To COVID Protocols

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While things are mostly back to normal in terms of the schedule and divisional alignment this season, there are some things that haven’t changed. One of those is the continual risk of players being forced to miss practices and games due to COVID protocols. Last year we saw a daily COVID Protocol Related Absences list, which at times grew to dozens and dozens of players. This season may not be as rampant, but already some are missing training time due to league rules.

Today, Mike Hardman and Kevin Lankinen have been ruled out of Chicago Blackhawks’ practice due to the protocol. Both players were present yesterday. As a reminder, being in the COVID protocol does not necessarily mean a player has tested positive for Coronavirus. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Missing a few days at the beginning of camp is not going to derail the Blackhawks’ season, but this is an important reminder that the NHL is not completely back to normal. For Chicago in particular, Lankinen has been replaced by Collin Delia in the first practice group according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. It is unclear how long each player will be held out for.

Montreal’s Joel Armia Cleared From COVID Protocol

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June 28: Armia was not present at morning skate, but is on a private jet to Tampa according to interim head coach Luke Richardson. Armia has been cleared from the COVID protocol and is a game-time decision. Evans was a full participant and is no longer wearing a non-contact sweater, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

June 27: On the eve of the Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens have issued some bad news. Forward Joel Armia was absent at practice on Sunday morning and without any previous indication of injury, the speculation began. GM Marc Bergevin confirmed the prevailing theory to the media afterward: Armia is in COVID Protocol.

Bergevin did not reveal any additional details, but an update is expected on Monday. In the meantime, Armia did not travel to Tampa with the team for the first two games of the series. Whether it would be an option for him to travel separately if cleared from the protocol remains to be seen. This is now the second time that Armia has landed on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list, following a previous stint in March. At that time, he tested positive and the Canadiens had a number of games postponed. So far, there has been no indication that Armia’s current situation will impact the Stanley Cup Final schedule.

Of course, the current concern with interim head coach Dominique Ducharme testing positive last week and sidelined for 14 days, is that Armia’s status could be more than just a case of a false positive or close contact. If Armia is positive for COVID, it would mean the end of his season with just seven games left in the NHL year. Armia, who only recorded 14 points in the regular season, has taken his game to the next level in the playoffs. He has eight points in 17 games and is tied for the team lead in goals. The presence he brings to both the third line and penalty kill will be sorely missed if he cannot play at all in the series. The Canadiens hope that tomorrow’s update will bring different news.

The thin silver lining of the report today is that Jake Evans appears primed to step into Armia’s spot in the starting lineup for the time being. Evans has not played since being injured in Game One of the North Division title series with the Winnipeg Jets, but appears to have made a full recovery from the massive check that knocked him out. Despite the scoring presence lost by Armia, the Habs seems more interested in replacing his two-way ability with Evans than adding an offensive asset like Tomas Tatar. 

Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon Tests Positive For COVID-19

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The good news: the NHL released another empty COVID Protocol Related Absences list today, indicating that no one from the Montreal Canadiens nor the opposing Vegas Golden Knights was infected in relation to Montreal head coach Dominique Ducharme testing positive. The bad news: another prominent non-player in the series has now tested positive.

TVA’s Renaud Lavoie was the first to report that Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon has tested positive for COVID-19. The team has stated that McCrimmon is self-isolating and will follow the NHL’s COVID Protocol and all other local health policies. McCrimmon traveled to Montreal for Game Three of the semifinal series and, if his positive test is confirmed, will be there for some time. Ducharme was placed in a mandated 14-day isolation following his positive test on Friday.

The timing of this positive test for McCrimmon looks especially bad given that he and President George McPhee were shown on Friday night’s television broadcast in a suite without masks, in violation of the league’s COVID Protocol. The NHL has reportedly already spoken to the team about this issue, but now that it has coincided with a positive test there has to at least be discussion about a fine, much like how the Washington Capitals were fined when their COVID Protocol violation led to two players being infected. Granted, this is fortunately not a case of a player catching the virus, but the optics are still poor, especially with the league and the Canadian government making exceptions to try to preserve the structure and integrity of the postseason.

The anxious waiting will now continue for another day or two to ensure that there still has been no spread to the locker rooms. In the meantime, Game Four will proceed as scheduled on Sunday night, as will travel back to Las Vegas.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 06/05/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in the COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list for the remaining playoff teams:

Vegas – Brayden McNabb

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jayson Megna, Colorado Avalanche

After a long stretch with one player from each team in the ongoing West Division Finals being sidelined on the CPRA list, it’s now down to just one. The wait continues for McNabb to return to the Golden Knights, but Megna is now available to the Avalanche. The veteran forward only played in seven NHL games this year and had not seen any postseason action before he landed on the CPRA list, so this is not the same level of impact as if McNabb, a regular defenseman for Vegas, was able to return. The countdown is now on for the league to get back to an empty list.

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