NHL News: Bruins add Bergeron to COVID protocol, Predators hit with virus, and Canucks pulled player midgame
Anthony Scultore
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As stricter COVID-19 protocols are about to be implemented around the league, here’s the latest round of virus news. Which includes another Bruins star being added to the list.
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Bruins add Bergeron to protocol
The Boston Bruins added forward Patrice Bergeron to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Wednesday.
That makes the team’s top two points leaders in protocol, along with Brad Marchand, who was designated there Tuesday, along with Craig Smith.
Bergeron is second on the team behind Marchand with 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) and scored the team’s lone goal in a loss Tuesday night to Vegas. Marchand has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists).
The Bruins are scheduled to play a road game Thursday against the New York Islanders.
Predators hit with COVID
The Nashville Predators announced Wednesday that head coach John Hynes, three assistant coaches and six players are in the COVID-19 protocol.
Forwards Mikael Granlund, Ryan Johansen, Matt Luff, Michael McCarron and Philip Tomasino and defenseman Ben Harpur joined Hynes, assistant coaches Dan Lambert and Todd Richards and goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok.
Two other unidentified members of the traveling party are also in the protocol, general manager David Poile announced.
The Predators’ game Tuesday night against Calgary was postponed due to the Flames’ COVID-19 situation.
Nashville is scheduled to host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.
Granlund is tied for the team lead with 27 points (five goals, team-high 22 assists). Johansen ranks fourth with 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists).
Canucks removed player midgame
With the latest wave of COVID-19 hitting the sports world with a vengeance, the NHL dealt with an uncomfortable pandemic-related occurrence midgame Tuesday night.
Vancouver defenseman Tucker Poolman was removed from the Canucks’ game against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets late in the first period and was immediately placed in the NHL’s COVID protocol.
The game continued.
Poolman was the fourth Canuck to land in the COVID protocol on Tuesday. Early in the day, forward Juho Lammikko and defenseman Luke Schenn were ruled out of the contest, and defenseman Brad Hunt was scratched shortly before the opening puck drop.
The (Vancouver) Province newspaper reported that all four players tested positive for COVID-19.
After the first two players were scratched, interim Canucks general manager Jim Rutherford said, “We follow the protocols that are laid out by the league and by the province and try to do the best we can. But the one thing we can do as individuals within the Canucks with the players is to remind everybody what the protocols are.
“Well, we live in a different world and we all have to make adjustments to it. And we’ll adjust to this situation. But the Canucks have experienced this before, last year, and it’s not a fun place to be for players. It wasn’t something that was easy to go through last year. And nobody wants to get in that same situation this year.”
The Canucks were shut down for more than two weeks last season when a COVID-19 outbreak hit the team.
–Field Level Media