The Vancouver Canucks’ COVID-19 situation has grown worse with seven players now in the NHL’s COVID protocols.
Defencemen Alex Edler and Quinn Hughes, forwards Zack MacEwan and Antoine Roussel, and goalie Braden Holtby were all added to the league’s list of unavailable players on Friday.
Canucks forward Adam Gaudette was pulled from Tuesday’s practice following a positive test result and added to the list that afternoon.
The NHL postponed the Canucks’ Wednesday matchup with the Calgary Flames after another player – later identified as defenceman Travis Hamonic – and an unnamed member of the coaching staff entered the league’s protocols.
Vancouver has now had four games postponed and the NHL says the team cannot practice before April 6.
A player on the COVID-19 protocol list has not necessarily tested positive.
The league’s protocols require players and staff to be tested daily. Any time an individual’s initial test comes back positive, the lab does a second test on the initial sample.
If the second test is negative, a second sample is collected. But if that sample returns a positive result, it’s considered to be a “confirmed positive.”
The league requires individuals with positive tests to self isolate for 10 days, and for close contacts to self isolate for two weeks.
Canucks’ owner Francesco Aquilini tweeted Friday afternoon, saying his thoughts are with the affected players, staff and their families.
“Health comes before everything else,” the post read.
The NHL’s truncated 56-game schedule has now seen 45 contests postponed – with the first 37 coming in the three U.S.-based divisions – because of COVID-19.