Hurricanes have five players on NHL COVID-19 protocol list
The Carolina Hurricanes had their game Tuesday against the Nashville Predators postponed and now have a league-high five players placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list.
The NHL announced Tuesday that forwards Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen, Warren Foegele and Jordan Martinook, and defenseman Jaccob Slavin. were being listed as “COVID protocol related absences.” Staal has been on the COVID protocol list since Friday, missing the past two games, while the other four players were added after Monday’s 4-2 victory in Nashville.
The Canes were scheduled to face the Predators on Tuesday to complete a back-to-back set at Bridgestone Arena. The NHL, in announcing the postponement of the game, cited “an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of the players, coaches, game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.”
The NHL in the 2020-21 season is sharing the names of players who are unavailable to the team to practice, travel or play in games because of coronavirus protocols. “COVID protocol related absences” can result from various factors, including: an initial positive test that remains unconfirmed; mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals; required quarantine as a high-risk close contact; and isolation based on a confirmed positive test.
Neither the NHL nor the team provides information on the reason a player is unavailable or how much time he may miss.
The Canes opened the 2020-21 season with a pair of road games against the Detroit Red Wings. Staal played in the opener, then was placed on the COVID protocol list. Teravainen, Foegele, Martinook and Slavin played Monday in the Canes 4-2 win over the Predators.
Staal is the Canes captain and Slavin and Martinook serve as alternate captains. Teravainen, one of the Canes’ most valuable players, had just three shifts in the second and third periods Monday and Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated the Finnish forward had been injured, saying he “tweaked something.”
The Red Wings had two players listed Tuesday on the COVID-19 protocol list: Robby Fabbri and Adam Erne. There were 15 NHL players on the list including former Canes goalie Curtis McElhinney of Tampa Bay..
The Hurricanes, in opening the 2020-21 season with four road games, were faced with travel to the two cities and the challenges that presents during the pandemic. Their home opener against the Florida Panthers is scheduled for Thursday, which is slated to be the start of a six-game homestand.
“I’m sure there will be a hiccup throughout the year,” Staal said of the coronavirus threat during a training-camp interview. “The guys understand no one is immune to this thing.”
The NHL said the date of a rescheduled Canes-Preds game would be announced when available. The Canes are scheduled to end the 56-game regular season with two games at Nashville.
Brind’Amour, like all coaches, has feared the virus striking a team. The league did not have any COVID-19 problems when 24 teams gathered at two bubble sites for the 2020 Return to Play postseason. But the fear was with the virus spiking in many parts of the U.S and Canada after the holidays there could be some outbreaks.
“It’s bound to happen,” Brind’Amour said recently of potential COVID problems. “’You hope you don’t. But it’s certainly not unexpected.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 12:27 PM.
