As was the case in previous days, COVID-19 hit the sports world quite strongly on Friday as other athletes and teams had to retreat.
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While the Boston Bruins gave up their Saturday game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Center, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that three teams will remain inactive until the end of the holiday break.
The Calgary Flames are obviously part of the lot, they who have to deal with twenty positive cases within the organization. The last three games for the Alberta team had already been postponed, in addition to those of December 18 and 21, but the NHL also added the game of December 23, against the Seattle Kraken, to the lot.
In a press conference, Flames doctor Dr Ian Auld said most players on the team affected by the coronavirus were “asymptomatic or with some symptoms”.
Four to six members of the team have been affected moderately by the virus, but “the symptoms subside after 36 to 48 hours,” said Dr Auld.
Separately, forward Mikael Backlund and a member of the team’s support staff initiated the National League’s COVID protocol on Friday.
The Colorado Avalanche will also take a forced break for its next four games, as the Florida Panthers saw three of their games postponed on Friday.
In a statement, Circuit Bettman confirmed that the situation of these three clubs will be reviewed after December 26 and that the revised schedule will be announced soon.
The Leafs also hit
Spared from COVID-19 since the start of the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs must now face it, as their captain John Tavares and their forward Alexander Kerfoot follow the protocol of the National League to this effect.
The Ontario organization said Friday that its players and accompanying staff were tested on Thursday. More exams were scheduled for later in the day.
Head instructor Sheldon Keefe’s squad is due to visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday and was due to train in the city the day before. However, the session was canceled as a preventive measure.
Toronto has 20 wins and 42 points this year.
In addition, Premier Doug Ford is scheduled to speak to Ontarians in the afternoon on Friday. Additional measures regarding the holding of the Leafs and the Ottawa Senators could be announced, after Quebec neighbors were the first to again impose a 50% capacity limit in amphitheatres, stadiums and halls. show that can accommodate more than 1000 people, Wednesday.
Lots of torment in the NFL, NBA and elsewhere
COVID-19 spares no sports league and many circuits must make changes to their respective schedules, not to mention the many athletes who have to go into isolation to begin their recovery.
In the NFL, due to numerous outbreaks, a few meetings of Week 15 of activity have been postponed, with the approval of the Players’ Association. Thus, the duel between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cleveland Browns will take place late Monday afternoon, two days later than expected. The clashes between the Washington football team and the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, will be held on Tuesday night.
On the football side, the addition of the name of Washington starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke to the list of players subject to the COVID-19 protocol has increased the number of active cases within the squad to 21. Then, at the New Orleans Saints, head coach Sean Payton tested positive for the coronavirus.
In Cleveland, if the Browns received any good news with Anthony Walker Jr.’s return to form, a ton of bricks then fell on them.
Running back Kareen Hunt, who returned to the game after battling a leg injury, will have to go through COVID-19 protocol. This is also the case for players Grant Delpit, Tony Fields II, AJ Green, Ronnie Harrison Jr., Case Keenum, Jacob Phillips and Mack Wilson, as well as assistant coach TC McCartney.
In the NBA, coronavirus cases in the Sacramento Kings were detected in large numbers, so they canceled their training session on Thursday. Their acting head instructor, Alvin Gentry, tested positive on Wednesday. Players Marvin Bagley III, Terence Davis, De’Aaron Fox, Louis King and Alex Len have also submitted to the protocol related to COVID-19.
As for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards and Taurean Prince were to be absent from their game on Friday for the same reasons.
LAH also
In the American Hockey League, the Belleville Senators had to give up their game against the Syracuse Crunch scheduled for Friday night. The Laval Rocket must also travel to Syracuse to face the Tampa Bay Lightning branch on Saturday. The situation is not much better in the camp of the Toronto Marlies, who saw their next three meetings postponed.
In junior hockey, the Flint Firebirds have suspended all activities after 11 members of their organization have tested positive for COVID-19, the OHL said.