After both Adam Gaudette and Travis Hamonic tested positive for COVID-19, the NHL decided it was best to shut down games for the Vancouver Canucks until at least April 6th. It’s a good thing they did, because now — according to reports — more players have tested positive for the virus.
Hearing 8 players plus staff among the positive cases. https://t.co/bnR4DgkzVF
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) April 2, 2021
According to TSN Hockey Insider, Pierre LeBrun, the Canucks received confirmation late last night that more players had positive tests. As many as eight players on the roster have tested positive for COVID-19, including members of the coaching staff.
No word yet on who exactly will be joining Hamonic and Gaudette on the National Hockey League’s COVID-19 protocol list, but more information should be released by the team soon.
No doubt this will have a further impact on the delay of games for Vancouver, but it’s important to note that the league did the right thing here. The Canucks were set to play the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena on both Wednesday and Saturday, and that only would have resulted in a much larger spread of the sickness.
On the bright side, the infected Canucks can begin to self-isolate, the healthy ones can enjoy an extended break from games, and the added time off will give injured players like Elias Pettersson a chance to recover in time to lace up the skates once they return.
As bad as it may seem, the silver lining of this situation is the entire team gets an opportunity to rest up. It’ll knock the infected players down a notch or two, but at least everyone else involved can take this time to reset and refocus.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and make sure to come back to The Canuck Way to find out more as this situation develops.