Canucks game against Flames called off with 2 players, coach in COVID-19 protocols

The NHL's Canadian-based North Division has been impacted by COVID-19 for the second time in less than two weeks.

The league postponed Wednesday night's game between the Canucks and Flames after a second Vancouver player and a member of the team's coaching staff entered COVID-19 protocol.

Canucks forward Adam Gaudette, who was pulled from Tuesday's practice following a positive test result, was added to the NHL's protocol list that afternoon.

The NHL, which said it would provide a further update Thursday, added the call was made by medical teams from the league, NHL Players' Association and Canucks.

A player on the COVID-19 protocol list has not necessarily tested positive.

The Montreal Canadiens had four games postponed — the first contests scratched in the North this season — last week when forwards Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia were added to the protocol list.

Those postponements, which included the shuttering of the Canadiens' practice facility, forced the rescheduling of nine games.

Canucks head coach Travis Green would not say following Wednesday's morning skate if Gaudette had tested positive for a variant.

"I'm not going to get into personal stuff with Adam Gaudette," he said. "We're preparing to play, and planning to do so."

Green added his club felt they were in the clear with just one positive test following some nervous hours.

"[Tuesday] when you get the news, you're always wondering about it," he said. "Last night we had a pretty good idea we were good to go this morning.

"We've tried to just stay focused on that task, and let the people that advise us on the protocols let us know if there's anything else changing."

42 games now postponed

The NHL's truncated 56-game schedule has now seen 42 contests postponed because of COVID-19.

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.

The 24-year-old Gaudette has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 33 games this season. The Canucks were also missing winger Jake Virtanen at Tuesday's practice, who Green said "wasn't feeling well so he stayed home."

Vancouver and Calgary are tied for fifth in the division with identical 16-18-3 records, five points back of Montreal for the fourth and final playoff spot, although Montreal has a big advantage with five games in hand.

The Flames are scheduled to visit the Edmonton Oilers on Friday before opening a four-game homestand against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Canucks beginning Sunday.

The Canucks were coming off a six-day break heading into Wednesday before getting ready to embark on a seven-game road trip set to begin Saturday in Edmonton.

That's all now very much up in the air.

Vancouver forward J.T. Miller and defenceman Jordie Benn missed multiple games in January after being placed into protocol.

"It's not ideal," Miller said Wednesday morning. "Everybody's trying to do the right things to not have this situation happen.

"Hopefully we can minimize the damage here, and hopefully Gauds isn't feeling too poorly."

WHL Kelowna in 14-day quarantine

Also Wednesday, the Western Hockey League announced the Kelowna Rockets have had all activities suspended for a minimum of 14 days following six additional positive COVID-19 tests, taking the total to seven within the club after a positive test one day earlier.

The WHL says the positive COVID-19 test results belong to two staff members and four players.

In accordance with the WHL's return-to-play protocol, the Rockets have immediately isolated and are being tested, and anyone with close contact has been instructed to self-quarantine and monitor symptoms for 14 days.

Regan Bartel, the Kelowna Rockets' play-by-play announcer, says the whole B.C. division of the WHL will be affected by the cancellation of 10 regular season games as a result of the team's suspension of activities.

"The Vancouver Giants, the Kamloops Blazers, the Prince George Cougars were all supposed to play [with] the Rockets as well," Bartel said. "It's been a body blow to every player … everybody that's invested so much to try to keep this [hockey training and competition] environment as safe as they could."