Covid-19 sweeping through NHL as double digit cases reported

*Photo from MassLive*

   After starting off the season in a good place, Covid-19 has returned and made it's mark on the NHL. After previous shutdowns in the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders organizations, a total of 15 NHL players were placed in league Covid-19 protocols on Tuesday alone.

   This seems to be stemming from an outbreak of Covid-19 on the Calgary Flames, who currently have 9 players and one staff member in Covid-19 protocols. All 9 of those players were in Calgary's last game, on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins. As for the Bruins, they have LW Brad Marchand and RW Craig Smith in the protocols after Tuesday's morning skate.

   For individual cases, Islanders forward Mat Barzal, Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan McLeod, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews, Florida Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg, and Luke Schenn and Juho Lammikko of the Vancouver Canucks were placed in Covid-19 protocols on Tuesday.

   Those teams are having it better than the Carolina Hurricanes so far. Left shot D Ian Cole, C/LW Steven Lorentz, C Jordan Staal, and RW Andrei Svechnikov all were added to the Covid-19 protocols on Tuesday, just one day after Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho were added to protocols. Their game Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild has been postponed.

   The Hurricanes become the 4th organization in the NHL this season to have enough Covid-19 cases to cause a postponement, and their matchup against the Wild will be the 9th game to be postponed in the NHL this season. The Islanders and Senators previously had games called off, and the Flames will have no games for the foreseeable future.