Canucks recall two from AHL after team hit by mumps virus

Dan Murphy reports from Vancouver where players from the Canucks have come down with the mumps.

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks recalled four players from the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets on Saturday.

Forward Alexandre Grenier and defenceman Evan McEneny were recalled Saturday morning and forward Joseph LaBate and defenceman Jordan Subban were called up later in the day.

Grenier, 25, leads the Comets with 38 points in 51 games this season while McEneny, 22, has 17 points in 43 games this season. LaBate, 23, has nine points in 25 games and Subban, 21, leads defencemen on the Comets with 13 goals and 29 points in 46 games.

The Canucks’ locker-room has been hit with a case of mumps and at least five players will be out of the lineup for Saturday night’s game against the visiting San Jose Sharks.

Troy Stecher has the only confirmed case. Fellow defencemen Chris Tanev and Nikita Tryamkin, along with forwards Mike Chaput and Markus Granlund have all shown symptoms of the highly contagious virus.

The mumps virus is found in saliva and respiratory droplets. It is spread person to person through coughing, sneezing or coming into contact with saliva.

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