CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane missed practice on Saturday because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
Fellow forward Ryan Carpenter and defenseman Erik Gustafsson also missed practice for the same reason.
The announcement doesn’t necessarily mean that any of the players tested positive. General manager Stan Bowman said during training camp that the team was 100 per cent vaccinated.
“At this point, those guys are in the protocol, and we don’t really know day to day how it’s going to develop,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “For the most part, it’s out of our control, so we’ll adjust as things develop here.”
Players can be placed in the NHL's COVID protocol for the following reasons:
• A player tested positive but requires confirmatory testing before exiting protocol.
• A player is in mandated isolation for testing positive and being symptomatic.
• A player is forced to quarantine after being as a high-risk close contact with a positive COVID test, isolating after a confirmed positive test result and/or serving a mandatory quarantine for travel.
Chicago hosts the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night. The struggling Blackhawks are off to a 0-4-1 start.
The Blackhawks recalled forward Reese Johnson from Rockford of the American Hockey League. Johnson had a goal and an assist during the IceHogs’ 6-3 loss to Iowa on Friday night.
