DOUG ARMSTRONG

The Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are among the contenders looking to get over the hump this year and win the Stanley Cup.

The NHL and international officials are now in wait-and-see mode after reaching an agreement to send players to the Beijing Olympics this winter.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)DENVER — (AP) — Game on for the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche after a coronavirus testing scare. The NHL said it had investigated multiple positive COVID-19 test results from the Blues and Vegas Golden Knights from the same laboratory. St. Louis is the only one of the 16 playoff teams with any players on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list. Blues forward Zach Sanford was on the protocol list March 20-21 before further testing revealed a false positive. One of those could be on Kuznetsov, who along with Samsonov also spent time on the protocol list from Jan. 20-Feb. 7 and said they had COVID-19 then.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)The St. Louis Blues reported coronavirus testing problems to the NHL on Wednesday, hours before Game 2 of their first-round playoff series in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams were expecting to play the second game of their series after Colorado won the opener Monday night. The Blues took the ice for their pregame skate in Denver but canceled media sessions scheduled for coach Craig Berube and players. Blues forward Zach Sanford was on the protocol list March 20-21 before further testing revealed a false positive. The NHL began relaxing virus protocols last week for any team that had 85% or more of its traveling party fully vaccinated.

Marlins Phillies Baseball Philadelphia Phillies' Nick Maton, right, scores past Miami Marlins catcher Sandy Leon on a single by Jean Segura during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Matt Slocum)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Miami Marlins will remove restrictions on attendance starting July 5, when social distancing requirements will be lifted and open seating restored, the team said Wednesday. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, crowds in Miami this season have been limited to about 25% of capacity, or a maximum of about 9,300 spectators in the Marlins’ 37,446-seat ballpark. The Blues have three players on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, leading scorer David Perron, Nathan Walker and Jake Walman. St. Louis recently confirmed that Walman, who’s fully vaccinated, had tested positive for the virus after undergoing additional tests.

The NHL has cleared the St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights after virus testing errors.

Blues Avalanche Hockey St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn, right, jumps in the air to avoid a shot as Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer covers the net in the third period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Monday, May 17, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The St. Louis Blues have reached out to the National Hockey League in regard to virus testing ahead of Game 2 of their best-of-seven series with the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche. The Blues have three players on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, leading scorer David Perron, Nathan Walker and Jake Walman. St. Louis recently confirmed that Walman, who’s fully vaccinated, had tested positive for the virus after undergoing additional tests. In a statement issued Wednesday, Blues president of hockey operations & general manager Doug Armstrong said: “We have discovered discrepancies in COVID test results relating to multiple players.

Several St. Louis Blues players who returned positive COVID-19 tests have been cleared to play in Game 2 on Wednesday night against Colorado after the results from a lab were investigated with follow-up tests coming back negative.

“As chaplain, I observed individual senators caring deeply about Idaho, and I daily witnessed their solidity to their oath of office,” writes Doug Armstrong.

FILE - In this March 9, 2020, file photo, St. Louis Blues' Alex Pietrangelo (27) and Florida Panthers' Aleksi Saarela (28) chase after the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in St. Louis. The Vegas Golden Knights have agreed to terms on a $61.6 million, seven-year contract with top free agent Pietrangelo, a person with direct knowledge of the move tells The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)Alex Pietrangelo heard it can snow in Las Vegas and wasn't worried about bundling up his four children if necessary. After leaving the Blues he led to the 2019 title to sign a $61.6 million contract with the Golden Knights, Pietrangelo hopes to play a big role in getting the young franchise to the top of the NHL. Talking with Foley and seeing the other moves the Golden Knights have made to move into perennial Cup contention convinced Pietrangelo to put St. Louis in his past and sign with Vegas.

FILE - In this June 15, 2015, file photo, Chicago Blackhawks' goalie Corey Crawford kisses the Stanley Cup Trophy after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Chicago. The past few weeks have seen several recent Stanley Cup winners get rid of members of their championship core. The Blackhawks moved on from Corey Crawford, the Washington Capitals did the same with Braden Holtby, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded fellow goalie Matt Murray and forward Patric Hornqvist and the St. Louis Blues signing Torey Krug means captain Alex Pietrangelo will sign elsewhere. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - In this June 15, 2015, file photo, Chicago Blackhawks' goalie Corey Crawford kisses the Stanley Cup Trophy after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Chicago. The past few weeks have seen several recent Stanley Cup winners get rid of members of their championship core. Hornqvist was “blindsided” the Pittsburgh Penguins wanted to trade him. The past several weeks have featured several recent Stanley Cup winners breaking up their championship core by saying goodbye to a key player with his name on the trophy. The agitating, go-to-the-net winger helped Pittsburgh win the Cup in 2016 and 2017.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (19) controls the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Honda Center. The 36-year-old Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac episode during the first period of Tuesday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks. Mark J. Terrill / APArmstrong and players lauded the Ducks and Blues medical staffs for their quick work. Each medical team regularly rehearses the evacuation of a severely injured player before the season and all players are screened for serious cardiac conditions. The last player to collapse on an NHL bench before Bouwmeester was Dallas forward Rich Peverley in 2014.