US sports leagues cope with COVID-19 outbreaks amid variants
U.S. sports leagues are seeing rapidly increasing COVID-19 outbreaks with dozens of players in health and safety protocols, amid an ongoing surge by the delta variant of the coronavirus and rising cases of the highly transmissible omicron mutation.
The Latest: Sabres to have limited number of fans at 4 games
The Sabres added another option of proof of a negative antigen COVID-19 test within six hours of the doors opening. The Sabres had fans in attendance only once this season. No other players or coaches were affected by the coach’s positive test. ___Buffalo Sabres interim coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis are headed back to work after being cleared from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Ad___The Michigan Wolverines are out of the NCAA Division I men's hockey tournament because of positive COVID-19 test results within the team's Tier 1 testing group.
Medical examiner: Cardiac event, not accident, killed Plager
Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in a car crash in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)ST. LOUIS – Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager likely died of a “cardiac event,” not injuries from a highway accident, the St. Louis medical examiner said Friday. Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Graham performed an autopsy and said Plager didn’t sustain any injuries that would have been life-threatening. He played 11 seasons for St. Louis -- teaming for a stretch with brothers Barclay and Bill -- and later worked for the organization in a variety of roles. The Ontario native scored 20 goals with 126 assists and 802 penalty minutes in 644 regular-season NHL games, and added two goals, 17 assists and 195 penalty minutes in 74 playoff games.
The Latest: Sabres coaches placed in NHL COVID protocol
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Buffalo Sabres interim coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis have been placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The development leaves general manager Kevyn Adams taking over behind the bench for Buffalo’s game at Pittsburgh on Thursday night. This marks the second time the Sabres have been hit by COVID-19 in two months. Buffalo’s season was paused for two weeks in early February after nine players and then-coach Ralph Krueger were placed in the protocol. The university said the team went through seven rounds of testing in the seven days leading up to its departure for Albany on Wednesday.
Blues hockey great Bob Plager killed in car accident
FILE - In this Thursday, Feb 2, 2017 file photo, Former St. Louis Blues player Bob Plager waves to fans while speaking during a ceremony to retire his number before an NHL hockey game between the Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs in St. Louis. Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in a car crash in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)ST. LOUIS – Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday in a car crash in St. Louis. “It is unimaginable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager,” the team said in a statement. “He was an original 1967 member of the St. Louis Blues, but also an original in every sense of the word.
The Latest: NHL's Bruins resume practice, scheduled to play
Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and Washington winger Tom Wilson separately questioned the NHL on a lack of clarity between clean and dirty hits. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Boston Bruins are resuming practice since having two games postponed resulting from five players being placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The team announced it will practice Wednesday night, a day before the Bruins are still scheduled to host the New York Islanders. The total is down from 15 on Tuesday, which was the most since 18 players were in the protocol on Feb. 17. The conference allowed a limited number of fans to attend the Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
The Latest: NHL postpones Oilers-Canadiens game
The postponement of the game was the 38th overall this season for coronavirus-related reasons, and first to involve the seven-team all-Canadian North Division. The 10 players listed matches the most since Feb. 21. A total of 157 NHL players have now spent at least one day in the COVID-19 protocol this season. The NHL on Friday postponed two Bruins games after four more Boston players entered the COVID protocol, for a total of five. Sweeney said the players were driven separately back to Boston from Buffalo after that game was postponed.
The Latest: NHL lists 9 players in COVID protocol
The Boston Bruins had four players added to their list, which resulted in the league postponing their next two games. Boston’s David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk, David Krejci and Craig Smith joined Sean Kuraly, who entered the protocol a day earlier. The five players on one team are the most since the Philadelphia Flyers had five on Feb. 23. A total of 153 players have spent at least one day in the protocol since the NHL season began publishing its list on Jan. 13. ___The NHL has paused the Boston Bruins after four more players entered the league’s COVID protocol.
The Latest: Bruins-Sabres game still on
The Sabres canceled their pregame practice after a member of their staff was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The first game for ticketed fans will be when the Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues on April 2. ___The status of the Sabres-Bruins game in Buffalo on Thursday night is uncertain after both teams placed personnel in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. The Sabres canceled morning practice after a hockey staff member entered the protocol. The game Thursday night is supposed to be Buffalo’s first this season with a limited number of fans.
Zibanejad has 3 goals, 3 assists as Rangers rout Flyers 9-0
New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad (93) scores against Philadelphia Flyers' Carter Hart (79) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in New York. (Bruce Bennett/Pool Photo via AP)NEW YORK – Mika Zibanejad had three goals and three assists in New York’s seven-goal second period, and the Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 9-0 Wednesday night. Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch and associate head coach Gord Murphy, and Rangers associate general manager Chris Drury were behind the bench. Ad“You didn’t have much time to think about it,” Knoblauch said when asked about pregame preparation as the acting head coach. “Nothing about this game was any good,” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said.
The Latest: Coaching staff of NY Rangers in COVID protocol
New York Rangers coach David Quinn, middle rear, speaks to players during a timeout in the second period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Boston. The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The New York Rangers will be without coach David Quinn and his entire staff tonight against Philadelphia because of NHL COVID protocol. Kris Knoblauch, who coaches the Rangers’ top minor league affiliate, the American Hockey League’s Hartford WolfPack, will serve as acting coach. Kruger said Harmon is the only Oklahoma player to test positive or be in contact tracing. The Volunteers have had multiple positive COVID-19 test results among athletes and staff members in recent rounds of testing.
US-Canada border decision looms in playoffs for NHL
AP Photo/Chris Seward)A year after the pandemic temporarily shut down the NHL, a handful of roadblocks remain to handing out the Stanley Cup again this season — including the U.S.-Canada border. The border remains closed to nonessential travel, an issue the NHL addressed before the 2021 season began in January by realigning its divisions. But the league has a decision looming on what to do when a Canadian team faces a U.S. opponent in the third round of the playoffs. Talks are ongoing with Canadian government officials, though nothing needs to be settled yet since cross-border play won't happen until mid-June. “We’ve got a little bit of time to deal with this,” Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during a video interview Thursday.
The Latest: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby cleared to play
He is the 10th Philadelphia player to enter the protocol this season, and first since Travis Konecny was cleared on Sunday following a two-week stint. That leaves a season-low-matching three players listed, including San Jose’s Tomas Hertl, who entered his ninth day in the protocol. The number of fans will increase monthly if it's safe to do so, the Royals said in a news release. Team officials have worked for months with Kansas City health officials and the Jackson County Sports Authority to ensure fans will have a safe experience, the team said. Following approval by local health officials, attendance will be limited to 2,500 for the women’s tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and to 8,000 for the men’s tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Latest: Boston's Charlie Coyle enters NHL COVID protocol
Coyle becomes just the second Bruins’ player added to the protocol, and first since Karson Kuhlman spent the first two days of the season on the list in January. Each person attending the games will be required to comply with all state public health regulations and arena policies. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Wednesday that Virginia Tech's men's basketball game at North Carolina State on Saturday has been canceled. The cancellation follows quarantining and a contract tracing review within the Virginia Tech men’s program. NC State says it would like to find another league game to replace it if they can.
The Latest: NHL's COVID-19 list at season-low three players
(Sarah Stier/Pool Photo via AP)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The list of players in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol dropped to a season-low three, despite the additions of Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and Nashville’s Ryan Johansen. San Jose’s Tomas Hertl is the only other player on the list after entering his seventh day in the protocol. ___Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will miss Tuesday night’s game against Philadelphia after being placed on the COVID-19 protocol list. The news comes a day after the NHL had a season-low four players in the COVID-19 protocol. AdTuesday night’s game will be the first game with fans in attendance at PPG Paints Arena since last March.
The Latest: Sharks back at practice, play Sat night vs Blues
San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, center, celebrates with teammates Patrick Marleau (12) and Mario Ferraro (38) after scoring a goal against Minnesota Wild during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The San Jose Sharks have returned to practice and are set to play the St. Louis Blues as scheduled on Saturday night after having one game postponed because a player tested positive for the coronavirus. Tomas Hertl was placed on the COVID-19 list on Wednesday, leading to the team canceling practice that day and postponing Thursday’s game against Vegas. With no other players or staff testing positive since then, the Sharks were allowed to return to practice Friday and will host St. Louis the next night. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference will expand use of KINEXON SafeTag contact tracing devices by equipping players, coaches and Tier 1 personnel for its upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
The Latest: NHL down to a season-low 8 players on COVID list
(AP Photo/Tony Avelar)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The NHL is down to a season-low eight players on the COVID-19 list after play on Tuesday night, five of them on the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s a marked improvement in the 11 days since the league had a season-high 59 players on the list. The Flyers have moved into third among NHL teams, with players spending a combined total of 98 days on the list, one more than Buffalo. He joined Nellie Fox (1959), Dick Allen (1972) and Frank Thomas (1993, 1994) as the team's only MVP winners. ___The West Coast Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Latest: Big West hoops tournaments banning spectators
(AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Big West Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments without spectators, including family and guests of the teams. The Big West’s board of directors decided to start the season without fans in attendance. AdPelicans officials say they are hoping to allow as many as 4,000 fans per game later this season. The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic. AdThe governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils games under the new rules.
Crosby plays 1,000th game as Penguins top Islanders 3-2
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)PITTSBURGH – It was one special day for Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby — from the beginning to the very end. Crosby had two assists in his 1,000th NHL game, and the Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Saturday night. “Every win is good, but to get it for (Crosby) on his 1,000th game is special,” Letang said. Crosby entered his 1,000th game with the eighth-most points in NHL history through 1,000 games. 87 jersey to recognize their captain before his 1,000th NHL game.
The Latest: NHL's COVID-19 list down to 13 players
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The NHL’s COVID-19 list is now down to 13 players, marking the second-lowest total since the league first began publishing it on Jan. 13. His addition came the same day four Wild players were removed from the list: Jonas Brodin, Victor Rask, Carson Soucy and Cam Talbot. Los Angeles Kings forward Andreas Athanasiou was also cleared after spending a league-high 21 days on the list. The professional hockey team started in 2013 in the Central Hockey League, helping fill the void after the Ontario Hockey League’s Brampton Battalion moved to North Bay. The New Jersey Devils still lead all NHL teams in both the number of players and the number of combined days on the COVID-19 list.
Winter weather in Texas impacts pro, college sports
NHL games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators had already been scrapped. The shuffling of pro events came amid adjustments for several men's and women's college basketball games in Texas because of frigid temperatures and icy conditions for traveling. 12 Texas men's visit to ninth-ranked Oklahoma has been moved back a day to Thursday after originally getting bumped from Tuesday to Wednesday because of the weather. Two other women’s games scheduled for Wednesday had also been called off: Texas at TCU and Texas Tech at Oklahoma. The American Athletic Conference men's game between Tulane and SMU in Dallas scheduled for Wednesday was postponed, with no makeup date announced.
The Latest: NHL says Tomas Nosek of Vegas out with COVID
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) celebrates after defenseman Zach Whitecloud, left, scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The NHL says Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek has tested positive for COVID-19 after he was removed from playing in a 5-4 win over Anaheim on Tuesday night. The NHL says the Golden Knights home game against the Ducks remains scheduled for Thursday, pending test results of players and staff on both teams. In other coronavirus pandemic developments, Minnesota forward Victor Rask was added to the NHL’s COVID-19 list. The Wild now have 13 players on the list, with their games postponed through at least Saturday.
The Latest: NHL postpones its 34th game - Flyers-Capitals
The league has postponed Tuesday night’s Flyers-Capitals game in Washington because of COVID-19-related issues with Philadelphia. It’s the 34th game postponed so far this season, which is roughly a quarter of the way through. Krueger allowed the team to reveal he tested positive. Ad___Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has tested positive for the coronavirus and has withdrawn from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Three staff members and one management official have also tested positive at the club.
The Latest: NHL postpones Avalanche games due to COVID-19
The Avalanche currently have two players on the league’s COVID-19 list: captain Gabriel Landeskog and forward Tyson Jost. AdThe Wolverines’ 13th-ranked women’s basketball team and highly competitive hockey squad also were cleared to enter their facilities. Michigan’s men’s basketball team is scheduled to play Feb. 11 at home against No. ___Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog, Buffalo defenseman Jake McCabe and Minnesota forward Nico Sturm were added to NHL COVID-19 protocol list. ___West Virginia is boosting home attendance to 2,800, or 20% of capacity, for the men’s basketball game Feb. 13 between the 17th-ranked Mountaineers and No.
The Latest: NHL shuts down Buffalo Sabres because of COVID
Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton (40) makes a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Buffalo Sabres are the latest NHL team to be shut down because of players in COVID protocol. The league has announced the Sabres are shut down through at least Feb. 8 after two players were added to the COVID-19 protocol list. Buffalo played New Jersey twice over the weekend, and the Devils are off through at least Feb. 6 with 10 players on the list. They are immediately isolated, not permitted to access club facilities, or to have direct contact with players or personnel. ___The NHL has postponed Tuesday's game between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders because of travel and weather-related concerns linked to coronavirus protocols.
The Latest: Boston College down to 4 scholarship players
Four games were postponed because of players testing positive or quarantining under the COVID-19 protocol. DePaul’s previously postponed game at St. John’s on Jan. 2 has been rescheduled for Feb. 20. Major League Baseball last week proposed a one-month delay in starting spring training due to the coronavirus pandemic. ___The Cleveland Indians will not be allowing fans to watch their spring training workouts in Arizona due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AdThere has not yet been a decision on whether fans will be able to attend spring training games.
The Latest: Flames temporarily relocating AHL team to Canada
The team announced Thursday that the Stockton Heat will play this season in Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome. The move leaves the Vancouver Canucks (Utica, New York) and Edmonton Oilers (Bakersfield, California) as the lone Canadian teams with American-based AHL affiliates this season. The teams were initially set to play in Atlanta in early January, but both games were postponed because of the coronavirus. The development comes a day after the Riveters were not allowed to play their game against the Buffalo Beauts. This provides teams a two-day break as there were no games scheduled for Friday.
The Latest: San José returning to Shark Tank in mid-February
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The San José Sharks finally know when they are returning home. The Sharks say they need to work out several health and safety issues before returning to the Bay Area. ___UConn says it has postponed its next two men's basketball games, including Thursday’s scheduled contest with No. ___The University at Albany men’s basketball team has been placed on a temporary pause following a presumptive positive COVID-19 test within the team’s Tier 1 personnel. Last week, members of the University of Vermont’s women’s basketball team decided not to continue their season and opted out, disrupting the league schedule.
The Latest: Chattanooga postpones 2 men’s basketball games
___The next two George Washington men’s basketball games have been postponed due to the continued pause on basketball activities after positive tests within Tier 1 personnel. ___Boston College has postponed two men’s basketball games this week because of positive COVID-19 tests, prompting the Atlantic Coast Conference to juggle its schedule. Carolina, Dallas, Florida, Nashville and Tampa Bay have all had games postponed because of the pandemic. ___The Chattanooga Mocs have postponed a pair of men’s basketball games after a positive COVID-19 test among the team’s Tier 1 personnel. ___The Southern Conference postponed three games because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Furman and Chattanooga men’s basketball programs.