Two more players on the Vancouver Canucks have been added to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, bringing the team’s total to 16, the league announced Sunday.
The news comes a day after the number of Canucks players on the list ballooned by seven as forwards Travis Boyd, Jayce Hawryluk, Bo Horvat, Tyler Motte and Brandon Sutter, defenceman Tyler Myers, as well as goaltender Thatcher Demko joined its ranks.
“More than half the players on their roster have tested positive, and at this point, really, the NHL is working under the assumption that everyone has been exposed because of how quickly this has spread through the team,” Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported during the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada.
Defencemen Alexander Edler and Quinn Hughes, forwards Zack MacEwen and Antoine Roussel, and goaltender Braden Holtby entered the league’s protocols Friday, based on testing and ongoing contact tracing. Another player from Vancouver’s taxi squad, whose name has not been disclosed, was added to the list, too.
At least one member of the coaching staff, who has not been publicly identified at this time, tested positive for the virus and was also added to the list Friday.
They joined Adam Gaudette and Travis Hamonic, who entered the health and safety protocols earlier this week, prompting the postponement of Wednesday’s game against the Calgary Flames just before the opening faceoff.
The NHL had already postponed four Canucks games due to the outbreak, which is now not only the largest for a Canadian NHL team at one time this season but is also among the largest any professional North American sports team has faced.
