The NHL’s deputy commissioner says the Vancouver Canucks’ COVID-19 outbreak is concerning, but remains confident the team will be able to complete its schedule.
In an email to The Canadian Press on Monday, Bill Daly says the Canucks’ numbers are “concerning from a health and safety standpoint, not necessarily from a scheduling standpoint.”
Daly says the league believes the Canucks will return and conclude their 56-game schedule.
Daly also says the league will not change its COVID protocols in the aftermath of the Canucks’ situation.
WATCH | Canucks sidelined by COVID-19:
The Vancouver Canucks have cancelled several upcoming games after a COVID-19 outbreak hit at least half the team’s roster. 1:59
After forward Adam Gaudette’s positive test came back last Tuesday, practice continued without him and then last Wednesday morning’s skate went ahead.
Sixteen of the 22 players on the Canucks’ active roster were on the NHL’s protocol list as of Sunday. A player on the list has not necessarily tested positive — the list, for example, also has players who must self-isolate for being a close contact or travel reasons. A player who tests positive must self-isolate for 10 days.
The list is updated every day at 5 p.m. ET.
The team has had four games postponed because of the virus. The Canucks’ next scheduled game is Thursday in Calgary against the Flames.
P1 variant suspected
Multiple reports have said the P1 variant first identified in Brazil is suspected to be involved in the Canucks’ outbreak, but the Canucks and NHL have not commented publicly on results of tests since the Vancouver organization confirmed Gaudette had tested positive last week.
The biggest previous COVID-19 outbreaks in the NHL were all in the U.S.
The Dallas Stars had their first four games of the season postponed after 17 players tested positive — most of whom were asymptomatic.
The New Jersey Devils had 19 players on the COVID protocol list and seven games postponed earlier this season, while the Buffalo Sabres had nine players on the list and six games postponed.
The Canucks’ outbreak comes with the vaccine rollout going slower in Canada than in many states in the U.S.
“There’s two different countries, different rules, different situations,” Calgary Flames centre Mikael Backlund said. “There’s nothing we can do about it really. We’ve just got to wait for our turn.”