VANCOUVER The epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak that has now affected the Maple Leafs, with John Tavares and Alex Kerfoot in self-isolation, appears to have been a Dec. 9 game between the Flames and Carolina Hurricanes in Calgary. There are other outbreaks around the league, to be sure, but the Flames have confirmed the Omicron variant was identified within their group, by far the largest with 19 players as well as coaches and support staff having tested positive. Here’s how it has played out.
Dec. 9: Flames host Hurricanes.
Dec. 11: Flames host Bruins. Hurricanes visit Oilers.
Dec. 12: Canucks host Hurricanes. Carolina star Sebastian Aho out undisclosed illness.
Dec. 13: Flames place Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Brad Richardson, Adam Ruzicka, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov and training staff member in NHL protocols.
- Hurricanes Aho, Seth Jarvis and a training staff member enter protocols. They remain quarantined in Vancouver.
- NHL postpones Flames games at Chicago (Dec. 13), at Nashville (Dec. 14) and vs. Leafs (Dec. 16).
Dec. 14: Flames Noah Hanifin, Milan Lucic and Sean Monahan in protocols.
- Hurricanes-Wild game postponed. Carolina’s Jordan Staal, Andrei Svechnikov, Ian Cole and Steven Lorentz in protocols. Still quarantined in Minnesota.
- Oilers host Leafs after Edmonton forward Ryan McLeod and head coach Dave Tippett enter protocols.
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- Canucks put Brad Hunt, Luke Schenn and Juho Lammikko in protocols, then pull Tucker Poolman from game vs. Columbus.
- Bruins Craig Smith and Brad Marchand in protocols.
Dec. 15: Hurricanes, with 16 skaters, play in Detroit.
- Flames place Rasmus Andersson, Byron Froese, Johnny Gaudreau, Erik Gudbranson, Trevor Lewis, Jacob Markstrom, Tyler Pitlick, coaches Darryl Sutter, Ryan Huska and Kirk Muller plus seven support staff members in protocols.
- Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron in protocols.
- Flames games postponed through Dec. 18.
Dec. 16: Flames Dillon Dubé, Oliver Kylington and support staffer added to protocols.
- Bruins Oskar Steen, Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic and Anton Blidh in protocols.
Dec. 17: Flames add Mikael Backlund and support staffer to protocols.
- NHL postpones Saturday’s Canadiens-Bruins game.
- Leafs put John Tavares and Alex Kerfoot in protocols.
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