Golden Knights GM McCrimmon Addresses Team’s COVID-19 Issues; Friday’s VGK vs LA Kings Game Is On

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

Besides three Vegas Golden Knights coaches and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, there was also a VGK taxi squad player who was placed in COVID-19 isolation and protocol, Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon said Monday.

“Those people are all healthy and doing well,” McCrimmon said. He noted the Golden Knights will practice next on Wednesday to prep for Friday’s VGK vs LA Kings game in Las Vegas.

McCrimmon held a short media session at about 11:40 this morning to address the three VGK games that were postponed because of COVID-19 issues and the Henderson Silver Knights vs San Jose Barracuda preseason game Saturday that was also cancelled because a Barracuda player  had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The San Jose minor league team learned about the player testing positive in the middle of the game, and the exhibition match was shut down after two periods at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Friday’s LA Kings vs Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena is the next scheduled game and it’s on, McCrimmon said.

McCrimmon did not identify the three VGK coaches or the taxi squad player who are in quarantine. Alex Pietrangelo’s identity is known because his name is on the NHL COVID-19 list. NHL players are on that “players unavailable due to COVID protocol” list for at least one reason: testing positive for COVID, a high-risk close contact or an initial positive test that remains unconfirmed.

The VGK coaches and players in COVID protocol prompted the postponement of the Thursday Jan. 28 VGK vs Blues game at T-Mobile Arena and the Monday and Wednesday Feb. 1 and 3 games between the Knights and San Jose Sharks at Gila River Arena in Arizona this week.

Here are the re-scheduled games for those three postponed matches:

Game #122, St. Louis at Vegas, originally scheduled for Jan. 28, is now scheduled for Monday, March 22 at 10 p.m. ET

Game #149, Vegas at San Jose, originally scheduled for Feb. 1, is now scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13 at 4 p.m. ET

Game #162, Vegas at San Jose, originally scheduled for Feb. 3, is now scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10:30 p.m. ET

Game #325, Vegas at Anaheim, originally scheduled for Feb. 26, is now scheduled for Friday, April 23 at 10 p.m. ET

Also, McCrimmon noted defenseman Brayden McNabb was placed on long-term injury reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury against St. Louis on Tuesday. He’s expected to miss at least 10 games.

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