By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The National Hockey League has an explanation for why Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek didn’t play in the third period in a VGK 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Las Vegas Tuesday: officials learned during the game about Nosek testing positive for COVID-19.
“Upon notification that one of its players had returned a positive test for COVID-19, Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek was removed from Tuesday night’s game vs. Anaheim, in precise accordance with the terms of the League’s COVID Protocol. Nosek was immediately isolated from his teammates and close contact tracing was begun, also in accordance with the Protocol,” according to the NHL statement.
Because Nosek had tested positive, there was no media availability following the Knights-Ducks game at T-Mobile Arena.
The league said tomorrow night’s game in Las Vegas between the Golden Knights and Ducks remains scheduled to be played in Las Vegas at 7 PM Vegas time.
Rapid PCR Point of Care tests will be administered to all players and staff on both teams in advance of that game (in addition to the daily lab-based PCR testing) and any decision regarding potential postponement will be made by the League’s, NHLPA’s and Clubs’ medical officials, following all COVID Protocols and local and federal regulations.
The Knights said Wednesday forward Tomas Jurco and defenseman Kaedan Korczak have been assigned to the American Hockey League’s Henderson Silver Knights and defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and forward Tyrell Goulbourne were recalled to the Golden Knights taxi squad.
Besides Nosek, VGK defenseman Alex Pietrangelo also tested positive for the novel coronavirus and has missed games for the Knights. He did not play Tuesday night, but VGK coach Pete DeBoer said he expected Pietrangelo to be in Thursday’s lineup.
The Knights — and even their new local American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights — have had problems with COVID-19. The Golden Knights have had a game against the St. Louis Blues and two games against the San Jose Sharks postponed because of COVID, while the Silver Knights had the the third period of a preseason game against the San Jose Sharks’ affiliate canceled because a San Jose Barracuda player had tested positive for COVID.
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In other COVID-related postponements:
The National Hockey League announced today that, with three Philadelphia Flyers Players currently in the NHL’s COVID Protocols, the Club’s game against the New York Rangers on Feb. 14 has been postponed. It is expected that the Flyers will be able to re-open their facilities for practice on Monday, Feb. 15. These decisions were made by the League’s, NHLPA’s and Club’s medical groups.