Patrice Bergeron enters COVID-19 protocol, becoming 3rd Bruin sidelined in 2 days
Team captain Patrice Bergeron is entering COVID-19 protocols, the Bruins announced Wednesday morning.
The news comes a day after Brad Marchand, the team’s top scorer, and Craig Smith entered protocols.
Bergeron might need to miss the usual 10 days, meaning he could be out at least five games, until the Dec. 27 matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Marchand and Smith, if out 10 days, would also be sidelined until Dec. 27.
On Tuesday, without Marchand and Smith — two of their top six forwards — the Bruins lost, 4-1, to the Vegas Golden Knights at TD Garden.
The Bruins are one of several teams dealing with COVID-19 concerns. Coach Bruce Cassidy just returned to practice on Monday after testing positive and missing two weeks because of protocols.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I got it,” Cassidy said. “It can happen to anybody. I thought I was fairly safe as well, vaccinated. So you just keep your fingers crossed with this.”
Linus Ullmark, Connor Clifton, and John Moore were held out of Monday’s morning skate because of “testing issues.” Clifton and Moore were back on the ice Tuesday, on the third defensive pairing.
Jack Studnicka and Oskar Steen were brought up from Providence on emergency recall. Neither played Monday night, and both were returned to the AHL after the game.
The Flames, whom the Bruins played on Saturday night in Calgary, had three games this week postponed. That decision came before three more Flames players entered protocols on Tuesday, running the team total to nine.
The Carolina Hurricanes, who played Calgary last Thursday, saw their Tuesday game against the Minnesota Wild postponed, with four additional positive tests putting the Hurricanes’ total at six. Their game was the NHL’s ninth postponement this season, joining Calgary’s, plus five last month including the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.
The NHL said in a statement it will provide a further update Wednesday. Plans to go on break in early February to allow its players to participate in the Beijing Olympics may be in doubt, should the league opt to use that planned break to reschedule games.
Julian Benbow and Michael Silverman of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
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