16 Calgary Flames players, 11 staff now in COVID-19 protocol – Calgary | Globalnews.ca

COVID-19 continues to sweep through the Calgary Flames organization.

Wednesday morning, the team announced on Twitter that seven more players, three coaches and seven support staff recently tested positive, bringing the total to 27.

Rasmus Andersson, Byron Froese, Johnny Gaudreau, Erik Gudbranson, Trevor Lewis, Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Pitlick were the players who tested positive.

That brings the number of players who have tested positive in recent days to 16. The Flames carry 25 on their roster.

Coaches Ryan Huska, Kirk Muller and Darryl Sutter were also named as having entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

On Monday and Tuesday, the team announced Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Brad Richardson, Adam Ruzicka, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, Milan Lucic, Sean Monahan, Noah Hanifin and a trainer had all entered the league’s COVID-19 protocol.

As of Tuesday, Alberta Health Services had not declared it an outbreak.

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Three more positive cases for the Flames. Cases rise on other NHL teams.

Flames GM Brad Treliving addressed the media on the emerging outbreak within the club on Tuesday, saying the top priority is the health and safety of all of its players, staff and family.

Treliving said team members tested positive before the team left for a short road trip to Chicago and Nashville. He noted the team had been following all league and public health guidelines and are regularly tested.

“(COVID-19 is) out there. You do your very best to be safe and smart and do the right protocols,” he said.

Treliving said that it was too early to say which COVID-19 variant was circulating in the team, but noted that some players had tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The day before, the NHL postponed all Flames games through Saturday, but Treliving said it was too early to tell whether further games would be postponed.

Tuesday afternoon, Edmonton Oilers player Ryan McLeod and head coach Dave Tippett had been placed in the league’s coronavirus protocol.

On Wednesday morning, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney was asked whether the increase in COVID-19 cases in NHL teams in the province was reason for his government to reduce spectator capacity at arenas.

“We haven’t had that conversation,” Kenney said.

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Alberta hasn’t discussed sports gathering limits as more Calgary Flames members enter COVID-19 protocol

“The NHL and other large events have been operating over the past three months within the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) as numbers have continued to decline sharply for COVID in Alberta. That would strongly suggest that the Restrictions Exemption Program has been working.”

“We’ll always analyze emerging data and be happy to have a discussion with the team management and the NHL,” the premier said.

The premier added that, with the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship being hosted in Edmonton and Red Deer, those events will have to comply with the REP and any incoming international travelers will have to comply with federal travel measures.