NHL postpones more games due to COVID. So why did the Sharks have to play on?

SAN JOSE — The growing number of COVID-19 cases around the NHL — and the subsequent postponement of several more games — has caught the attention of the Sharks, who already had a round of positive cases more than six weeks ago.

The NHL announced the postponement of Carolina’s game Tuesday with the Minnesota Wild after four more Hurricanes players were placed in the league’s COVID protocol. Carolina was already without four other players.

The news came a day after the league postponed Calgary Flames games through this week after that team was hit with a round of positive cases.

Per the Associated Press, 11 of the NHL’s 32 teams — including opponents — have been affected by at least one postponement so far this season. TSN’s Chris Johnston said that 23 players were added to the league’s COVID protocol from Monday morning to Tuesday midday.

“You look around the league, it gets a little scary now thinking about it,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said Tuesday morning. “We felt a bit like the guinea pigs on how the league handled it this year. Everybody looks like they’re getting shut down if they have multiple COVID issues.”

“It’s getting back to a lot of players getting it right now and the schedule is going to be affected, obviously with Calgary,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “I just saw a few other teams that have been hit, too. So we’ll see what happens here going forward.”

Boughner and seven Sharks players were added to the NHL’s protocol on Oct. 30 just hours before the team was slated to play the Winnipeg Jets.

Two of those players, Andrew Cogliano and Jonathan Dahlen, were found to have falsely tested positive, but Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc were later added to the list after both forwards had played against the Jets.

Still, the Sharks had to play on, and for six games, were without four of their top six defensemen, including Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

The Sharks’ COVID breakout came two weeks before the Ottawa Senators had 10 players and a coach test positive for the coronavirus. Three of Ottawa’s games were postponed.

So why did the Sharks have to keep playing?

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly explained in an email to this news organization last month that the difference between the Sharks and Senators was that the “number of positive (Ottawa) players was higher and evidence of continued spread among team members became apparent. Wasn’t the case in the San Jose situation.”

Using a patchwork lineup supplemented by players brought up from their AHL club, the Barracuda, the Sharks went 3-2-1 in the time they had players unavailable with COVID. They entered their game with the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday with a 15-12-1 record.

The Sharks almost had their Dec. 2 game with the New York Islanders postponed because of COVID issues on that team. The Sharks and Islanders played that night, but more postponements of NHL games may be inevitable.

“Obviously, every situation is different,” Couture said. “Canadian teams probably have issues with crossing borders and all that, so in some of those instances, I think it makes sense.”

Nearly every NHL player was fully vaccinated before the season began. The league is recommending booster shots for players but is not making it mandatory.

Boughner said Sharks team doctors have talked to team trainers about how antibody testing is being planned for certain players.

“I got my booster yesterday. The old people get it first, I guess,” said Boughner, who is 50.

What the outbreaks around the league mean for NHL participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics in February is unclear.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week that the league will not stand in the way of players who want to compete for their countries. However, players who test positive for COVID while in China face a lengthy quarantine, possibly up to three weeks, in that country.

Also, more disruptions to the NHL schedule could alter the league’s thinking on player participation.