PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- More Flyers have been placed on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list. This comes after the league enhanced its coronavirus protocols on Thursday.
Oskar Lindblom, who overcame cancer, and Scott Laughton were added Friday evening. Jake Voracek and Morgan Frost were added to the list Thursday night, after captain Claude Giroux, Justin Braun and Travis Sanheim were previously on the list from earlier in the week.
Being on the list does not necessarily mean a player has tested positive for COVID-19. Another factor is a player could be a high-risk close contact. Frost would have been out anyway, with a shoulder injury.
One week after the NHL added new preventive measures to its COVID-19 protocol, the league and the players' union made even more additions, which will be in effect at least through the end of the month.
This comes as 35 games — all involving United States-based teams — have been postponed as of Friday morning, as reported by the Associated Press and Sporting News.
To give some perspective, the NBA, to date, has postponed 24 games, but its 72-game-per-team season started three weeks earlier than the NHL’s 56-game-per-team schedule.
Topping the list of additions was Point of Care testing for U.S.-based teams on game days. The league said that while the rapid tests aren’t as accurate as daily PCR lab tests — which are already taking place — they will help reduce the possibility of someone who is infected playing in that night's game.
The NHL said it’s also working with the seven Canada-based teams “on the availability of similar or supplemental testing resources.”
Players, coaches, training staff, equipment staff and other members of the traveling parties are now also required to stay at home as much as possible — except when going to games or practices, when exercising outdoors individually, when doing something essential, or in the case of an emergency or other extraordinary circumstance.
“While players on many clubs are already following this approach, it is our hope that requiring this measure across the league will reduce risks from community-based exposures,” the league said in a press release.
The NHL and union are also hoping that household members of these essential individuals will adhere to this guidance — even being as specific as recommending they use food and grocery delivery services.
The league said they recognize that kids attending school are not able to avoid the "public social interactions" as is required of the adults.
In addition to an effort to distribute more KN95 masks and to have family or household members test more regularly, people in every team’s traveling party are asked to reduce direct interactions with each other.
All team meetings must be virtual going forward, without exception, “barring extenuating circumstances,” according to the release.
Furthermore, players who previously tested positive for, but who have recovered from, COVID-19 and who have immunity from re-contracting the coronavirus for at least 90 days after their initial infection, will be asked to sit between players (in locker room, travel and meal settings) who have not tested positive in an attempt to protect those who have not had the virus.
And after taking away the plexiglass behind the benches last week to increase airflow for players and coaches on the bench, the same will be done in the penalty boxes.
The Flyers' next scheduled game, as of Friday morning, remains next Thursday Feb. 18, against the Rangers. They are then scheduled to take on the Boston Bruins Sunday, Feb. 21, in one of the NHL’s marquee regular season events — NHL Outdoor at Lake Tahoe.
This is a developing story.
The story was updated to include Oskar Lindblom and Scott Laughton on the list.