Minnesota Wild Postpone Next 4 Games Due To COVID-19 Outbreak

The Minnesota Wild now has five more players out with COVID-19. That brings the total to 6 players as of February 4. Those players are Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, Jared Spurgeon, and Marcus Foligno. They are now in the NHL's COVID Protocols, which recently have been updated because of a total of 40 players testing positive in the league. Other teams reporting outbreaks include Las Vegas, New Jersey, and Buffalo.

According to the Star Tribune, the team's players are traveling back Thursday to Minnesota. At least the next 4 games will not be played as originally scheduled. That includes Thursday night's game at Colorado, the upcoming weekend series versus Arizona, and Tuesday's game versus St. Louis at Xcel. The NHL is looking at the Wild's season schedule for revisions to make up the games. The Minnesota Wild facilities are also closed until further notice.

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The NHL COVID-19 protocols call for a player testing positive to self isolate immediately. Contact tracing is then started. If a player is asymptomatic, they may return 10 days after their positive test. A symptomatic player can stop isolating after 10 days if their symptoms have improved, or if they test negative twice in that period.

Additional protocols have been added because of the outbreaks including limiting the time players and staff are at a game. They now are only allowed into the arena 1 hr and 45 minutes before the game. All meetings must be held virtually. Locker rooms must be spaced out with 6 feet between players. They've also removed glass panels behind the benches for better airflow in the arenas.