Ottawa Senators add 2 players to NHL's COVID-19 protocol
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - The Ottawa Senators placed two more players in the NHL´s COVID-19 protocol Thursday, hours before they were scheduled to host the Los Angeles Kings.
The Senators added forward Alex Formenton and goaltender Matt Murray to the COVID-19 list, bringing the number of players in protocol to eight. Murray and Formenton played Tuesday night in the Senators´ 3-2 loss at Boston.
"All you can do is try to protect yourself as much as possible," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "Try to wear a mask, try to distance yourself and stay inside your certain circles. But at this point it´s really tough because your circle is the group that has it."
The Senators recalled forward Andrew Agozzino and defensemen Dillon Heatherington and Lassi Thomson from Belleville of the American Hockey League to fill the gaps in the roster.
The Senators canceled practice Wednesday for precautionary reasons after defenseman Josh Brown was placed in the COVID-19 protocol. Forwards Austin Watson, Dylan Gambrell and Connor Brown and defensemen Victor Mete and Nick Holden also are on the list, along with associate coach Jack Capuano.
The Senators are scheduled to host Pittsburgh on Saturday and Calgary on Sunday.
Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) skates with the puck behind the Tampa Bay Lightning net as Lightning's Victor Hedman attempts to knock him off the puck during second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Zach Sanford is congratulated by Josh Norris (9) after he scored against the Boston Bruins during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
