NHL postpones Wild games through Feb. 9 amid COVID-19 outbreak
Minnesota Wild Center Nick Bjugstad (27) protects the puck from Los Angeles Kings Defenceman Sean Walker (26) during an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings on January 28, 2021, at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN. ((Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Wild's season is on pause for the next week while the team deals with a COVID-19 outbreak, the NHL announced on Wednesday.
League and Wild team officials say that five new players have been added to the league's COVID-19 Protocol List. The players include Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson and Jared Spurgeon.
That makes six Wild players in total on the NHL's COVID-19 list, with Marcus Foligno placed on the list on Sunday. Players put on the list have either tested positive for COVID-19, or come in close contact with a carrier. None of the six is available for practices, travel or games until they are removed from the COVID-19 list.
We're told the team has been put in quarantine. The team plans to run more tests on Thursday, but the Wild's game at Colorado, the fourth of four straight against the Avalanche, has been postponed.
The NHL has put the Wild's season on pause until at least Feb. 9, which means games set for Saturday and Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes, and next Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues are all postponed.
In addition to games being postponed through at least Feb. 9, the team's training facility at TRIA Rink has been closed, effective immediately, and will remain shut down until further notice. League officials are in the process of revising the Wild's regular season schedule.
Wild officials say the team has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies.
The Wild lost at Colorado 2-1 Tuesday night in the third of four straight games against the Avalanche, and are now 6-5 on the season.