Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Thursday.
The 61-year-old Krueger will immediately enter the NHL’s COVID protocol and join four players -- Taylor Hall, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, and Rasmus Ristolainen.
All Sabres games have been postponed through at least Feb. 8 after the Devils, who played twice in Buffalo over the weekend, saw a large number of players place on the COVID protocol list. Buffalo’s trip to Long Island earlier this week was delayed due to a lack of time to conduct contact tracing and testing.
“We have seen no definitive evidence of cross-team transmission,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic’s John Vogl, while adding, “We aren’t ruling it out. And we will adjust as necessary and appropriate.”
The Sabres closed their practice facilities indefinitely on Monday.
On Thursday, the NHL began making changes to the in-arena COVID protocols, including removing the glass behind benches to improve air flow and installing filters for better air quality.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.