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NHL COVID news: 2 more games postponed; Gallant enters protocol

gallant rangers

BUFFALO, NY - DECEMBER 10: New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant watches his team from the bench during an NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres on December 10, 2021 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

Two more games postponed on Monday

The NHL announced on Sunday afternoon that two more games have been postponed due to COVID situations with the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils.

Monday’s game between the Oilers and Ottawa Senators has been pushed back to Saturday due to COVID issues within the Edmonton Oilers organization as they currently have multiple players sidelined in the league’s protocol.

The league also postponed Monday’s game between the Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning. No makeup date for that game has been scheduled.

The NHL is now closing in on 100 postponed games this season, including four originally scheduled for Monday. Along with the New Jersey-Tampa Bay and Ottawa-Edmonton games the Montreal-Columbus and Minnesota-Winnipeg games were previously postponed due to attendance restrictions in Canada.

Gerard Gallant enters protocol, but Panarin likely to return

The New York Rangers will be without their head coach on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings after it was announced that Gerard Gallant has entered the league’s COVID protocol. He will be replaced behind the bench by assistant coach Kris Knoblach.

The good news for the Rangers, though, is that they are expected to get top forward Artemi Panarin back in the lineup as he has been cleared to exit the protocol. He traveled to Los Angeles with the team. Panarin has not played since December 31 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

More COVID news from around the league

• Elias Pettersson was reportedly traveling with the Vancouver Canucks to start their four-game road trip after he was placed into the league’s COVID protocol on Wednesday. The Canucks’ next game is in Florida on Tuesday night.

• Damon Severson and Janne Kuokkenen were the latest New Jersey Devils to be added to the COVID protocol, forcing the postponement for Monday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

• The Oilers placed Tyler Benson and Warren Foegele into the protocol, giving them 10 players sidelined and six staff members.