The Buffalo Sabres have announced that head coach Ralph Krueger has tested positive for COVID-19. The organization announced that he would be immediately entering the NHL’s COVID protocol.
An update from the Sabres organization:
An update from the Sabres organization: pic.twitter.com/6r7srLO6dT
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 4, 2021
Ralph Krueger Out with COVID-19
Late Thursday morning, the Buffalo Sabres announced that their bench boss in Ralph Krueger did test positive for the coronavirus. Starting immediately, Krueger will be entering his self-isolation period for at least the next 10 days. Joining a handful of his players like Taylor Hall and Rasmus Ristolainen.
Now that we are through the first 10 games of the season, Krueger has led the Sabres to a 4-4-2 record, where they find themselves in sixth place of the MassMutual East Division. At the same time, this is his second year behind the bench in Buffalo and only his third all-time. Krueger is striving to bring Buffalo back to its glory days.
What This Means for the Future
Now that there are 40 different players on the COVID-19 list and four teams idle to the same issues, the league reviews its virus protocols. They have begun a major overhaul of how to go about social distancing and keeping the players safe. For example, the glass panels behind the bench will be removed to allow for better airflow. Unless they are receiving any medical treatment; Coaches and players are not allowed to enter the arena until one hour and 45 minutes before the game. On top of that, the teams will be spacing out their locker room to provide the players with at least six feet of distance.
Overall, with 22 games being postponed, the league had to do something to slow the spread of this disease, with most of the US’s issues. These postponements have affected 16 of the 24 American based teams; of the 40 players on the COVID list, the only one on a Canadian team is Pierre-Luc Dubois due to the government mandated 14-day quarantine.
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