The NHL on Wednesday added two more Sabres – defenseman Brandon Montour and winger Tobias Rieder – to its COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.
They join winger Taylor Hall and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who first appeared on the list Tuesday, when the NHL postponed all of Buffalo’s games through Monday.
The Sabres had road games scheduled for Thursday against the New York Islanders and Saturday and Monday versus the Boston Bruins.
Buffalo’s training facilities are closed until further notice.
On Tuesday morning, the league also postponed the Sabres’ scheduled road game that night against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum so it could conduct proper COVID testing and contact tracing.
The Sabres planned to fly to New York on Tuesday morning because a snowstorm kept them from traveling Monday.
If a player appears on the COVID list, it doesn’t mean he has tested positive.
From the NHL: “‘COVID Protocol Related Absences’ can be the result of a number of factors including, among others: (1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.”
