In a move that we all saw coming, the Bruins have been shut down through Dec. 26, with their next game scheduled for Dec. 27 against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to COVID issues running through the organization.
With their operation being shut down, games against the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche have all been postponed.
Brad Marchand, Craig Smith, Patrice Bergeron, Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic, Anton Blidh, Oskar Steen, Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar are all currently in the NHL’s COVID protocol.
"The vast majority of the players have had some mild symptoms, some have had zero. I think one player had a day where he felt probably a little more under the weather than he had previously with mild symptoms, so maybe I'd call it moderate,… Sweeney said. “But for the most part, everybody is doing relatively well and trending in the right direction."
While the Bruins are currently 100% vaccinated from players to staff, they’re lacking in the booster shot department.
"The booster shot has been made available to all the players. Again, personal preference as to when and if they decide to take it. We're on the lower end side percentage-wise at this point in time,… said Sweeney. “My belief is that may change in the coming days. But I don't have a hard number for you right now, but it's on the lower side at this juncture."
Although many teams across the league are shut down until after Christmas like the Bruins are, who knows what lies ahead after the holiday when it comes down to more negative tests and more disruptions to the season, leading to more postponements.
Of course how the NHL handles testing moving forwards in relation to vaccinated players remains to be seen, but it’s clear that with the way things are going right now, it’s hard for the league to continue on this path.