Flames COVID-19 list reaches 32 after pair added Friday

Mikael Backlund and one support staff member entered COVID protocols Thursday morning, upping the total list of Calgary Flames players and staff members to 32.

The Flames, who reached 30 after three players and one staff member entered protocols Thursday, have confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the outbreak.

#Flames Roster Update: Mikael Backlund and 1 member of the support staff have entered the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol.

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) December 17, 2021

Not all cases with the team are confirmed to be the Omicron variant.

In all, 19 players, three coaches, and nine support staff have reportedly been placed in the protocol.

Backlund joins forwards Johnny Gaudreau, Milan Lucic, Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Dillon Dube, Brad Richardson, Adam Ruzicka, Byron Froese, Tyler Pitlick and Trevor Lewis, defensemen Chris Tanev, Oliver Kylington, Nikita Zadorov and Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson, and Erik Gudbranson and goaltender Jacob Markstrom in protocol.

Coaches Darryl Sutter, Kirk Muller, and Ryan Huska are as well.

Only Matthew Tkachuk, Dan Vladar, Blake Coleman, and Michael Stone remain off the list as of Friday morning.

Calgary has had four games postponed to date. 

“As an appropriate precaution, the team’s training facilities will remain closed for players until further notice,” the NHL said in a release Wednesday. “The league is in the process of reviewing and revising the Flames’ regular season schedule and will provide a further update next week.”

The Flames are scheduled to host the Anaheim Ducks at the Saddledome on Tuesday.

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