Bruins to return from COVID pause on Thursday
Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney says the team is on schedule to return from its COVID-19 shutdown on Thursday night against the New York Islanders. The game also would be the first pro sporting event in Massachusetts with
paying fans in the crowd since last March.
The NHL on Friday postponed two Bruins games after four more Boston players entered the COVID protocol, for a total of five. They are: David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Sean Kuraly, Jake DeBrusk and Craig Smith. Games against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and the New York Islanders on Tuesday were to be rescheduled.
Sweeney said the players were driven separately back to Boston from Buffalo after that game was postponed.
Assuming there are no more positive tests, the Bruins would play at the TD Garden with 12% capacity, or about 2,100 fans.
NHL postpones OilersCanadiens game
The NHL has postponed Edmonton’s game at Montreal after two Canadiens players were placed in the league’s COVID-19 protocol.
Forwards Joel Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi became Montreal’s first players to enter the protocol since the season began on Jan. 13.
The postponement of the game was the 38th overall this season for coronavirus-related reasons, and first to involve the seven-team all-Canadian North Division.
The league listed 10 players in the protocol, with the Los Angeles Kings still awaiting their test results. The 10 players listed matches the most since Feb. 21.
Rangers defenseman Brett
Howden was placed in the protocol, joining teammate Phillip Di Giuseppe, who has been listed for nine straight days.
The Bruins continue to have five players listed since Friday.
A total of 157 NHL players have now spent at least one day in the COVID-19 protocol this season.
Calgary is the only team to not have a player listed.
49ers agree to 1-year deals with Tartt, Wilson
SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers agreed to bring back safety Jaquiski Tartt on a one-year deal and signed safety Tavon Wilson to a oneyear contract on Monday.
Tartt is the latest key free agent the Niners managed to keep for at least another season following deals the team reached with left tackle Trent Williams, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley, and nose tackle D.J. Jones.
“We are very excited to have Jaquiski back with our team,” general manager John Lynch said. “Jaquiski is an extremely skilled and versatile player who provides excellent communication skills for our defense. Welcome back Quiski!”
The 29-year-old Tartt was originally drafted in the second round by the 49ers in 2015 and has been a key part of the secondary ever since. He and former high school teammate Jimmie Ward have joined up as the starting safeties in San Francisco the past few seasons and will be back for another year together.